Drosophila melanogaster is a traditional genetic study system for asking and answering questions about genetic and neural control of behavior. It is an ideal organism for such studies because of its small size and genetic similarity to other multi-cellular eukaryotes.
Our laboratory investigates the genetic underpinnings of fly social behaviors, including reproductive behaviors. Males perform an elegant and stereotypical set of courtship behaviors toward females to entice them to mate, while females rebuff these advances until they perceive the proper male signals. Identifying the genes modulating courtship behaviors as well as other types of social interactions and determining their cellular functions is the cornerstone of research in the Carney lab.
Currently we focus on 3 main research areas:
- Identifying and characterizing genes that are important for reproductive behaviors
- Understanding how signals from fat tissue modulate neural signaling and behavior
- Determining how social interactions affect gene expression and behavior
Other lab research:
Ecdysone/EcR/USP
The steroid hormone ecdysone and its EcR/USP receptor have vital roles during insect development. Despite the presence of the hormone and receptor in adults, little is known about their effects on gene expression and physiology during adulthood. We are characterizing EcR/USP expression and the effects of this expression on downstream gene expression, physiology and behavior