Watt 9807609 In the proposed support period the PIs will finish development of a nearly completed method for analyzing metabolites of glycolysis in direct energetic support of insect flight. The PIs will evaluate the effects on flight performance of 10 natural genotypes of a gtycolytic: enzyme, PGI, in the PIs insect study system, using the PIs computerized insect wind tunnel to evaluate lift and thrust output, duration of peak output, and duration of minimal flight sustenance as functions of genotype, brood, and other relevant independent variables. The PIs will test the same genotypes for their effects on flight initiation and sustenance at the behavioral level in outdoor cages, with microclimate monitoring in the cages to establish appropriate control of daily thermal fluctuations. This research, if successful, will lay the foundation for much new progress in the study of adaptive metabolic organization in support of animal locomotion and behavior.
