Research Lines
Areas of research focus and expertise
1. Social Immunity in Fungus-Growing Ants
I'm interested in social immunity and adaptations of fungus-growing insects toward pathogenic microbes. My research seeks evidence of adaptive social immunity in fungus-growing ants (collective immune memory) and investigates which mechanisms could be involved when recognizing microbes. I study how leaf-cutting ants (genera Atta and Acromyrmex) develop and maintain defense mechanisms against antagonistic fungi in their fungal crops, focusing on the specificity of recognition and response mechanisms, as well as the role of learning in enhancing hygienic behaviors.
2. Venoms and Social Parasites in Social Immunity
I strive to understand the role of venoms in social immunity and how social parasites impact the group-level defenses of hosts. This research explores how social insects coordinate individual and collective defenses against disease threats, and examines the complex interactions between social parasites and their host colonies.
3. Effects of Social Parasitism
Evaluating whether social parasites, especially those in the Megalomyrmex genus, impose costs or confer benefits to their hosts when colonies face pathogenic infections.
