Ceratosolen fusciceps isolate:HK-2024 Genome sequencing. Ceratosolen fusciceps isolate:HK-2024

The genome of Ceratosolen fusciceps (C. fusciceps), the specialist wasp pollinator of Ficus racemosa, has been sequenced to facilitate the study of olfactory receptors (ORs) and their role in host specificity and adaptation to variable environments. The study focuses on annotating the OR repertoire, analyzing tissue-specific expression to explore the distribution and potential novel functions of ORs beyond olfaction, and conducting comparative studies of C. fusciceps populations from urban south and rural northeast India to examine the evolutionary dynamics of ORs in response to regional variations in fig volatiles. This research seeks to provide new insights into the co-evolution of fig and fig wasp mutualism and the molecular mechanisms underlying insect olfaction.