BSc and MSc projects in the Applied Zoology lab fileBSc and MSc projects in the Applied Zoology lab...
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BSc and MSc projects in the Applied Zoology lab In our lab, we seek answers to fundamental zoological questions, such as determinants of male (in)fertility, the role of mito-nuclear interactions on metabolism, the phenotype and on evolutionary change. We also study the genetics and material properties of the insect skin. Contact: @tu-dresden.de SPERM BIOLOGY biz.turnell@ Fitness effects of sperm age and metabolism Sperm produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can accelerate their own ageing. Do sperm of old male age faster and produce poor offspring in Drosophila? Is there sexual selection on sperm age at pre- or postcopulatory level? Do sperm from Drosophila high-ROS lines age more quickly in males and females? Reinhardt 2007. Quart. Review of Biology 82: 375-393. Pizzari et al. 2007. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 23: 131-140, Sanz et al 2010, Aging 2: 200-223. cornelia.wetzker@ Autofluorescence lifetime imaging of cell metabolism The metabolic state of cells and tissues is strongly associated with the co-enzyme NADH. We use the innovative technique of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy (FLIM) to study the metabolism of sperm stored in male and female fruit flies of wildtype or transgenic background. We further explore structural aspects of reproductive tissues in insects (image: sperm storage organ spermatheca of a female fruit fly). cornelia.wetzker@ Molecular biology of sperm maturation and metabolism In the final stages of spermatogenesis, the sperm chromatin is compacted dramatically to achieve a reduced sperm head size. This event is mediated through the nearly entire replacement of nuclear histones with the basic proteins protamines. We explore the role of protamines and other factors in the maturation and metabolism of sperm in fruit flies klaus.reinhardt@ Can sperm evolve in response to interactions with microbes? Do sexually transmitted microbes shape the evolution of sperm function? Do new species evolve because of sexually transmitted diseases differ in different habitats? Lockhart et al. 1996. Biol. Reviews 71:415-471, Reinhardt et al. 2016. Annual Rev Ecol, Evol, System 46:435-459.
Transcript of BSc and MSc projects in the Applied Zoology lab fileBSc and MSc projects in the Applied Zoology lab...
BScandMScprojectsintheAppliedZoologylabInourlab,weseekanswerstofundamentalzoologicalquestions,suchasdeterminantsofmale(in)fertility,theroleofmito-nuclearinteractionsonmetabolism,thephenotypeandonevolutionarychange.Wealsostudythegeneticsandmaterialpropertiesoftheinsectskin.
Contact:@tu-dresden.de
SPERMBIOLOGY
biz.turnell@
FitnesseffectsofspermageandmetabolismSpermproducereactiveoxygenspecies(ROS)thatcanacceleratetheirownageing.DospermofoldmaleagefasterandproducepooroffspringinDrosophila?Istheresexualselectiononspermageatpre-orpostcopulatorylevel?DospermfromDrosophilahigh-ROSlinesagemorequicklyinmalesandfemales?Reinhardt2007.Quart.ReviewofBiology82:375-393.Pizzarietal.2007.TrendsinEcology&Evolution23:131-140,Sanzetal2010,Aging2:200-223.
cornelia.wetzker@
AutofluorescencelifetimeimagingofcellmetabolismThemetabolicstateofcellsandtissuesisstronglyassociatedwiththeco-enzymeNADH.Weusetheinnovativetechniqueoffluorescencelifetimeimagingmicroscopy(FLIM)tostudythemetabolismofspermstoredinmaleandfemalefruitfliesofwildtypeortransgenicbackground.Wefurtherexplorestructuralaspectsofreproductivetissuesininsects(image:spermstorageorganspermathecaofafemalefruitfly).
cornelia.wetzker@
MolecularbiologyofspermmaturationandmetabolismInthefinalstagesofspermatogenesis,thespermchromatiniscompacteddramaticallytoachieveareducedspermheadsize.Thiseventismediatedthroughthenearlyentirereplacementofnuclearhistoneswiththebasicproteinsprotamines.Weexploretheroleofprotaminesandotherfactorsinthematurationandmetabolismofsperminfruitflies
klaus.reinhardt@
Canspermevolveinresponsetointeractionswithmicrobes?Dosexuallytransmittedmicrobesshapetheevolutionofspermfunction?Donewspeciesevolvebecauseofsexuallytransmitteddiseasesdifferindifferenthabitats?Lockhartetal.1996.Biol.Reviews71:415-471,Reinhardtetal.2016.AnnualRevEcol,Evol,System46:435-459.
INTERACTIONSBETWEENMITOCHONDRIAANDTHENUCLEUS
ralph.dobler@
Ecologyandevolutionofmitochondrial-nuclearinteractions Arepopulationdynamicsaffectedbymito-nuclearinteractions?Whatisthemitochondrialcontributiontobodysize,spermoreggsizeorotherfitness-relatedtraits?Donewspeciesarisebymito-nuclearco-evolution?Dowling2014Biochim.Biophys.Acta1840:1393-1403,Dobleretal.2014JEvol.Biol.27:2012-2034,Hill2016Ecol&Evol6:5831-5842
susanne.voigt@
Physiologyofspecificmitochondrial-nuclearcrosstalksDoesthemismatchedpairingofmitochondrialandnucleargenescausephysiologicalandhealtheffectsinDrosophila.Arephysiologicalmismatcheseradicatedbyselection?Picard&Wallace2016.Mitochondrion30:105-116//Gershonietal.2014,GenomeBiologyandEvolution6:2665-2680.
FUNCTIONOFTHEINSECTCUTICLE
bernard.moussian@
Molecularbiologyandgeneticsoftheinsectcuticle Howdoesthecuticle adoptitsfunctionasabarrieragainstwaterloss,pathogensandxenobiotics,andasanexoskeleton?Methods:CRISPR/Cas9,atomic-force,light,confocal&electronmicroscopy.MoussianB.2016.MolecularModelofSkeletalOrganizationandDifferentiation.In:ExtracellularCompositeMatricesinArthropods(ECohen,BMoussian)Springer,Wangetal.2017:JExpBiol.220:1396-99.Wangetal.2016:ProcBiolSci283:20152994
bernard.moussian@
Sex-biasedexpressionofcuticularenzymesHowdoestheexpressionofspecificgeneschangeduringcuticledevelopment?Howdoestheexpressionofspecificgenesdifferbetweenmalesandfemales?Howdoesgeneexpressionofcuticlegenesdifferacrossorgans?Gangishettietal.2012.EuropeanJournalofCellBiology21:283-295MoussianB.2010.InsectBiochemistryandMolecularBiology40:363-75.
klaus.reinhardt@
GenitaliaevolutionDoesnaturalselectionagainstinfectionaffecttheevolutionofgenitaliashapeandform?Whatisthedisadvantageofcomplexgenitalia?Domaleandfemalegenitaliahavespecificcuticleproperties?Reinhardt2010.Genetica138:119–127,Bar-Onetal.2014,NatureCommunications5:3894,Michelsetal.2015.JRoyalSoc.Interface20141107.
OTHER
klaus.reinhardt@
CulturalhistoryofinsectsWhatisthehistoryofbedbugsinDresdenandSaxony?HowarebedbugsrepresentedinfilmsorTVsitcoms?Howareinsectsrepresentedinchildren'sbooks.ReinhardtK.2014.LiterarischeWanzen.
