akshaye.anandb [at] gmail.com

I am studying the behavioral and life history responses of early developmental stages of Aedes aegypti in response to different ecological conditions.

I obtained my Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology, Chemistry and Zoology from St. Joseph’s College and a Master’s degree in Genetics from the University of Mysore.

My research interests include behavioral ecology and host-microbiome evolution. During my Bachelors, I got an opportunity to work on Tardigrades as I was curious about their adaptive abilities in response to extreme environmental conditions. Furthermore, I began to question if the microbiota associated with them played any role in host behavior and adaptation.

In order to pursue this research theme further, I based my Master’s thesis on understanding the role of the Weaver ant (Oecophylla smaragdina) microbiome, particularly if it is linked to host nestmate recognition behavior.

Performing this project led me to understand the field of insect behavior and host-microbe symbiotic associations at a deeper level, which I wish to examine more comprehensively in future research.