A5060358944- Neurobiology and Insect Physiology Research
- Insect and Arachnid Ecology and Behavior
- Insect Utilization and Effects
- Cancer, Hypoxia, and Metabolism
- Mechanisms of cancer metastasis
- Genetics, Aging, and Longevity in Model Organisms
- Retinal Development and Disorders
- Hippo pathway signaling and YAP/TAZ
- Developmental Biology and Gene Regulation
- Diffusion and Search Dynamics
- Evolutionary Game Theory and Cooperation
- Insect behavior and control techniques
- Plant and animal studies
- Pancreatic function and diabetes
- Olfactory and Sensory Function Studies
University of Konstanz
2023-2025
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
2025
Boğaziçi University
2019-2020
Technical University of Munich
2018-2019
Collective motion, which is ubiquitous in nature, has traditionally been explained by “self-propelled particle” models from theoretical physics. Here we show, through field, lab, and virtual reality experimentation, that classical of collective behavior cannot account for how motion emerges marching desert locusts, whose swarms affect the livelihood millions. In contrast to assumptions made these models, locusts do not explicitly align with neighbors. While individuals respond moving-dot...
In pursuit of food, hungry animals mobilize significant energy resources and overcome exhaustion fear. How need motivation control the decision to continue or change behavior is not understood. Using a single fly treadmill, we show that flies persistently track food odor increase their effort over repeated trials in absence reward suggesting dominates negative experience. We further tracking regulated by two mushroom body output neurons (MBONs) connecting MB lateral horn. These MBONs,...
Abstract Desert locust plagues threaten the food security of millions. Central to their formation is crowding-induced plasticity, with social phenotypes changing from cryptic (solitarious) swarming (gregarious). Here, we elucidate implications this transition on foraging decisions and corresponding neural circuits. We use behavioral experiments Bayesian modeling decompose multi-modal facets foraging, revealing olfactory cues as critical. To end, investigate how odors are encoded in system...
In the mammalian olfactory bulb (OB), gap junctions coordinate synchronous activity among mitral and tufted cells to process information. insects, are also present in Antennal Lobe (AL), a structure homologous OB. The invertebrate junction protein ShakB contributes electrical synapses between AL Projections Neurons (PNs) Drosophila . Other proteins, including Innexin 7 (Inx7), expressed AL, but little is known about their contribution intercellular communication during information...
In pursuit of palatable food, hungry animals mobilize significant energy resources and overcome obstacles, exhaustion fear. Their perseverance depends on metabolic state, internal motivation the expected benefit. Sustained commitment to a trying task is crucial, however, disengagement from one behavior engage into another can be essential for optimal adaptation survival. How neural circuits allow prioritizing over withdrawal based animal's need, not understood. Using single fly spherical...
Developmental processes require strict regulation of proliferation, differentiation and patterning for the generation final organ size. Aberrations in these fundamental events are critically important tumorigenesis cancer progression. Salt inducible kinases (Siks) evolutionarily conserved genes involved diverse biological processes, including salt sensing, metabolism, muscle, cartilage bone formation, but their role development remains largely unknown. Recent findings implicate Siks mitotic...
Abstract Developmental processes require strict regulation of proliferation, differentiation and patterning for the generation final organ size. Aberrations in these fundamental events are critically important understanding tumorigenesis cancer progression. Salt inducible kinases (Siks) evolutionarily conserved genes involved diverse biological processes, including salt sensing, metabolism, muscle skeletal development. Recent findings implicate SIKs tumor suppression or However, their role...
1 Abstract Desert locust plagues threaten the food security of millions. Central to their formation is crowding-induced social plasticity from ‘solitarious’ ‘gregarious‘ phenotypes. We investigated impact population density changes on locusts’ foraging choices and neurobiology by examining how relevant odors are coded in antennal lobe. Our analysis shows that gregarious locusts highly attentive cues during foraging, with olfaction playing an essential role. Using calcium imaging, we show...