Much of our research involves the vinegar fly, Drosophila melanogaster. Our genetic and genomic work is anchored around the foraging gene that encodes a cGMP dependent protein kinase (PKG). We have worked with collaborators to study foraging’s behavioural functions in honey bees, ants and more recently in rats and humans where the gene is called PRKG1.
We use the foraging gene model to study the molecular basis of:
- Pleiotropy
- Plasticity
- Gene-Environment interactions
Phenotypes addressed include: the regulation of feeding and movement patterns, triglycerides, weight, food deprivation, starvation resistance, metabolic homeostasis, seasonal feeding and weight gain. Studies of learning and memory and social interactions are also ongoing.
