Larissa de Paola, MSc

PhD project: Colour and chemistry - How flowers signal reward quality to pollinators

I started my PhD in 2024 and I study visual and olfactory signals and rewards in plants.

My project focuses on three complementary strains: the study of colour, the analyses of scents and the chemical composition of floral rewards that are offered by the plant to the animal pollinators in the form of nectar and pollen.

With my research I want to understand (I) how the optical characteristics of flowers and the chemical composition of floral fragrances co-evolved with the physiology and ecology of pollinators and (II) if floral displays and fragrances provide reliable information about the quality and quantity of the reward offered.