Many times we as human beings wonder how an insect is able to find and bite us every time we go outdoors. This is a direct result of the pheromones our body exudes and the sensory organs that the insects uses to decode those pheromones we emit. REsearchers in UK's Rothamsted Research and the University of London carried out a study to determine what it is exactly that enables a insect to sense these pheromones and react accordingly. They were ables to determine this by means of the UK's Diamond Light Source synchrotron. The synchrotron is able to generate beams of electrons that are used to probe structures down to the molecular level.
The model organism for these pheromone studies was the silkworm moth. It is know that the silkworm moth has odor binding proteins to which the pheromones are able to bind, but exactly how do the pheromones bind? Answering this question could results in numerous ways that we can create proper pesticides/repellants that can bind and block this odor binding protein, therefore reducing the insects ability to bite someone.
The x-ray images showed that the structure of the odor binding protein changed when it was bound to a molecule of the moth pheromone, bombykol. Researchers then concluded that this protein-pheromone complex started the olfactory (or smell) receptor therefore allowing the moth to process the odor.
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