GELIFES Seminars - Sabrina Simon

Sabrina Simon (Wageningen University)

Insect biodiversity research - Facing future challenges

Studying and understanding on a molecular level biodiversity and its changes, caused by evolution and / or anthropogenic environmental changes has become even more important and urgent considering the increase in so-called ‘pest-species’ but also the dramatic decline of other insects caused by human impact. Here, I will discuss our work to study the evolution of insects and their enormous biodiversity by using a multidisciplinary approach on molecular systematics and comparative genomic and transcriptomic studies. This work involves studying the correlation of embryonic development (ontogeny) and evolutionary processes (phylogeny) within insects to reveal gene expression changes underlying developmental constraints and novelty during insect evolution. In addition, we use a comparative genomic approach in order to understand the evolution of insect pest species and factors that contribute to their success with the aim to address the pest concept on a molecular basis. By integrating comparative genomics and museomics, we further address current conservation questions in butterflies and populations dynamics and genetic change in moth species in relation to environmental changes.

Biosketch
Sabrina Simon is an evolutionary biologist with broad interest in the molecular systematics, ecology, biodiversity and evolution of insects. She is particularly interested in using comparative transcriptomics / genomics to address various evolutionary questions. With her research she wants to make a contribution in our understanding of insect evolution as this could provide essential insights into the evolution of global biodiversity, evolutionary processes and key innovations.

Link to seminar