Naoki Yamanaka will study the role of steroid hormone transporters in insect development and reproduction. An Assistant Professor of Entomology, Yamanaka will translate that knowledge into new ways to combat the spread of mosquitoes, which are among the deadliest animals on the planet.

Steroid hormones mediate many biological processes, including growth and development in insects, and sexual maturation, immunity and cancer progression in humans. After they are produced by glands of the endocrine system, steroid hormones must enter cells to exert their biological effects. For decades, the assumption has been that these hormones enter cells by simple diffusion, but preliminary work in Yamanaka’s lab suggests a defined passageway controlled by proteins called membrane transporters.

Read the full article by Sarah Nightingale here.