The circadian clock network of selected insect (A01)

• Subject Area: Cognitive, Systems and Behavioural Neurobiology
• Term: from 2013 to 2017
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 208233609

A prerequisite for understanding daily timing in insects is the functional characterization of the neuronal clock network in the brain. We will therefore analyse the clock network in the brain of different fly species in the context of behavioural adaptations to latitude and altitude. In D. melanogaster, we plan to build a bridge from daily to annual rhythms by assessing the role of the circadian clock for seasonal adaptation. In Hymenoptera, we will put special emphasis on the anatomical connections between the clock network and central brain structures that are important structures for time memory and sky compass orientation.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1047: Insect Timing: Mechanisms, Plasticity and Interactions
• Applicant Institution: Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
• Project Head: Professorin Dr. Charlotte Förster