Evolução e Desenvolvimento
Interesse da Investigação
In our research, we use both the comparative method and experimental evolution for the study of evolution of a variety of processes, with special emphasis on development. Focusing mainly on Drosophila, we use an evolutionary framework to approach the origin and historical construction of complex adaptations, from evolutionary novelties to immunity.
Other collaborative projects involve the study of adaptation to pesticide in C. elegans and the evaluation of its costs and, in collaboration with Marta Moita and Isabel Gordo both group leaders at the IGC, the study of the prisonner´s dilemma in rats.
Our group has established publically available outbred populations of Drosophila melanogaster and Drosophila simulans.
Élio Sucena
Ph.D. in Biology
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
| Investigador Principal | |
|---|---|
| Telefone | 21 446 4639 |
| Exensão | 639 |
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| Local (Ala) | Vasco da Gama (B1) - Sala 3 |
Membros do Grupo
| Diogo Manoel | Postdoc |  |
|---|---|---|
| Tel: 21 446 4611 | |
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| Nelson Martins | Postdoc | |
| Tel: 21 446 4640 | |
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| Kohtaro Tanaka | Postdoc | |
| Tel: 21 446 4640 | |
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| Vitor Faria | External Ph.D. Student | |
| Tel: 21 446 4640 | |
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| Barbara Vreede | 2007 PGD PhD Student | |
| Tel: 21 446 4611 | |
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| Alexandre Leitão | 2009 PIBS | |
| Tel: 21 446 4640 | |
Projecto de Investigação
Dissecting the developmental genetics of evolutionary novelty
We are carrying out a long-term project aimed at defining the developmental genetic basis for the evolutionary emergence and diversification of morphological structures using the Drosophila egg appendages as a model system. For this we are taking advantage of the detailed description of the development of this trait in D. melanogaster and the availability of a number of other species within this genus with alternative morphologies (diversification). Also, we use Ceratitis capitata as a representative of the ancestral featureless egg morphology in order to approach the origin of the trait (novelty). For this we are taking an approach that uses modeling and molecular genetics techniques, with the purpose of generating testable hypotheses regarding the evolutionary process(es) underlying the observed diversity of this trait.
Funding
Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia (FCT) Project Grant, Portugal
Publicações
(Selected) Updated January (2009).
Viana, DS, Gordo, I, Sucena, E & Moita, MAP (2009). Cognitive and motivational requirements for cooperation emergence in a rat´s social dilemma (submitted)
Lopes, PC, Sucena, E, Santos, ME & Magalhaes, S (2008). Rapid Experimental Evolution of Pesticide Resistance in C. elegans Entails No Costs and Affects the Mating System PloS ONE 3(11) :e3741
Sucena, E, Delon, I, Jones, I, Payre, F and Stern, DL. (2003). Regulatory evolution of shavenbaby/ovo underlies multiple cases of morphological parallelism Nature 424 (6951) :935-8
Sucena, E and Stern, DL (2000). Divergence of larval morphology between Drosophila sechellia and its sibling species caused by cis-regulatory evolution of ovo/shaven-baby Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 97(9) :4530-4
