DPZ aktuell published

Mouse lemurs are fast-moving, ecological generalists. They are small and have a high reproductive rate, which are good prerequisites for quickly adapting to climate changes. Offspring are born during the five-month rainy season and build up a fat cushion to survive the cool dry season with little food available. But what happens when the rainy season becomes drier and shorter and the dry season warmer and warmer? Researchers from the Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, together with colleagues from the University of Zurich, have analyzed long-term data from Madagascar. Read what they found out on page 3.

Our neuroscientists want to find out how movements are controlled in the brain and how and where action decisions and expectations about the effects of planned movements are encoded. To this end, they have developed the "Exploration Room", a new experimental environment that allows movement control to be recorded while the animal moves freely in space. You can find out why this is also a contribution to the ethical 3Rs principle and thus to animal welfare starting on page 9.

We also said goodbye to our long-time department head Christiane Stahl-Hennig. Until her retirement in May this year, she led the Unit of Infection Models for 15 years, advancing the development of animal models for human viral diseases. The department will now be transformed into a research platform headed by Nadine Krüger. In the interview starting on page 26, you can read what drives her and what projects she plans for the future.

We wish you a pleasant reading!

"DPZ aktuell" is published four times a year, has around 35 to 40 pages each time and can be subscribed to free of charge. Of course, the magazine is also available in the building: You will find it at the reception desk or in the library.