Decoding the temperature and moisture sensory mechanisms in insects

SUMMARY – Lina Ni The long-term goal of my lab is to identify how animals detect various environmental stimuli to regulate their behavior. Temperature and moisture are closely interrelated environmental variables that animals continuously encounter; animals must regulate and maintain their temperature and moisture homeostasis to sustain normal physiological functions. Optimal environmental conditions bolster development and reproduction, whereas suboptimal conditions negatively impact these processes, and extreme conditions may lead to rapid mortality and other life-threatening conditions. Temperature and moisture variations are particularly significant for insect population, distribution, and behavior. Both larvae and adults rely on ambient temperatures to set their body temperature and on environmental moisture conditions to maintain their hydration state. These two environmental variables also determine the developmental rate and success of larvae, and unfavorable conditions challenge insects’ immune systems and increase their susceptibility to pathogens. Therefore, temperature and moisture are directly linked to the outbreak of insect disease vectors and agricultural pests. This proposal uses fly larvae as a model system to study how insects detect and integrate temperature and moisture information. Fly larvae possess molecular receptors for these senses that are evolutionarily conserved to those found in other insects. They can detect subtle changes in temperature and moisture and guide robust behaviors toward optimal conditions. Their transparent bodies, short lifespans and generation times, simple nervous systems, and powerful genetic tools enable precise manipulation and visualization of molecular receptors, sensory neurons, and neural circuits. Despite these advantages, the mechanisms of moisture sensing in larvae remain unknown. It is also unclear how animals integrate temperature and moisture information at the molecular, cellular, and circuit levels to guide navigation toward optimal environments. The goal of this proposal is to determine how fly larvae sense and integrate temperature and moisture information in sensory neurons and in the brain. Successful completion of this proposal will identify the larval moisture-sensing mechanisms and uncover how temperature and moisture sensation modulate each other. This work will enhance our understanding of insect sensory biology, evolution, and behavior and support novel strategies to predict outbreaks and control insect disease vectors and agricultural pests. Project Number: 1R35GM163799-01 | Fiscal Year: 2026 | NIH Institute/Center: National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) | Principal Investigator: Lina Ni | Institution: VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INST AND ST UNIV, BLACKSBURG, VA | Award Amount: $432,357 | Activity Code: R35 | Study Section: Special Emphasis Panel[ZRG1 CDB-E (55)] View on NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/11330041