Developmental zoology
How do cells in multicellular organisms (self-)organize to form a complex body plan with an amazing functional repertoire, including reproduction, the repair after injuries, and navigation to find food and mating partners ? We combine biological experiments in a tight feedback loop with physics-inspired theory to understand principles of communication and information processing from stem cells to neurons.
We use nematode and planarian worms as minimal model systems. Nematodes possess a well-documented rigid body layout, which allows for high experimental reproducibility. Planarians are known for their incredible regeneration abilities and scalability of their bodies. These features allow us to address a wide range of questions such as:
- How do cells trade-off limited resources and how does this change during the lifetime of an organism?
- How do microscopic stem cells find their way over centimeter distances to the wound site during regeneration and how do the cells orchestrate their division, differentiation and migration behavior?
- How do organisms optimize their strategies to navigate complex landscapes despite physical constraints as well as limited information about the environment?
- How do brains store and process information and how can memory be inherited across generations?
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Research themes
Biomechanics of moving animals
To unravel how natural movement systems function, we study the biomechanics and neuro-muscular control of moving animals.
Bioinspired design
In this research theme, we aim to answer the question: how can we learn from nature and translate this knowledge to our own designs and technologies?
Evolutionary biology
We study how complex adaptations evolve and what their developmental consequences are for maternal-fetal interactions during pregnancy.
Developmental zoology
How do cells in multicellular organisms (self-)organize to form a complex body plan with an amazing functional repertoire, including reproduction, the repair after injuries, and navigation to find food and mating partners?
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