We study the evolutionary, genetic, molecular, cellular, and behavioral mechanisms underlying the interaction of animals with their physical and social environments. We use the power of genetics in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster, the honey bee Apis mellifera, and other insect species, to ask where, when, and how the function of specific genes, cell types, and neuronal circuits affect behavioral plasticity and the behavioral response to specific environmental and social stimuli.
In the news: How Can Bees Tell Friend From Foe?
NPR.org How Can Bees Tell Friend From Foe? Honeybees rely on chemical cues to identify friendly bees from foes. New research suggests those cues may have something to do with the honeybees’ gut microbes.
New Publication: Brain microRNAs among social and solitary bees
Yehuda publishes a new study that describes the brain miRNA transcriptome of diverse bee species with varying levels of sociality. Study was led by Dr. Karen Kapheim from Utah State University, and former postdoctoral fellow Eirik Søvik, now at Volda University in Norway. https://royalsocietypublishing.org/doi/10.1098/rsos.200517
Dr. Nicole Leitner receives a postdoctoral fellowship
Postdoctoral fellow Dr. Nicole Leitner receives a one-year postdoctoral fellowship from the McDonnell Center for Cellular and Molecular Neurobiology.
Location: Department of Biology at Washington University in St. Louis
Lab: Bayer Laboratory 406
Office: Bayer Laboratory 411
Yehuda Ben-Shahar
Washington University
1 Brookings Drive
Biology Department, Campus Box 1137
St. Louis, MO 63130
Email: benshahary@wustl.edu
Office: (314) 935-3484; Lab: (314) 935-3485