Posnien, Nico, Dr.

Emmy-Noether Group Leader, Developmental Biology

2006 Diploma, Georg-August-University Göttingen
07/2006 - 07/2009 Dr. rer. nat., Georg-August-University Göttingen
08/2009 - 12/2009 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Georg-August-University Göttingen
01/2010 - 07/2011 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Vetmed Uni Vienna, Institute of Populationgenetics, Austria
08/2011 - 03/2012 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Oxford Brookes University, School of Life Sciences, UK
04/2012 Post-doctoral Research Associate, Georg-August-University Göttingen
05/2012 - 10/2015 Independent Group Leader, Georg-August University Göttingen
since 11/2015 - Emmy-Noether Group Leader, Georg-August University Göttingen

Major Research Interests
The size and shape of a complex organ is defined during its development by the action of gene regulatory networks, which ensure the tightly controlled expression of developmental genes. Changes in the function and regulation of those genes during development account for variation in various morphological traits.
We combine comparative genomics, quantitative genetics, developmental genetics and geometric morphometrics approaches to identify the molecular changes underlying diversification in head and eye morphology in flies, beetles and spiders.

Homepage Department/Research Group

http://www.evolution.uni-goettingen.de/posnienlab/index.html

Selected Recent Publications

Schomburg C, Turetzek N, Schacht MI, Schneider J, Kirfel P, Prpic N-M+ and Posnien N+ (2015) Molecular characterization and embryonic origin of the eyes in the common house spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. EvoDevo 2015, 6:15.
Posnien N*+, Zeng V*, Schwager EE, Pechmann M, Hilbrant M, Keefe JD, Damen, WGM, Prpic, NM, McGregor AP, Extavour CG+ (2014) A Comprehensive Reference Transcriptome Resource for the Common House Spider Parasteatoda tepidariorum. PLoS ONE 9: e104885.
Posnien N*, Hopfen C*, Hilbrant M, Ramos-Womack M, Murat S, Schönauer A, Herbert SL, et al. (2012) Evolution of Eye Morphology and Rhodopsin Expression in the Drosophila melanogaster Species Subgroup. PLoS ONE 7(5): e37346.
Fu J*, Posnien N*, Bolognesi R, Fischer TD, Rayl P, Oberhofer G, Kitzmann P, Brown SJ, and Bucher G (2012) Asymmetrically Expressed Axin Required for Anterior Development in Tribolium. PNAS 109(20): 7782?7786.
Posnien N*, Koniszewski NDB*, Hein HJ, Bucher G (2011) Candidate Gene Screen in the Red Flour Beetle Tribolium Reveals Six3 as Ancient Regulator of Anterior Median Head and Central Complex Development. PLoS Genet 7(12): e1002416.