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Molecular Developmental Biology

We aim to establish an understanding of the molecular mechanisms underlying development and energy homeostasis using Drosophila melanogaster as an experimental system. Our research is mainly grounded in genetics, molecular biology, biochemistry, and imaging. 

We address the following topics:

Development and cell biology:  We focus on post-translational modifications of our transcription factor Krüppel, their cellular control and developmental functions in early development. We also address the requirement of de novo histone supply for cell division control and the impact of epigenetic histone marks on developmental decisions.

Physiology and molecular genetics of starvation resistance:  We have isolated functional components governing energy homeostasis, the dysfunction of which causes obesity in humans. Our aim is to use a comprehensive metabolomics approach combined with expression profiling during starvation to identify key metabolic pathways, provide a first molecular signature of starvation and identify and functionally characterize small metabolites associated with obesity and longevity. 

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