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Chemosensory information processing in Hymenoptera
Chemosensory information processing in Hymenoptera
Sociality is classified as one of the major transitions in evolution. The most advanced level of sociality is found in eusocial insect societies, and the insect order Hymenoptera presents the largest number of eusocial species and up to 8 independent origins of eusociality.
The success of social insect colonies lies in the capacity of all members of the society to behave in a well-organized and context-dependent manner.
But how does the superorganism of the colony coordinate its activities, allowing each individual to know which task to perform and when?
The composite organization of the honey bee society needs an elaborate way of communication among the colony members. Honey bees, the most intensely studied eusocial insect species, use a sophisticated means of communication through a high number of pheromones.
How does the social insect brain manage to encode such a plethora of highly‐meaningful and ecologically‐relevant signals?
My research aims to answer this question using state-of-the-art techniques like in vivo optical imaging, electrophysiological recordings, CRISPR-Cas9 transgenesis, confocal microscopy and behavioral experiments.
Figures made by Rita Félix (https://ritallfelix.wixsite.com/portfolio/contact)
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