CAnMove

Animals are dependent on their nose in many aspects of life. Tasks like  food search, navigation, partner choice and kin recognition often  include the ability to evaluate odours and migrate towards or away from  them. In my research I am interested in pheromones and individual  odours, and particularly the molecular and genetic background to  personal odours.

Currently I am doing a postdoc with Francesco Bonadonna, CNRS, Montpellier, France and Helena Westerdahl.  In the project we are studying a subantarctic seabird, the Blue petrel,  that has a very well developed sense of smell. The birds are able to  find their partner and their underground nest just by smell. I am  working on MHC immune genes (Major Histocompatibility Complex) and their  possible influence on personal odour and mate choice in these birds.  The MHC genes belong to the most variable gene family found in  vertebrates. The MHC recognizes a wide range of pathogens but is also  involved in partner choice in for example mammals.