#clonal raider ants

[sitting-on-me-bum]

Worker ants tend to pupae and small larvae in a colony of clonal raider ants, Ooceraea biroi.

PHOTOGRAPH BY DANIEL KRONAUER

[bulimulus-bonariensis]

Objectively better. Anyway here are my

TOP 10 FAVORITE ANTS

10. Polyrhachis sp.

Spiny ants. These were the first ants I saw on my trip to Taiwan this month and they have a nice silvery sheen to them!

9. Pseudomyrmex gracilis

The twig ant. Invasive where I live, but I respect them for their relatively independent foraging behaviors and they stick out among the other ants in my area.

8. Odontomachus sp.

Trapjaw ants. Snapping you with the brutal force of a crisp breeze

7. Crematogaster sp.

Acrobat ants! They’re tiny and cute and from above their abdomens look like playing card spades. They also lift their abdomens over their heads sometimes. Is it for communication? Defense? I’m not rly sure

6. Camponotus floridanus

The tropical carpenter ant. A chunky ant species in general, but soldiers have big funny heads, and I enjoy seeing them make colonies in my windowsill

5. Oecophylla sp.

Asian weaver ants. These guys use their own bodies and the silk of their young as building materials for their nests. Look at this worker holding her baby sibling, possibly for use as a caulk gun

4. Oocerea biroi

A clonal raider ant. These ants have NO queens, they reproduce asexually, yet some members grow wing buds (which should only be present on a reproductive queen/king ant) and lay more eggs than other workers. They also have virtually no eyes

3. Eciton burchellii

This is a species of army ant. Their soldiers tower over their workers and have GIANT mammoth-tusk mandibles.

2. Cephalotes varians

This is a kind of turtle ant, whose species are known for a phenomenon called “phragmosis”. Basically it means that one of their body parts evolved to become a door. For Cephalotes, that body part would be their head:

1. Strumigenys emmae

Emma’s pygmy snapping ant. I call all Strumigenys “strawberry heads” cause they’re vaguely heart-shaped and covered in white seed-like setae. But I like emma in particular bc her mandibles are nice and round :)

other social media websites im on are like. hawk tuah girl and mr beast are collabing for a festables event. and tumblr is like. here are my top 10 favorite ants

[entomoblog]

Fourmis : comment elles perçoivent l’odeur du danger

Grâce à une lignée transgénique, une équipe américaine a réussi à suivre, dans le cerveau d’une fourmi, l’effet provoqué par des phéromones d’alarme.

Nathaniel Herzberg

Publié hier à 15h00, modifié à 11h32 [19.06.2023]

  Sparse and stereotyped encoding implicates a core glomerulus for ant alarm behavior: Cell, 14.06.2023 https://www.cell.com/cell/fulltext/S0092-8674(23)00544-5

  Keywords

antennal lobe / calcium imaging / chemosensation / clonal raider ant / communication / GCaMP / odor coding / olfaction / Ooceraea biroi / pheromone

  [Image] Graphical abstract

[cavenewstimes]

'Supergene' mutation turned ants into parasitic wannabe queens

Scientists have identified a mutant strain of clonal raider ants that look like miniature queens and evolved quickly because of a single “supergene” mutation.

[michaelroofian]

'Supergene' mutation turned ants into parasitic wannabe queens

Scientists have identified a mutant strain of clonal raider ants that look like miniature queens and evolved quickly because of a single "supergene" mutation. from Livescience https://www.livescience.com/supergene-mutation-turned-ants-into-parasitic-wannabe-queens via IFTTT

[mondonews]

Ant Milk: It Does a Colony Good

Ant Milk: It Does a Colony Good

Everything in the ant hill seems to need the liquid secretions from members of the colony that are in their pupal stage. Orli Snir, a biologist at the Rockefeller University in New York, couldn’t keep her ants alive. She had plucked pupae from a colony of clonal raider ants, where the sesame seed-size offspring that looked like puffed rice cereal were being fussed over by both younger larvae and…

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: MaxPlanckJena_UHalle.InsectSocietyDiseaseDynamics

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@evol.biology.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: MaxPlanckJena_UHalle.InsectSocietyDiseaseDynamics > Date: 12 May 2022 at 07:46:55 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > Applications are invited for a 2-year postdoctoral position in the labs of > Yuko Ulrich (Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany) and > Robert Paxton (Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Halle, Germany). > > We are looking for a dynamic, creative, and collaborative postdoctoral > researcher to join an interdisciplinary team working at the intersection > of behavioral ecology and epidemiology. The project will take place at > the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Jena (www.ice.mpg.de), > in the Ulrich group (www.ulrichlab.com), in close collaboration with the > group of Robert Paxton in Halle. The project aims to investigate disease > dynamics in colonies of the clonal raider ant by developing a virus–ant > model and experimentally studying the impact of social behavior (division > of labor, network structure) on viral spread in social groups. > > The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology provides a thriving, > international, and multidisciplinary research environment. The working > language of the institution and of the research group is English. We offer > a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and pension scheme, as > well as career development training. The Max Planck Society is committed > to equal opportunities and diversity (https://ift.tt/rJaKzis). We > welcome qualified applicants from all backgrounds. > > To apply, please send your CV with the names and contact details of at > least of 2 references, a cover letter (≤ 2 pages) describing motivation > for the project, research interests and relevant experience, and a digital > copy of MSc and PhD certificates or equivalent. Please send applications > as a single pdf file, quoting the reference number 4-4758/22-D, via the > application portal at https://apply.idiv.de. Submission deadline is 09 > June 2022. > > Informal inquiries about the position can be addressed to Dr. Ulrich > (yulrich@ice.mpg.de). > > > Robert Paxton > via IFTTT

[thatssorue]

Clonal Raider Ants Ooceraea biroi

Clonal Raider Ants, Ooceraea biroi (formerly Cerapachys biroi), are tiny, cryptic ants with a number of features that make them stand out in the ant world.

April Nobile / © AntWeb.org / CC-BY-SA-3.0 from Wikimedia.

First of all, they don’t have a separate queen and instead the workers can reproduce asexually, laying eggs that become more workers (hence the name “clonal.”)

Like other army ants, they have a distinct foraging phase (nomadic) and a reproductive phase (statary). They also lack eyes.

The raider part of their names comes from the fact they enter nests of other ant species and steal brood as their primary source of food.

Dr. Daniel Kronauer at the Rockefeller University sees the potential usefulness of this species. He is exploiting genetics and neurobiology to tease apart ant social behavior. You can see more about his work in the video.

  (This video is a share and is larger at Scientific American.)

Sounds like a fascinating system to study.

from Nature's Incredible! https://ift.tt/2OGB0g3 via Nature & Insects

[johnscoffey]

Ant Researchers Discover The Origin Of Cooperative Insect Behavior

Most animals compete for resources, making only the most fit members of a particular species ripe for survival. An animal’s behavior is the product of millions of years of competition. It could be said that evolution, at least in part, is driven by competition between animals. As much as competition seems to be an inherent aspect of all of nature’s organisms, it is surprising that cooperative behaviors even exist at all. Amazingly, there are a few animals that are largely cooperative as opposed to competitive. For example, social insect behavior is largely cooperative, and the survival of social insect colonies trumps the survival of individual social insects. Insects like ants, bees, termites and many wasps have evolved under cooperative social circumstances. This is precisely why social insect behavior is so puzzling to evolutionary biologists; after all, how could a species survive or evolve without resorting to competitive behaviors? And how did cooperative behaviors evolve in a world inhabited by competitive animals? In an effort to answer this question, researchers have recently conducted an experiment on ants, and the results were quite telling.

Labor in social insect colonies is divided in order to efficiently meet a colony’s goals. In order to understand how social insect behavior evolved, researchers have investigated the clonal raider ant of Asia. These ants form colonies that don’t include queens. In fact, their colonies consist of nothing but workers, as each ant lays eggs that are a clone of themselves. Since these colonies contain nothing but workers, they can stand in as representatives of early ant species. Therefore, these ants may be able to provide scientists with information concerning the early evolution of divided labor among social insects. The researchers found that colonies containing as few as six ants began to demonstrate cooperative behavior by forming divisions of labor. It was found that some ants preferred some tasks over others, so even ants can be it bit choosy. However, as the colonies grew to contain more members, colony wide tasks became more specialized. Furthermore, large colonies led to more stable conditions within nests, and the health of each member improved when considering reproductive rates and mortality. Given these observations, the researchers believe that cooperative animals may evolve more readily than competing animals, as cooperative animals ensure that each member of a colony are well cared for. When viewed in this light, cooperation is more evolutionarily advantageous than competition.

Do you believe that humans would be better off as cooperative animals, like ants or termites, as opposed to remaining competitive animals?

  from Tips About Pest Control https://certifiedtpc.com/2018/09/05/ant-researchers-discover-the-origin-of-cooperative-insect-behavior/

[engadget-news-blog]

Gene-altered ants show how animal societies work

How much is societal behavior dictated by genetics? Scientists at Rockefeller University might just find out through ant colonies. They've modified the genes of clonal raider ants (not shown above) to see how the changes affect social behavior, bot... http://dlvr.it/NCB64R

[entomoblog]

Un éclairage sur l'évolution des fourmis parasites de colonies | The Rockefeller University

See on Scoop.it - EntomoNews

Ants are known as hard workers, tirelessly attending to their assigned tasks. But some are total layabouts.

  The Rockefeller University » Illuminating the evolution of social parasite ants

March 2, 2023

  -------

NDÉ

L'étude

  A caste differentiation mutant elucidates the evolution of socially parasitic ants: Current Biology, 02.03.2023 https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(23)00136-7

  [Image] A queen-like mutant in the clonal raider ant

  (A) Ancestral caste morphology in ants, exemplified by the raider ant Ooceraea octoantenna. Relative to workers, queens are larger and possess more developed reproductive, visual, and flight systems.

  (B) Workerless social parasite that expresses queen-like morphological features at a worker-like body size, using a miniaturized O. octoantenna queen as a hypothetical example.

  (C) Caste morphology of WT O. biroi. Relative to other Ooceraea and the ancestral condition of ants, O. biroi has evolutionarily lost the morphological queen caste and instead has colonies that are exclusively composed of parthenogenetic worker ants.

  (D) Immature WT O. biroi (left) and QLM (right).

  (E) Cross-fostering shows that the QLM phenotype is 100% penetrant. Eggs were collected and hatched on glass slides, and colonies were established with 20 adult WTs and 16 young larvae.

[entomoblog]

Des fourmis transgéniques mettent en lumière leur puissant odorat

See on Scoop.it - EntomoNews

Dans le cadre d’une étude, des chercheurs ont créé des fourmis transgéniques dont les antennes brillaient en vert sous un microscope. Ces manipulations ont permis d’observer la manière dont le cerveau de ces insectes traite les odeurs alarmantes. Les résultats identifient trois régions cérébrales uniques.

  Des fourmis transgéniques mettent en lumière leur puissant odorat

Par Brice Louvet, 19 janvier 2023, 15 h 35 min

  "Les fourmis communiquent via de larges réseaux de phéromones et possèdent des systèmes olfactifs étendus et très complexes, avec des lobes antennaires dans le cerveau comprenant environ 500 glomérules. De fait, les chercheurs ont longtemps pensé que les odeurs pourraient activer des centaines de ces glomérules, ce qui poserait des défis pour le traitement des commandes supérieures.

  Une étude récente menée par une équipe de l’Université Rockefeller de New York suggère que les régions cérébrales impliquées sont en réalité plus concentrées."

(...)

  Ooceraea Biroi. Source : Reddit.

  Sparse and stereotyped encoding implicates a core glomerulus for ant alarm behavior | bioRxiv, 29.12.2022 https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.12.29.522224v1

  -------

NDÉ

Traduction du résumé

  Un encodage épars et stéréotypé implique un glomérule central dans le comportement d'alarme des fourmis.

  Les fourmis communiquent par le biais de vastes réseaux de phéromones et possèdent des systèmes olfactifs étendus et très complexes, les lobes antennaires du cerveau comprenant ~500 glomérules. Cette expansion implique que les odeurs pourraient activer des centaines de glomérules, ce qui poserait des problèmes pour le traitement d'ordre supérieur. Pour étudier ce problème, nous avons généré les premières fourmis transgéniques, exprimant l'indicateur de calcium génétiquement codé GCaMP6s dans les neurones sensoriels olfactifs.

  En utilisant l'imagerie à deux photons, nous avons cartographié les réponses glomérulaires complètes à quatre phéromones d'alarme des fourmis. Les phéromones d'alarme ont activé de manière robuste ≤6 glomérules, et les cartes d'activité des trois phéromones induisant une alarme-panique dans notre espèce d'étude convergeaient vers un seul glomérule.

  Ces résultats démontrent que, plutôt que d'utiliser un codage combinatoire largement accordé, les fourmis emploient une représentation précise, étroitement accordée et stéréotypée des signaux de phéromones d'alarme.

  L'identification d'un glomérule central sensoriel pour le comportement d'alarme suggère qu'une architecture neuronale simple est suffisante pour traduire la perception des phéromones en réponses comportementales.

  Traduit avec www.DeepL.com/Translator (version gratuite)

    Illustration

  [Image] Conceptual schematic for the representation of alarm pheromones in the clonal 554 raider ant AL. Numbers show the median number of responding glomeruli for each pheromone 555

(available via license: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International)

  via (PDF) Sparse and stereotyped encoding implicates a core glomerulus for ant alarm behavior https://www.researchgate.net/publication/366688925_Sparse_and_stereotyped_encoding_implicates_a_core_glomerulus_for_ant_alarm_behavior

[evoldir]

Fwd: Graduate position: MaxPlanckInst_Jena.HostDiseaseBehaviour

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@web.rhpcs.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Graduate position: MaxPlanckInst_Jena.HostDiseaseBehaviour > Date: 31 March 2022 at 05:45:32 BST > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > Parasitism and social behaviour in ants > > We invite applications for a fully funded PhD position to work > on the behavioural and chemical ecology of nematode infections in > ants with the groups of Yuko Ulrich (ulrichlab.com) and Markus Knaden > (ice.iwww.mpg.de/228656/odor-guided-behavior) at the Max Planck Institute > for Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany. > > Background: Parasites can affect virtually any aspect of host biology, > including behavior. Effects range from manipulations of host behavior > that increase parasite transmission to changes in host social behaviour > (e.g., social distancing) that reduce transmission. Social insects and > their parasites include some of the best-known examples of behavioral > effects at both ends of this spectrum (1, 2), but the mechanisms driving > these changes are rarely known. > > Nematodes of the genus Diploscapter infect the postpharyngeal gland of > ants (3), an organ involved in the spread of cuticular hydrocarbons among > nestmates. Cuticular hydrocarbons play a central role in communication > within ant societies: they are the basis for the formation of a > “colony odor”, which is in turn used for nestmate recognition (i.e, > self vs. non-self discrimination) (4). It is currently unknown whether > nematode infections in the postpharyngeal gland can affect the ants’ > nestmate discrimination ability, and if so, what the consequences on > aggressive behavior, colony composition, and parasite transmission are. > > Project Description: You will combine behavioural and chemical analyses to > study the effect of experimental infections with Diploscapter nematodes > in the clonal raider ant Ooceraea biroi (5), an emerging model for the > study of social behaviour (6). You will investigate whether and how > nematodes affect ant cuticular hydrocarbon profiles and the ability of > ants to discriminate nestmates from non-nestmates, and how this in turn > affects the transmission success of the parasite and the fitness of > host colonies. Depending on your interests, this project can develop > to address more detailed questions on the sensory and nutritional > aspects of the interaction between host and parasite, intergenerational > effects of infections on the host, or comparative approaches using other > ant–nematode species pairs. The project provides opportunities for > internal and external collaborations. > > Candidate profile: > > - Master’s degree (or equivalent) in biology or related field > > - Proactive, dynamic, and curious > > - Excellent communication and organizational skills > > - Proficiency in written and spoken English > > - Experience with behavioural assays or chemical analyses in insects are >  desirable but not necessary > > Applications should be submitted online through the online portal of > the graduate school (International Max Planck Research School, IMPRS): > https://ift.tt/zXTrb1p by May 6, 2022. Informal > inquiries about the position can be addressed to Yuko Ulrich > (yulrich@ice.mpg.de). > > The Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology provides a thriving, > international, and multidisciplinary research environment, > state-of-the-art facilities and equipment, and world-class > colleagues working on evolutionary biology, and insect chemical > ecology and neuroethology. The working language of the institute > is English. For more information, please visit www.ice.mpg.de. The > Max Planck Society is committed to equal opportunities and diversity > (https://ift.tt/CbYaJgs). We welcome qualified applicants from > all backgrounds. > > References: > > 1.     D. P. Hughes, F. Libersat, Parasite manipulation of host >       behavior. Curr. Biol. 29, R45-R47 (2019). > > 2.     S. Cremer, S. A. Armitage, P. Schmid-Hempel, Social immunity. >       Curr. Biol. 17, R693-702 (2007). > > 3.     G. J. Poinar, Nematode Parasites and Associates of Ants: Past and >       Present. Psyche 2012, (2012). > > 4.     P. P. Sprenger, F. Menzel, Cuticular hydrocarbons in ants >       (Hymenoptera: Formicidae) and other insects: how and why they >       differ among individuals, colonies, and species. Myrmecological >       News 30, 1-26 (2020). > > 5.     G. Alciatore et al., Immune challenges increase network >       centrality in a queenless ant. Proceedings of the Royal Society >       B-Biological Sciences 288, (2021). > > 6.     Y. Ulrich, J. Saragosti, C. K. Tokita, C. E. Tarnita, D. J. C. >       Kronauer, Fitness benefits and emergent division of labour at the >       onset of group living. Nature 560, 635-638 (2018). > > > yuko ulrich > via IFTTT

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: MaxPlanck_Jena.EvolEcoBehavior

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@web.rhpcs.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: MaxPlanck_Jena.EvolEcoBehavior > Date: 2 December 2021 at 07:54:48 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > MaxPlanckJena_EvolEcoBehavior > > "Postdoctoral position on brood care in ants Applications are invited > for a 3-year postdoctoralposition at theMax Planck Institute for > Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany to work in the Social Behavior group > headed by Dr.  Yuko Ulrich.  We are looking for a dynamic, creative, > and collaborative postdoctoral scientist to join an interdisciplinary > team working at the intersection of behavioral ecology and evolutionary > biology.Candidates with a PhD in chemical ecology, behavioral biology, > or related fields are welcome to apply.  The group�s current work is > centered on the drivers and consequences of social behavior. We seek to > understand how individual traits and the social context shape behavior > using experimental, computational, and molecular approaches in a uniquely > accessible social insect, the clonal raider ant.  This parthenogenetic > species produces genetically identical offspring in discrete cohorts, > making it possible to precisely control and replicate the size and > composition of colonies in experiments.  For more information about our > work, please visit www.ulrichlab.com.  The project aims to study the > fundamentals of a key behavior of social insects, brood care. Clonal > raider ant larvae have clear effects on worker behavior and physiology, > and the project aims to identify the cues (chemical, behavioral) driving > those effects.  We are therefore looking for a team member with a strong > background in chemical ecology or behavioral biology. Experience working > with social insects, designing behavioral assays and analyzing behavior > computationally, and/or bioassay-guided fractionation and compound > identification are a definite plus.  Candidates must have excellent > verbal and written communication skills, a publication record, and a track > record of addressing scientific questions in an innovative and rigorous > manner. Whatever your background, a keen interest in the research topic > and a positive mindset are a must.  TheMax Planck Institute for Chemical > Ecology provides a thriving, international, and multidisciplinary research > environment. The project will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities > and equipment, access to expert service groups for mass spectrometry > (with MALDI-MS imaging, untargeted metabolomics, and sensitive targeted > metabolite quantification platforms) and NMR, as well as world-class > researchers in insect chemical ecology, neuroethology, and evolutionary > biology.  The working language of the institute is English.  For more > information, please visit www.ice.mpg.de.  We offer a competitive > salary, generous holiday entitlement andpension scheme, as well as > career development training. The Max Planck Society is committed to equal > opportunities and diversity (https://ift.tt/3Eg31Ed).  We welcome > qualified applicants from all backgrounds.  To apply, please sendyour CV, > a cover letter (�� 2 pages) stating why you are applying for this position > and what your proposed research goals are, along with the names and > contacts of 2-3 references as a single PDF to socialbehavior@ice.mpg.de. > Review of applications will start on January 3, 2022 and will continue > until the position is filled. Preferred starting date is March 2022 but > flexible. Informal inquiries about the position can be addressed to Dr. > Ulrich (yulrich@ice.mpg.de)." > > YUKO ULRICH | Lise Meitner Group Leader > > Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology > > www.ulrichlab.com > T+49 (0)3641 57 1830 > Eyulrich@ice.mpg.de > > yuko ulrich > via IFTTT

[evoldir]

Fwd: Postdoc: MaxPlanck_Jena.EvolEcoBehavior

Begin forwarded message: > From: evoldir@web.rhpcs.mcmaster.ca > Subject: Postdoc: MaxPlanck_Jena.EvolEcoBehavior > Date: 2 December 2021 at 07:29:49 GMT > To: rdmpage@gmail.com > > > > MaxPlanckJena_EvolEcoBehavior > > "Postdoctoral position on brood care in ants Applications are invited > for a 3-year postdoctoralposition at theMax Planck Institute for > Chemical Ecology in Jena, Germany to work in the Social Behavior group > headed by Dr.  Yuko Ulrich.  We are looking for a dynamic, creative, > and collaborative postdoctoral scientist to join an interdisciplinary > team working at the intersection of behavioral ecology and evolutionary > biology.Candidates with a PhD in chemical ecology, behavioral biology, > or related fields are welcome to apply.  The group�s current work is > centered on the drivers and consequences of social behavior. We seek to > understand how individual traits and the social context shape behavior > using experimental, computational, and molecular approaches in a uniquely > accessible social insect, the clonal raider ant.  This parthenogenetic > species produces genetically identical offspring in discrete cohorts, > making it possible to precisely control and replicate the size and > composition of colonies in experiments.  For more information about our > work, please visit www.ulrichlab.com.  The project aims to study the > fundamentals of a key behavior of social insects, brood care. Clonal > raider ant larvae have clear effects on worker behavior and physiology, > and the project aims to identify the cues (chemical, behavioral) driving > those effects.  We are therefore looking for a team member with a strong > background in chemical ecology or behavioral biology. Experience working > with social insects, designing behavioral assays and analyzing behavior > computationally, and/or bioassay-guided fractionation and compound > identification are a definite plus.  Candidates must have excellent > verbal and written communication skills, a publication record, and a track > record of addressing scientific questions in an innovative and rigorous > manner. Whatever your background, a keen interest in the research topic > and a positive mindset are a must.  TheMax Planck Institute for Chemical > Ecology provides a thriving, international, and multidisciplinary research > environment. The project will benefit from state-of-the-art facilities > and equipment, access to expert service groups for mass spectrometry > (with MALDI-MS imaging, untargeted metabolomics, and sensitive targeted > metabolite quantification platforms) and NMR, as well as world-class > researchers in insect chemical ecology, neuroethology, and evolutionary > biology.  The working language of the institute is English.  For more > information, please visit www.ice.mpg.de.  We offer a competitive > salary, generous holiday entitlement andpension scheme, as well as > career development training. The Max Planck Society is committed to equal > opportunities and diversity (https://ift.tt/3Eg31Ed).  We welcome > qualified applicants from all backgrounds.  To apply, please sendyour CV, > a cover letter (�� 2 pages) stating why you are applying for this position > and what your proposed research goals are, along with the names and > contacts of 2-3 references as a single PDF to socialbehavior@ice.mpg.de. > Review of applications will start on January 3, 2022 and will continue > until the position is filled. Preferred starting date is March 2022 but > flexible. Informal inquiries about the position can be addressed to Dr. > Ulrich (yulrich@ice.mpg.de)." > > YUKO ULRICH | Lise Meitner Group Leader > > Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology > > www.ulrichlab.com > T+49 (0)3641 57 1830 > Eyulrich@ice.mpg.de > > yuko ulrich > via IFTTT

[evoldir]

Graduate position: Mainz_Germany.3.SocialInsectEvolution

3 PhD positions in evolutionary biology of social insects at the Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz, Germany The Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution is seeking candidates for 3 PhD positions (starting October 1st 2019) to study the molecular regulation of ant social life within the Research Training Group GenEvo. Position 1 – Molecular regulation of reproduction in insect societies (co-supervised by Romain Libbrecht and René Ketting). The main feature of social insects is the reproductive division of labour, whereby queens monopolize reproduction while sterile workers perform other tasks to maintain the colony. Investigating the molecular mechanisms regulating reproduction and division of labour in ants is necessary to understand the evolution and ecological success of insect societies. The clonal raider ant O. biroi has emerged as a powerful study system to investigate gene regulatory processes and the molecular regulation of reproduction (Chandra et al. 2018, Libbrecht et al. 2016, Libbrecht et al. 2018). This project will identify putative gene regulatory mechanisms associated with reproduction, and investigate the functional link between social cues (presence of larvae), regulatory mechanisms, gene expression, and reproduction. It will thus shed light on the regulation and evolution of reproductive division of labour in insect societies, as well as on how gene regulation can translate social cues into physiological changes. Position 2 – Gene regulation and division of labour (co-supervised by Susanne Foitzik, Peter Baumann, Susanne Gerber). Social insect workers specialise in specific tasks and this division of labour contributes to the ecological success of insect societies. Task specialisation is mostly neither genetically determined nor rigid, but changes with age and colony needs. Typically, young workers takeover brood care, whereas older workers focus on risky tasks. The expression of behavioural genes shifts with the tasks of workers and histone acetylation can regulate task-specific gene expression (Simola et al. 2016). Our preliminary work revealed division of labour, the expression and functions of task-specific genes (Feldmeyer et al. 2014; Kohlmeier et al. 2018; 2019), and the importance of histone acetylation for their expression in the ant Temnothorax longispinosus. This projects aims to understand how different regulatory processes respond to external cues, the expression of which genes they alter and how fast they can change gene expression. It will thus give insights into the molecular regulation of worker division of labour in social insects. Position 3 – Parasite interference with gene regulation of a social host (co-supervised by Susanne Foitzik, Peter Baumann, Falk Butter). Parasites with complex life cycles often manipulate the behaviour of their intermediate hosts to increase transmission to the definite host and we hypothesise that they do so by interfering with host gene regulation. Infection of Temnothorax nylanderi ant larvae with the parasitic cestode Anomotaenia brevis strongly alters the adult phenotype. Parasitized workers exhibit altered behaviour, morphology, chemical profile and a lifespan extension (Scharf et al. 2012, Beros et al. 2015), and these changes are linked to transcriptomic alterations (Feldmeyer et al. 2016). The cestode, residing in its cysticercoid stage in the ants’ gaster is transcriptionally active and releases many proteins into the host. The aim of this project is to demonstrate that parasite-induced changes in host phenotype are actively promoted by the parasite. We therefore will study how the cestode parasite interferes with the hosts’ gene regulation, which gene-regulatory mechanisms are utilised and whether these alterations are permanent or have to be actively maintained. This project will reveal genetic and epigenetic underpinnings of behaviour and longevity in social insects and will uncover the mechanisms of across-species interference in gene regulation. We are looking for highly motivated students with a Master degree (or equivalent) in biology, good English skills, and a keen interest in evolutionary biology. Previous experience with social insects, statistics and bioinformatics is advantageous, but not required. Successful applicants will join an international, interactive, dynamic and English-speaking scientific environment in a brand new building with access to state-of-the-art, newly equipped laboratories and climate-controlled rooms. The JGU of Mainz hosts many excellent scientific institutions, and Mainz is a historic city located on the Rhine River with a large student population and a rich social and cultural life. Interested candidates should apply to the IPP summer call 2019. They will have to register before May 22nd 2019 and complete their application before May 27th 2019. Informal enquiries should be sent to Dr. Romain Libbrecht (romain.libbrecht@uni-mainz.de) for position 1 and Dr. Susanne Foitzik (foitzik@uni-mainz.de) for positions 2 and 3. The starting date for all three positions is October 1st 2019. The Johannes Gutenberg University of Mainz is interested in increasing the number of women in science. Applications from women are therefore strongly encouraged. Similarly, qualified candidates with disabilities will be preferred. GenEvo: https://www.imb.de/about-imb/joint-research-initiatives/genevo/ IPP summer call 2019: https://www.imb.de/students-postdocs/international-phd-programme/apply-to-ipp/projects-offered/ Dr. Romain Libbrecht Assistant Professor / Junior Group Leader Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, Germany +49 6131 3927852 https://www.blogs.uni-mainz.de/fb10-evolutionary-biology/research-groups/group-libbrecht/ Romain Libbrecht