Curriculum Vitae
| Since May 2024 | Ph.D. Student, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz Preliminary title: "Genomic organisation of the ant olfactory system" Supervisor: Dr. Carlotta Martelli, Dr. Hugo Darras |
| 2023 – 2024 | Scientific Employee at the Nucleic Acids Core Facility (NACF), Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz |
| 2019 - 2023 | M.Sc. Applied Bioinformatics, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz Thesis: “Comparative and population genomic analyses of regions of extreme low genetic diversity in bees”’ Supervisor: Dr. Joe Colgan, Dr. Nina Luhmann |
| 2016 - 2019 | B.Sc. Biology, Johannes Gutenberg-University Mainz Thesis: “Metabolic Pathway Analysis and Cultivation Media Design for Burkholderia gladioli Lv-StB Symbionts of Lagria villosa Beetles” Supervisor: Dr. Laura Florez, Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenpoth |
Research Interests
During my undergraduate and graduate studies, I developed a strong interest not only in bioinformatics, but also in evolutionary biology, especially in the context of insects. I am happy to be able to combine these two interests and continue to study the genomic structure and long-term evolution of insects. I am particularly fascinated by the unique genetic mechanisms that have evolved in some Hymenoptera species.
PhD Project
I am part of a multidisciplinary team composed by Carlotta Martelli (neurobiology and computational biology), Hugo Darras (evolution and genomics) and Susanne Foitzik (behavior and evolution) that aims to unravel the evolution and organizational logic of the olfactory system in Temnothorax ants. Around 400 OR genes are encoded in tandem arrays in the genome of Temnothorax longispinosus. However, it remains unclear how its olfactory neural system evolved to accommodate this large OR expansion. Additionally, based on the canonical olfactory system model, about 400 glomeruli should be expected in the antennal lobes of T. longispinosus workers, but surprisingly, only about 200 glomeruli on average were found.
My project focuses on the evolution and function of this non-canonical olfactory system organization. I aim to understand the genetic organization and mechanism of the olfactory system and where the antennal lobe variation arises from. Additionally, I will examine whether deviations from the canonical olfactory pathway are more common in insects than previously thought.
Contact
Institute of Organismic and Molecular Evolution
Ina Köhler
Hanns-Dieter-Hüsch-Weg 15
Room 01.401
5518 Mainz
Tel.: +49 6131 39 30628
Fax: +49 6131 39 27850
Deutschland