Joanne YEW, Ph.D, Principal Investigator
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I obtained my bachelor’s degree in Biology from Reed College (Portland, OR, USA) and my Ph.D. in Neuroscience from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (USA). Working in the laboratory of Prof. Tony Stretton, I started playing with ways to apply mass spectrometry to neurochemistry. During my post-doctoral training with Prof. Ed Kravitz at Harvard Medical School (Boston, MA, USA), I used mass spectrometry in order to study chemical communication in Drosophila. Subsequently, I spent several months working in collaboration with Dr. Klaus Dreisewerd in the Laser Mass Spectrometry laboratory at the University of Münster (Germany). I joined TLL in April 2010 and will continue developing mass spectrometry methods in order to study chemical communication and social behavior in Drosophila and other insects. You may wish to contact Dr Joanne YEW at: |
For information on PhD studies at TLL, click HERE
Research Interests
- Chemical communication in Drosophila and mosquitoes (Aedes aegyptii)
- Biochemical regulation of pheromone synthesis
- Mass spectrometry technology development
Research Projects
In many species of insects, pheromones mediate complex interactions such as kin-recognition, mate-finding, and aggression. We are interested in developing and integrating novel mass spectrometry technology with behavioral studies in order to provide real-time detection of pheromones from awake, behaving animals. Understanding what pheromones do and how they are detected can be a way to identify neural pathways that underlie social behavior. By comparing pheromone expression across related species of insects, we may gain insight into how chemical communication contributes to the formation of new species. Currently, we are pursuing the following lines of research:
Neural circuitry underlying pheromone detection and processing in Drosophila (Sophophora) melanogaster
Identification of novel pheromones in drosophilids and mosquitoes
Development of mass spectrometry tools for pheromone analysis, specifically laser-desorption ionization and atmospheric pressure methods
A typical Drosophila courtship sequence involves singing (wing vibration), tapping and tasting, and copulation. Pheromones can influence many features of this social behavior
Analytical methods such as mass spectrometry can be used to measure pheromone expression before, during, and after social behavior. A live fly is held by a vacuum while her chemical profile is sampled by a metal probe (left). An ultraviolet laser illuminates the rear abdomen of a fly placed inside an orthogonal time-of-flight mass spectrometer (right), providing spatially-resolved profiling of pheromone expression.