Ronja Krüsemer

Phd Thesis started in 2021
Experimental symbiont replacement in stored-grain pest beetles
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Institute of Microbiology
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenpoth, Prof. Dr. Kai Papenfort, Dr. Sybille Unsicker, Dr. Tobias Engl

I'm fascinated by intracellular symbioses between insects and microorganisms since they are a crucial factor in insect diversification. However, the lack of experimentally and genetically tractable systems limits our knowledge on their molecular basis. To study the early steps towards insect mutualisms, I work on establishing a novel model system where both host and symbiont are amenable to genetic manipulation using grain pest beetles and Sodalis bacteria.