Suggested IRT Projects

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Below are some possible IRT projects for EES Masters students, grouped by lab. Please note that the listed projects are just suggestions. Students are encouraged to come up with their own projects, especially in the later semesters.

Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Seewiesen

Bart Kempenaers Prof. Dr. Bart Kempenaers, Director of the MPI for Ornithology
* Behavioral ecology of blue tits (with Dr. Mihai Valcu)
* Do zebra finches lower their voice when they meet a competitor? (with Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier)
* Do females prefer unfamiliar sons of their foster parents? (with Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier)
* Do females prefer males with dissimilar MHC alleles? (with Dr. Wolfgang Forstmeier)
* Candidate genetic polymorphisms for behavioral traits (with Dr. Jakob Mueller)

Behavioral Ecology

 Prof. Dr. Susanne Foitzik, Professor of Behavioural Ecology, LMU Biozentrum 
* Alternative reproductive strategies in ant queens: Can chemical differentiation lead to sympatric speciation?
* Honest signal or active manipulation? Strategies of ant queens to dominate reproduction
* Risk evaluation and decision making in slavemaking ants
* Selection pressure on ant population
* Slave rebellion: a novel resistance trait

Evolutionary Ecology

Justyna Wolinska Dr. Justyna Wolinska, Dept. Evolutionary Ecology, LMU Biozentrum
* Red Queen dynamics in nature (with Justyna Wolinska)
* Influence of (host) internal environment on the host-parasite interactions (with Justyna Wolinska)
* Parasites affecting zooplankton behavior (with Justyna Wolinska)
* Why are hybrids between species are often successful? (with Justyna Wolinska)

Evolutionary and Functional Genomics

 Prof. Dr. John Parsch, Dept. Evolutionary and Functional Genomics, LMU Biozentrum
* Molecular evolution of sex-biased genes
* Functional genomics of Drosophila gene expression

Institute of Bioinformatics and Systems Biology

 Prof. Dr. Karsten Suhre, Professor of Bioinformatics, LMU Neuherberg 
* Research topics in Metabolomics

Systematic Botany

 Prof. Dr. Susanne Renner, Dept. Systematic Biology, LMU Botanical Institute 
* Research projects on Cucurbitaceae biogeography, chromosome evolution, and flower and fruit evolution

Systematic Zoology

At The ZSM
 Prof. Dr. Haszprunar, Director of the (ZSM) Zoologischen Staatssammlung München
* Systematics (morphology) on aquatic insects (with Burmeister)
* Systematics (morphology, SEM/TEM) on Orthoptera, Heteroptera, Hymenoptera (with Schönitzer)
* Systematics (morphology, SEM/TEM) on Crustacea, Pantopoda, and certain Insecta (with Melzer)
* Systematics (morphology, 3D & molecules) on opisthobranch Gastropoda (with Schrödl)
* Systematics and evolutionary biology (mainly molecular) on teleost fishes (with Schliewen)
* Systematics (morphology, bioacustics, faunistics) on amphibians and reptiles (with Glaw)
* Systematics (morphology, SEM/TEM, 3D) of basic pulmonate Gastropoda and Mollusca in general (with Ruthensteiner)

At The Martinsried Haszilab
 Dr. Martin Heß, LMU Haszi lab
* 3D microanatomy of minute gastropods to clarify their systematic position
* Bivalve development and phylogeny
* Molecular taxonomy and speciation in terrestrial slugs
* Functional (high-tech) morphology of visual systems (teleosts, molluscs, arthropods)