https://animal-metabolomics.com/

My research investigates the chemical basis of biotic interactions and evolutionary adaptations. I integrate field and laboratory assays with quantitative non-targeted metabolomics (LC-MS/MS & GC-MS) to analyze how metabolites inform decision-making in natural populations of animals.

Currently, I focus on three research themes:

1. Sexual Selection and Signaling Networks. The DFG funded our project to investigate the complex pheromonal communication of the Mediterranean Black Widow Latrodectus tredecimguttatus. A four-way signaling matrix of pheromone use among and between the sexes of the species guides this research.
    
2. Sensory Ecology in the Anthropocene: Urbanization creates novel ecosystems that threatens biodiversity. I investigate evolutionary mismatches and reproductive communication disruption due to anthropogenic stressors. In field assays using rural and urban populations of the cross spider Araneus diadematus to test a sensory pollution hypothesis.  Specifically we investigate how anthropogenic pollution disrupts pheromone production, transmission and chemoperception in the wild.
    
3. Multimodal Communication: Animals rarely rely on a single sense. I investigate how chemical information is integrated with vibrational and electrostatic information, a recently discovered communication modality. We investigate signal theory and roles of the modalities in sexual communication using the nursery web spider Pisaura mirabilis.