Team
We are the Social Immunity Group
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Sylvia Cremer studies how social insects, particularly ants, protect the colony from disease by cooperative disease defences, and how this social immunity interplays with the individual immune system of each colony member.
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Research Technician
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Linda is interested in how colony organization affects sanitary care and disease transmission. Besides she is very active in the sustainability group of the institute.
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Our PhD student Flo has been passionate about ants since his childhood. This makes him the expert for all questions about ant rearing. He studies the interaction of ants and nematodes.
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The chemical ecologist of the group. As postdoctoral researcher Michaela studies the role that volatile organic compounds play in ant-pathogen systems.
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Lukas is interested in observing which host behaviours promote pathogen spread through the colony, and how disinfection of the ant nest counteracts the risk of disease.
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Hari studies collective behaviour and dynamics of epidemic spread.
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Farnaz is supporting the team in various projects. Besides, she is responsible for lab organization, safety and sustainablility.
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Tanvi studies how infections shape collective nutritional choices.
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David is the morphologist in the group. He studies how functional morphology of ants influences their immunity.
Two biology students, Martin Estermann and Luisa Fiebig, help us with ant rearing and if needed give a hand during experiments.
The Social Immunity Team over the years
To find out more about previous team members, visit our alumni page.
