Chinese scientists reveal insects' olfactory mechanism to create safe pesticides

Chinese scientists have published a study revealing how certain chemicals affect the olfactory systems of insects and influence their behaviour. This is reported by Xinhua News Agency, a partner of TV BRICS.

Wang Guirong, a researcher at the Agricultural Genomics Institute at Shenzhen under the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) explained that insects use their sense of smell to perceive semiotic chemicals. Odour receptors play a key role in this process, converting external chemical signals into bioelectrical signals, which triggers appropriate behavioural responses in insects.

The researchers found that when insects are threatened, they release alarm pheromones, warning their neighbours to flee. The team of scientists studied the structure of these receptors in aphids and elucidated their recognition mechanism.

The discovery has significant scientific and practical implications, providing the basis for the development of environmentally friendly technologies. 

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