Genetic and immunologic basis of pathogenic and mutualistic interactions between bacteria and their ant hosts

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The project aims at elucidating basic features of the innate immune system of a social insect, the carpenter ant Camponotus floridanus. A special emphasis is placed on its mode of discrimination between pathogenic and beneficial bacteria, thereby avoiding the growth of harmful bacteria while allowing colonization by the essential obligate intracellular mutualist Blochmannia. Moreover, a possible role of the mutualists in the modulation of the immune response of the host will be investigated. Based on these experiments a major goal of this proposal is to generate a comprehensive model regarding the systems biology of the ant`s immune response.