Inside the Tangled Bank of Arthropods

 

We unravel the molecular-genetic mechanisms of hybrid dysfunction, herbivory, and endosymbiosis. We use interdisciplinary approaches to study the molecular architecture of these complex traits.

 

 

 

September 2025 Update

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Written by: Nicky Wybouw

>> Together with Felipe Kauai, we wanted to better understand how Wolbachia infection persists upon loss of CI in haplodiploid hosts. In our study, we focused on both CI loss through the evolution of host suppression and through the dysfunction of cif operons. Please go HERE for the article!

 

>> Ernesto Villacis‐Perez visited our lab and sampled several Tetranychus populations in the dunes of West Flanders.

 

>> Gerben Debruyn started his post-doc project in our lab! He will start to unravel how phasmid eggs interact with parasitoids and symbionts.

 

>> Margarita, Emma, and Siebe also gave their first presentations at ESEB2025!

          

  

July 2025 Update

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Written by: Nicky Wybouw

>> Spearheaded by Thomas, our study on the interaction between the yellow meadow ant Lasius flavus and the root aphid Anoecia zirnitsi is published. We demonstrate that L. flavus strongly increases the aphid eggs’ protection against insect predators and fungal pathogens. Go here for more information: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.250217

>> We were also visited by Charles Robin (University of Melbourne) and Kosuke Kataoka (TUAT). Kosuke gave a great research seminar and we had a lot of fun discussing various ideas and ongoing experiments.

May 2025 Update

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Written by: Nicky Wybouw

Driven by Yuta Ohata, we published our first study of CI strength variation in leaf-mining Liriomyza flies - https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.242137.
We uncovered paternal transmission of Wolbachia genic elements (including Type I and Type V cif operons!) in Liriomyza sativae, collecting strong evidence of horizontal genome transfer. We further established a wLtri transinfection in L. sativae and observed suppression of CI. Our labs are currently testing the hypothesis that host suppression of CI might evolve through horizontal transfer of cif operons into the host nuclear genome.

Also, Felipe Kauai obtained a three-year postdoctoral FWO fellowship and will be joining the Wybouw lab in October!