Our research

The vast majority of life on earth is poikilotherm (cold-blooded) and directly dependent on ambient environmental temperatures. To endure temperature extremes insects have developed behavioral and metabolic strategies. Fruit flies increase their metabolic rate in response to heat and produce cryoprotective metabolites to counter cold. Recent research identified dietary lipids as metabolic signal cues and structural membrane components essential to increase temperature resistance. Interestingly, flies show temperature dependent selective foraging behavior and prefer calorie rich food enriched with long, unsaturated lipids at low temperatures.

We are interested to find the origin and nature of circulating lipids that regulate temperature dependent metabolism in Drosophila melanogaster. In addition, we seek for lipids that change the transport capacity of Blood Brain Barrier cells, modulate the biophysical properties of neuro-glial membranes and regulate the cognitive capacity of adult fruit flies.

For more information click on Research