Hoedjes Lab
Department of Ecological Science Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam

Katja Hoedjes

Principal Investigator

Research interests:

We study the evolutionary genetic basis of life history, in particular ageing and reproduction. Using a combination of functional genetic approaches and -omics, we aim study how genomic polymorphisms that persist in natural populations affect gene regulatory networks, physiology, and ultimately fitness.

Research organisms:

Drosophila melanogaster, Nasonia vitripennis

Expertise:

  • Functional genetics (RNAi, CRISPR-Cas9, recombinant outbred populations)
  • Population genomics (PoolSeq), experimental evolution (Evolve & resequence)
  • Gene expression analyses (RNAseq, RT-qPCR)
  • Fluorescent microscopy, microdissection and immunostaining
  • Life history assays (lifespan, reproduction, development time, viability, body size, starvation resistance, oxidative stress resistance, fat content)
  • Behavioural assays (foraging, learning ability, activity)