Insect Pheromone Biochemistry and Molecular Biology

Gary Blomquist is currently a Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Nevada Reno, a position he has held since 1983. From 2001 to 2014, he served as the Chair of the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at this institution. He received his PhD in Biochemistry/Chemistry from the University of Montana. He currently serves on the editorial boards for the Journal of Chemical Ecology, Insect Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, and the Archives of Insect Biochemistry and Physiology. He has contributed to hundreds of journal articles and book chapters on insect pheromones and biochemistry.

A valuable new reference on insect behavior, this exceptional new text delves into the primary sensory communication system used by most insects -- their sense of smell. Insect Pheromone Biochemistry and Molecular Biology covers how insects produce pheromones and how they detect pheromones and plant volatiles. Since insects rely on pheromone detection for both feeding and breeding, a better understanding of insect olfaction and pheromone biosynthesis could help curb the behavior of pests without the use of harmful pesticides and even help to reduce the socio-economic impacts associated to human-insect interactions.

Part 1: PHEROMONE PRODUCTION
Biosynthesis and detection of pheromones and plant volatiles - Introduction and Overview.
Biology and ultrastructure of sex pheromone producing tissue .
Biochemistry of female moth sex pheromones.
Molecular Biological Investigations of Pheromone Desaturases,
PBAN regulation of pheromone biosynthesis in female moths.
Biosynthesis and endocrine regulation of pheromone production in Coleoptera.
Molecular Biology of Pheromone Production in Bark Beetles.
Biosynthesis and ecdysteroid regulation of housefly sex pheromone production.
Genetic studies on pheromone production in Drosophila.
Regulation of pheromone biosynthesis, transport and emission in cockroaches.
Pheromone biosynthesis in social insects.
Alkaloid-derived pheromones and sexual selection in Lepidoptera.

Part 2: PHEROMONE DETECTION
The biochemical design of pheromone and odor detection
The biochemistry of odor detection and its future prospects
Biochemical Diversity in Odor Detection: OBPs, ODE, and SNMPs. Proteins that make sense.
The peripheral pheromone olfactory system in insects: targets for species-selective control agents
Biochemistry and diversity of insect odorant-binding proteins.
Biochemistry and evolution of OBP and CSP proteins.
Diversity and Expression of Odorant Receptors in Drosophila
Transduction Mechanisms of Olfactory Sensory Neurons
The external and internal environmental factors influencing the biochemical design of pheromone and odor detection
The Biomechanical Design of an Insect Antenna as an Odor Capture Device
Olfactory landscapes and deceptive pollination: signal noise and convergent evolution in floral Scent
Physiology and genetics of odor perception in Drosophila
Plasticity and coding mechanisms in the insect antennal lobe