Neural cell signalling - The Warr Group

We investigate how cells in the nervous system receive and respond to signals from their environment.

The Warr group studies how cells in the nervous system receive and respond to signals from the external and internal environment. We are particularly interested in how neuropeptides regulate animal growth, and in the way cells in the olfactory system detect odour information. We use the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster as a model organism as many of the major cell signalling pathways in mammals are conserved (and were in fact first discovered) in flies, but flies have many more sophisticated genetic and molecular approaches available to study gene function and expression. They are also great lab organisms as they breed quickly, are easy to maintain, and are low cost!

Expertise

  • Molecular genetics
  • Cell signalling
  • Receptor/ligand interactions
  • Peptide hormones including insulin
  • Cell biology
  • Protein expression, structure/function studies
  • Sensory systems
  • Developmental biology

Projects

Neuropeptide regulation of developmental timing and body size in Drosophila (collaboration with Dr Christen Mirth at Monash University).

Using genetic screens in flies we have identified new peptide hormone receptors involved in growth. Most of these have human homologues.

Molecular basis of odour detection in Drosophila and insects of economic importance (in collaboration with Dr Trent Perry at University of Melbourne).

We are studying the signalling mechanism of the insect odorant receptors, and their functions in pest species.

Control of growth factor signalling by a perforin-like protein (collaboration with Prof James Whisstock and Dr Travis Johnson at Monash University).

We are studying the Torso-like protein in Drosophila and how it controls multiple signalling pathways.

Using Drosophila as a model to investigate the effect of common food additives on gut physiology (collaboration with Dr Kylie Kavanagh at Wake Forest School of Medicine and A/Prof Raj Eri in the School of Health Sciences).

Group Leader(s)

Affiliation

Biomedical Sciences

School of Medicine

Contact

Email: Coral.warr@utas.edu.au

Group members

  • Dr Katherine Shaw
  • Ms Emily Kerton
  • Ms Sachini Mallika Arachchilage
  • Ms Jade Kanangarra – (based at Monash University)
  • Ms Arani Azim – (based at Monash University)

Link to externally hosted website: coralwarr.com

Coral is the president of the Genetics Society of Australia (http://www.genetics.org.au/) and the Australia/Oceanic representative on the International Fly Board.

The Australian Drosophila community meets annually at the AusFly meeting in Warburton.