Esther van den Boes

Esther van den Boes

PhD student

Rapid evolution and TE-induced genetic variation in invasive ants.

The constant need to adapt is met differently by each individual, population, or species. In some cases, the success at adapting is obvious, e.g. the behavioral adaptation in humans, in other instances though it can be quite puzzling. Our model organism, the invasive ant species Cardiocondyla obscurior, successfully colonizes new habitats even though genetic variation is low. With my project, we aim to uncover how phenotypic plasticity, cryptic variation and transposable elements (TEs) interplay during this rapid evolution and how especially TEs function as genetic innovators during adaptation.

Janina Rinke

Janina Rinke

PhD student

The impact of horizontal gene transfers in ants.

I am interested in the evolution of social insects and particularly in understanding the genetic basis of social insect evolution and their endosymbionts. In the past, I have been investigating the mechanisms of worker policing and worker reproduction in Camponotus ants. My current research project focuses on horizontally transferred genes in ants deriving from bacteria and possible new, interesting functions of these HGTs within ants. I am using large-scale sequencing data from the Global Ant Genomics Alliance to find high-quality HGT candidates with bioinformatic methods and genomic approaches. My research tackles the question whether HGTs play a significant role in ants leading to evolutionary advances. For this, I am using RNAseq data to quantify expression of HGTs as well as molecular methods to determine the existence of high-quality HGTs.

Isabell Kaufhold

Isabell Kaufhold

MSc student

Genome evolution in Cardiocondyla ants.

Lukas Franke

Lukas Franke

MSc student

Functional characterization of a horizontal gene transfer in Cardiocondyla ants.

Lukas Schrader

Lukas Schrader

PI

My goal as a researcher is understanding the interplay between "hard-wired" genomic traits, environmental cues, "soft-wired" regulatory mechanisms, and the phenotype.

Former Members

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