Institute of Zoology SAS
Topic
Molecular mechanisms of evolutionary adaptations of insects
PhD. program
Molecular biology
Year of admission
2025
Name of the supervisor
Mgr. Martina Gáliková, PhD.
Contact:
Receiving school
Univerzita Komenského v Bratislave
Annotation
This interdisciplinary project will explore how the fruit fly Drosophila adapts to rapidly changing environment (including climate change, drought, and stress factors such as insecticides). We will take advantage of the natural variability of wild fruit flies in Slovakia. A central aspect of the project is the analysis of a newly developed panel of recombinant inbred Drosophila lines, which preserves the natural genetic diversity from five Slovak locations under controlled conditions. We are currently creating these lines in our laboratory by crossing offspring from wild-caught females. These lines will enable us to study developmental and evolutionary adaptations, as well as the costs and limitations associated with responding to environmental challenges. By sequencing the lines and examining correlations between the traits of interest and their associated genetic variants, we will identify the genes/variants responsible for the adaptations. We will then functionally test these variants using transgenic manipulations. In the next phase of the project, we will also use our existing selection lines, in which we have experimentally enhanced resistance to abrupt temperature changes, water scarcity, and pesticides. Comparing data from both approaches will give us a comprehensive understanding of fruit flies’ evolutionary potential, their constraints, and the energetic costs of responding to climatic and environmental challenges.