Structure, function and regulation of the prothoracic glands in the Desert Locust

In juvenile insects, the prothoracic glands produce ecdysteroids from cholesterol. Ecdysteroids are hormonal regulators of important developmental transitions. In this PhD study, I intend to study and compare the histological structure, the biological activity and the regulation of these small endocrine glands in gregarious and solitarious phases of the Desert Locust, Schistocerca gregaria. This species can form huge swarms that devastate the agricultural production in large areas of Africa and Asia.