Jan Michel Meyer, PhD Student
Hometown: Bremen, Germany
Affiliation: Max Planck Institute for
Developmental Biology, Department for Integrative Evolutionary Biology
What are you working on?
On our Planet we
can find an astonishing diversity of different life forms in all
shapes and sizes. But how is this diversity generated and how does
novelty arise? In our lab we use an interdisciplinary approach to
answer these questions. We study the model organism Pristionchus
pacificus, a free-living nematode which we can manipulate in the
laboratory, but we are also able to study it in its natural
habitat.
Pristionchus nematodes have been shown to be associated with
beetles. During numerous sampling trips we discovered our
evolutionary model system La Réunion Island, which harbors a
remarkable diversity of Pristionchus pacificus nematodes.
These nematodes are able to communicate using pheromones, which
play important roles in mating and in developmental decisions. My
project aims to study natural variation of these pheromones in the
La Réunion context. Further, I am interested in the elucidation of
pheromone production.
Why is it interesting?
Even simple animals such as nematodes are capable of the production
and recognition of a broad variety of complex pheromones. These
structures are so complex and specific that skilled chemists would
need months to synthesize them. Nematodes use these molecules like
a language to communicate with each other. The identification and
characterisation of these molecules has helped us to identify new
molecules with antibiotic potential.
What do you like most about being a
scientist/researcher?
Being surrounded by a lot of inspiring people from all over the
world and working together on really interesting topics to discover
novel things..
Your favourite spot in Tübingen is?
Sitting in the sun on the wall next to Neckarbrücke and talking to
friends.
