Project 2

Molecular mechanisms of membrane proteins underlying social insect behavior

Supervisors:
Prof. Dr. Ute Hellmich (main supervisor)
Biostructural Interactions Group, Friedrich-Schiller University Jena
Dr. Yuko Emilie Ulrich (co supervisor)
Lise Meitner Research Group Social Behavior, Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology

Background:
The ecological success of social insects (e.g., bees, ants) relies on their complex cooperative behavior (e.g., brood care, division of labour) but the chemical and molecular bases of most of these behaviors remain largely unexplored. The clonal raider ant Ooceraea biroi combines the rich biology of ants [1, 2] with a unique degree of experimental (e.g., genetic) tractability [3, 4]. Past work in O. biroi and other social insects suggests an association between the expression levels of membrane transporter genes and behavior across colony members [5, 6].

Project description:
In this project, we want to explore the role of membrane transporters, such as ATP Binding Cassette (ABC) proteins, for a potential molecular role underlying ant behavior. ABC transporters are one of the largest protein superfamilies present in all kingdoms of life (7). They transport chemically diverse substrates including lipids, ions, peptides and vitamins across cellular membranes at the expense of ATP hydrolysis (8). The architecture, function and regulation of ABC transporters in insects remain poorly understood, although recently examples for xenobiotic tolerance, transport of lipids and insecticides have been described (9).

Candidate profile:
In this project, we are looking for an enthusiastic PhD candidate to explore ant ABC transporters, linking molecular mechanisms to the social behavior of the clonal raider ant O. biroi. The project is a close collaboration between the laboratories of Yuko Ulrich and Ute Hellmich. The successful candidate will carry out structural and functional studies of select ant membrane proteins (biochemical, biophysical, structural and computational methods, see e.g. [10]) as well as behavioral and genetic experiments in live ants. We therefore encourage applicants with an interest in highly interdisciplinary research.

Reading (optional):

1. Chandra, V., A. Gal, and D.J.C. Kronauer, Colony expansions underlie the evolution of army ant mass raiding. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A, 2021. 118(22).
2. Ulrich, Y., et al., Fitness benefits and emergent division of labour at the onset of group living. Nature, 2018. 560(7720): p. 635-638.
3. Trible, W. and D.J.C. Kronauer, Hourglass Model for Developmental Evolution of Ant Castes. Trends in Ecology & Evolution, 2021. 36(2): p. 100-103.
4. Hart, T., et al., Pheromone representation in the ant antennal lobe changes with age. bioRxiv, 2024.
5. Encerrado-Manriquez, A., et al., Developmental and Caste-specific Expression Patterns of ATP-Binding Cassette (ABC) Transporters in Honey bees (Apis mellifera). Authorea, 2025.
6. Maiwald, F., et al., Expression profile of the entire detoxification gene inventory of the western honeybee, Apis mellifera across life stages. Pestic Biochem Physiol, 2023. 192: p. 105410.
7. Hamdoun, A. et al, The incredible diversity of ABC transporters. FEBS Lett., 2021 595(6):671-674.
8. Neumann, J. et al, Diverse relations between ABC transporters and lipids: An overview. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembr. 2017 1859(4):605-618.
9. Chen et al, Squeeze pumping of lipids and insecticides by ABCH transporter, 2024 Cell 18:S0092-8674(24)01375-8.
10. Pérez Carrillo et al, Bidirectional communication between nucleotide and substrate binding sites in a type IV multidrug ABC transporter 2025, bioRxiv