Mole-rats are subterranean mammals native to Africa with a fascinating gamut of biological adaptations and traits. Their underground niche provides protection against predators and oscillating environmental conditions but simultaneously imposes a plethora of environmental pressures on sensory, thermoregulatory, and metabolic systems. Mole-rats are extremely well-adapted to their habitats, displaying many innovative ecophysiological adaptations at the morphological, physiological, behavioral and molecular levels.
This conference aims to bring together established experts studying mole-rats across a wide scope of research themes and researchers that have recently realized the potential of these non-model organisms to their line of research. We aim to create opportunities for new international cooperation to emerge. Finally, since establishing successful breeding colonies in a laboratory setting can be very challenging but is crucial to much of this research, we have combined a fascinating scientific program looking into diverse research themes utilizing state-of-the art technology in metabolism, sensory biology, physiology, and omics together with a workshop on how to establish, maintain and conduct laboratory animal science within these species.
Confirmed Speakers
Jonathan Bayerl, UCSF, San Francisco, USA Sabine Begall, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany Nigel Bennett, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa Rochelle Buffenstein , University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA Sandra Buhl, MPI for Biology of Ageing, Cologne, Germany Hynek Burda, University Duisburg-Essen, Germany; Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic Katharina Dinger, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Michaela Frye, DKFZ, Heidelberg, Germany Melissa Holmes, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada Sandra Honigs, Aquazoo Löbbecke Museum, Duesseldorf, Germany Gary Lewin, Max Delbrück Center for Molecular Medicine, Berlin, Germany Thomas Park, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA Paul Friedemann Pohlig, CECAD University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany Kaori Oka, Kumamoto University, Kumamoto City, Japan Radim Sumbera, University of South Bohemia, Budweis, Czech Republic Martin Toft, QM Diagnostics, Nijmegen, Netherlands Nina Vogt, MPI for Brain Research, Frankfurt a.M., Germany
Organizing Committee
Alison Barker, Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt a.M., Germany Pascal Malkemper, Max Planck Institute for Neurobiology of Behavior, Bonn Paul Friedemann Pohlig, CECAD, University of Cologne, Germany Jane Reznick, CECAD, University of Cologne, Germany
Information for veterinarians in Germany: We certify up to 12 ATF hours for this event.
We are grateful for the support provided by the German Research Foundation (DFG)
