Dr Swidbert Ott

Interests

Our broad goal is to understand the mechanisms that enable animals of a given genotype to adjust to changes in their environment. As an experimental model we use Phase Change in the Desert Locust, an extreme and economically devastating example of such phenotypic plasticity. Locusts transform between two forms or phases that differ extensively in appearance and behaviour. They usually occur in a solitarious phase that actively avoids other locusts. High population densities, however, trigger a transformation into the gregarious phase that is attracted to other locusts and forms the notorious swarms. Remarkably, a few hours of enforced crowding are sufficient for a complete switch to gregarious behaviour, which then drives slower changes in colour, morphology and metabolism. We are using an integrative approach to analyse how the touch, sight and smell of other locusts affect neural signalling, gene expression, brain structure, neuronal function and behaviour.

The brain of a gregarious-phase locust. Synapsin immunofluorescence labelling and confocal laser scanning microscopy reveal the centres of synaptic integration within the brain.
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Research Focus

Equipment

Behavioural analysis

Behavioural pharmacology

Confocal microscopy

Electrophysiological recording techniques

Enzyme assays

Fluorescence microscopy

FPLC/HPLC

Image analysis

Immunohistochemistry

Intracellular recording

Microscopy

Protein biochemistry