Researchers identify lily moth pheromone using AI-guided receptor tests
Image: Primary Researchers identified the previously unknown sex pheromone of the lily moth and the scent receptors that detect it, using an AI-guided method reported in BMC Biology. They predicted receptor structures from the insect's genes, tested which odor molecules might bind to them, then confirmed the result with chemical, electrical and behavioral experiments. Male moths responded to the identified molecule.
The work demonstrates a way to search for pheromones by starting with an insect's receptors. Such signals can be used in traps or to disrupt mating, but the researchers tested this approach on one species and did not report a pest-control deployment.
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