Start of the EU-funded project CinChron on 01.06.2018

With the project CinChron our department raised an EU-funding within the Horizon 2020 programme. CinChron will start on 01.06.2018 with a duration of 48 months.

Our department is participating with these two projects:

ESR 6
Title: Temperature compensation and the D. ezoana clock
Supervisor: Prof Charlotte Helfrich-Foerster

Objectives: To discover the role played by the circadian clock in night-length measurement and induction of diapause in the northern European fruifly D. ezoana. The role and distribution of clock proteins and relevant clock-related neuropeptides will be studied under different photoperiodic and temperature conditions and mutagenesis (CRISPR/Cas9) of canonical clock genes will be used to examine whether clock genes measure night-length (which mediates diapause).

ESR 7 
Title: Seasonal clock in pea aphids
PhD student: Francesca Sara Colizzi
Supervisor: Prof Charlotte Helfrich-Foerster

Objectives: To discover the role played by the circadian clock in the induction of diapause in the pea aphid Acyrthosiphon pisum. Circadian behaviour will be characterised as will neuronal clock gene expression both temporally and spatially. CRISPR/Cas9 mutagenesis will be used to investigate whether clock mutations disrupt diapause.