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What makes a molecule taste "bitter"?

Many plants synthesize secondary compounds which are bitter or toxic to herbivores. Since bitter chemicals are mostly detected by contact, we study how insects use their taste sensilla to evaluate food quality and how they use this information combined with previous experience or internal sensations to adapt their feeding. The ultimate goal of such researches is to find ways to use non-toxic bitter molecules to protect crops against pest insects.

Current projects

• Bitter receptors in Drosophila - physiology of taste sensilla detecting bitter compounds, using Drosophila as a model insect: Alexandra Guigue (PhD 2009-2012), Moutaz Ali Agha (PhD 2011-2014), Alice French (PhD 2011-2014). Click here for more infos.
• Detection of aversive signals from plants - olfaction in larvae of Spodoptera littoralis with Erwan Poivet (PhD 2009-2012)  and Emmanuelle Jacquin-Joly

Grants (current)

• 2009-2011 ANR ADAPTANTHROP, supervised by Prof. Myriam Harris