Team
We are the Social Immunity Group
-
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.
-
As the lab manager, Anna trains group members in molecular techniques and maintains the lab’s long-term experimental expertise. She develops novel molecular methods, supports experiments, and analyses data.
-
The chemical ecologist of the group. As postdoctoral researcher Michaela studies the role that volatile organic compounds play in ant-pathogen systems.
-
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.
-
Farnaz is supporting the team in various projects. Besides, she is responsible for lab organization, safety and sustainablility.
-
Tanvi studies how infections shape collective nutritional choices.
-
David is the morphologist in the group. He studies how functional morphology of ants influences their immunity.
-
Vasudha is using automated tracking tools and network modelling to look at collective behaviour in ants.
-
Julen is interested in the role of social fluids during collective disease defence against viral pathogens.
Student intern and ERASMUS student Olivio Encoge studies how living with virus-infected ants affects nestmate immunity.
Biology student Henrik Lahner helps us with ant rearing and if needed gives a hand during experiments.
The Social Immunity Team over the years
To find out more about previous team members, visit our alumni page.
