Institut Jacques Monod Seminar – Marianne Roca

Invited by the Konstantinides, Marianne Roca (Postdoc in the Genetics of Behavior team, Max-Planck-Institut für Neurobiologie des Verhaltens – caesar, Bonn, Allemagne) will present an Institut Jacques Monod seminar on the theme:

From avoidance to attack: Rewiring mechanosensation in nematodes

Abstract:

Sensory systems are finely tuned biological mechanisms that allow organisms to detect and interpret critical environmental cues. Changes in these systems can reshape behaviour and drive evolutionary innovation. Unlike the strictly microbivorous Caenorhabditis elegans, the nematode Pristionchus pacificus has evolved predatory behaviour towards other nematodes. This behavioural expansion provides a unique framework to investigate how sensory systems evolve and how they acquire novel functions. By integrating genetics, neuronal imaging, and comparative approaches, this work examines how mechanosensory pathways have been co-opted to sustain efficient predation, offering insight into how sensory circuits are repurposed during behavioural evolution