Evolution and Biodiversity
Welcome! Our group is currently located at the German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig. Occasionally, we can already be found in our new home at Hoher Weg 8 in Halle.
This webpage will be filled with more information in the near future, until then please check out our iDiv webpages!
Our group in January 2024
Information for students
We are always looking for students to work on a project with us for their Master's or Bachelor's thesis. In principle, it is possible to start at any time. Possible topics are diverse and, of course, flexible. Please first have a look at the link above to get an overview of the topics we are interested in. You will find specific topic suggestions below. Please contact us if any of this interests you and we can start planning your project together.
Topic 1: The diversity of endosymbionts in Neotropical insect communities
More than half of all insect species harbour intracellular bacterial symbionts that are transmitted from mothers to their offspring. In the vast majority of cases, the impact of the symbionts on their hosts is unknown. In addition, the diversity of endosymbionts in some regions is largely unknown. In this project, the diversity of bacterial endosymbionts of insects from different Neotropical countries will be characterised and compared with that of insects from Europe.
The methodology for this project includes molecular genetic methods (DNA extractions, PCRs), latest sequencing technologies (Oxford Nanopore) and some bioinformatics.
Topic 2: Chemical ecology of protective endosymbiosis
Many insects harbour bacterial symbionts in their cells, which can perform a variety of functions. This project will investigate bacteria that protect the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster from attacks by parasitic wasps. As this is detrimental to the reproductive success of the wasp, it would be expected that the wasp would evolve strategies to circumvent the protective function of the endosymbionts. The first step is to test whether parasitic wasps can detect the presence of protective endosymbionts at all. The second step is to test whether symbionts influence the ‘odour’ of their hosts and thus reveal their presence.
The project includes behavioural experiments and gas chromatic characterisation of cuticular hydrocarbons of Drosophila.
Topic 3: The evolution of spiralins in the endosymbiont Spiroplasma
Spiroplasma is a common intracellular endosymbiont of Drosophila (fruit flies) and many other insects. Key to the interaction of the symbiont with its hosts are spiralins, a class of surface proteins. In this project, the diversity of spiralins in different Spiroplasma strains will be analysed and their evolutionary origin clarified. In addition, the extent to which recombination and horizontal gene transfer characterise the evolution of these proteins and which other mobile elements (plasmids, phages) may contribute to this will be investigated.
This is a purely genomic/bioinformatics project based on published and unpublished data.
Contakt
Please reach out to group leader Jun.-Prof. Dr. Michael Gerth: michael.gerth@idiv.uni-halle.de
