Insect Juvenile Hormone: A Rich History of Surprising Discoveries
Original Article Reference
This SciPod is a summary of the paper ‘Rhodnius, Golden Oil, and Met: A History of Juvenile Hormone Research’ from Frontiers in Cell and Developmental Biology. doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2020.00679
About this episode
The story of research into juvenile hormone, a fundamental chemical that regulates insect life history, follows the same thread as many other tales of scientific discovery. A series of serendipitous findings and observations led researchers to identify this unique hormone and isolate it from a moth. Additional studies focused on its potential as an insecticide, given that it has diverse effects on various aspects of insect physiology. In a recent review paper, Professor Lynn M Riddiford of the University of Washington details major developments in the history of juvenile hormone research.
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