Welcome to the Insect Evolutionary Genomics lab at the University of Münster!
Our Research Focus
Our work primarily aims at understanding the function and evolution of genomic complexity, currently focusing on advancing our understanding of how structural and compositional differences between genomes arise, how these differences become evident at the phenotypic level, and how selection and drift eventually produce evolutionary change.
We study genome evolutionary mechanisms at the level of species, populations and families to get a complete picture of the molecular and genetic mechanisms that allow adaptive evolution and differentiation at the level of the genome.
Our Approach
We approach these mechanisms from two different directions:
From an organismal perspective, we focus on adaptive traits that emerged within a group of populations or species – for example the convergent evolution of inquiline social parasitism in fungus-growing ants. We then study phenotypic (e.g. behavioral, morphological, transcriptomic) and genetic/genomic changes underlying the adaptive change to develop models that explain how adaptation arises and is favored by selection.
From a mechanistic perspective, we study evolutionary mechanisms in suitable systems, focusing on mechanisms of rapid adaptive change via transposable elements (TEs), phenotypic plasticity, epigenetic inheritance, and genome rearrangements. We use model organisms that can be kept under laboratory conditions, including the ant Cardiocondyla obscurior and the parasitoid wasp Aphidius ervi.
Our Toolkit
Our research is biased towards big data analyses, particularly comparative genomics, population genomics, and transcriptomics. However, our projects commonly involve field work for sample collection and behavioral or molecular experiments in the laboratory to support our big data findings.
We primarily focus on ants, with some projects on honey bees and parasitoid wasps, studying both rare species difficult to culture and well-suited laboratory model organisms.
Lukas and collaborators released the AntScan paper on bioRxiv, presenting high-throughput 3D X-ray imaging of 2193 ant specimens from 792 species, paired with genome data to study the evolution and diversity of organismal phenotypes.
With contributions from Simo, Janina and Lukas, Tania’s paper on epigenetics of Pogonomyrmex harvester ants is out in Insect Molecular Biology.
Isabell has joined for her Master’s thesis working on the very confusing topic of genome evolution in Cardiocondyla!
The paper on HSP90 in Tribolium with Simo and Lukas is published in Nature Communications now!
After over 10 years of work, we have published the first paper on the GAGA project. Read it here.
Simo and Lukas joined Wei and others in a paper on fatty acid synthase genes in Nasonia. See the preprint here.
Nanda Vo gracefully defended his Master’s thesis on transcriptomic signatures of plastic adaptation in Aphidius parasitoids. Congrats! 🎉
Our study on adaptive evolution in ant odorant receptors is online as a preprint!
Another long-lasting project coming to an end with contributions from Simo and Lukas! This is on HSP90 in flour beetles.
Tania’s paper with contributions by Simo, Janina and I is out on bioarxiv.
Janina just posted her preprint on horizontal gene transfers in ants. This is a great paper, really! See here.
10 years of work in one paper. The preprint for the Global Ant Genomics Alliance is online!
Isabell delivered a great defense for her Bachelor’s degree today! 🎉
Josh defended his Master’s thesis on molecular decanalization in Cardiocondyla. Congrats, Josh! 🎉
There is a new paper on Transposon Displays in Cardiocondyla. Beautiful work by Esther! 🙌
Simo is on a roll. Another paper accepted, this time in BMC Biology! We explored the evolutionary genomics of social polymorphisms in Pogonomyrmex californicus. 🙌
Simo’s paper on recombination rate dynamics in Cardiocondyla obscurior was accepted in Genome Research. Check it out here! 🙌
Nanda has started his Master’s thesis on the molecular signatures of host adaptation in Aphidius ervi. 👋
Sandra defended her Master’s thesis on olfactory system evolution in ants. She will move on to do a PhD in Jena. Congrats! 🎉
Janina defended her Master’s thesis on horizontal gene transfers in ants and will continue as a PhD student. Congrats, and welcome! 🎉👋
Esther defended her Master’s thesis on phenotypic robustness, TEs and heatshocks in Cardiocondyla. Esther will stay on as a PhD student. Congrats, and welcome! 🎉👋
The DFG-funded project on “Transposable elements as genetic innovators in the invasive ant Cardiocondyla obscurior” will start soon!