Goodisman Research Group

Social Systems Biology

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Research in the Goodisman Lab

We are part of the School of Biological Sciences at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta, Georgia. Georgia Tech is an outstanding university in the southeastern United States and specializes in engineering, science, and research. The School of Biological Sciences places particular emphasis on systems approaches to understanding biology. We are always recruiting motivated students interested in undertaking undergraduate or graduate level research.  Interested students may contact Goodisman directly at his email address.

The importance of sociality

The evolution of sociality represented one of the major transition points in evolutionary history. We are interested in understanding how evolutionary processes affect social systems and how sociality, in turn, affects the course of evolution. The subjects of our research are the social insects, which include ants, termites, social bees, and social wasps. Our research focuses on understanding the social structure and mating biology of social insects. In addition, we are interested in the process of development and morphological evolution in the context of sociality. In order to address these issues, we make use of a variety of techniques, including computer simulations, analytical theory, field studies, and laboratory experiments, as well as molecular genetic and genomic analyses.

Social insects, such as the yellowjacket wasp, bumblebee, and honeybee, achieve tremendous ecological success because of their sophisticated group behaviors.

Social insect comparative genomics

The comparison of genome sequences from multiple species allows us to investigate the interplay of highly social behavior and caste specialization with the evolution of genes and genomes.

Queen-biased proteins of the honeybee evolve rapidly relative to worker-biased proteins and non-biased proteins.

Epigenetic inheritance and social evolution

Epigenetic marks, which include DNA methylation, play an important role in social insect development and may have helped to facilitate the evolution of highly social behavior. We are synthesizing computational and empirical approaches to better understand the role of epigenetics in different social insect taxa.

Computational measures of the mutational effects of DNA methylation revealed
its widespread role in honeybee genome evolution and development.

Development in social insects

Social insect societies function efficiently because they are composed of distinct castes. We study the molecular mechanisms underlying caste differentiation.

Social insect development leads to the formation of distinct castes. Analysis of patterns of gene expression can reveal the relationships among developmental stages.

Natural selection in social insects

Social insects face selective pressures which may lead to unusual patterns of morphological evolution. We investigate how natural selection operates in social systems.

Yellowjacket wasp queens experience strong positive selection on body size due to the pressures of overwintering.

Cooperation and conflict in insect societies

Social insect colonies operate as integrated superorganisms. However, colonymates can also come into conflict. We study factors affecting the balance between conflict and cooperation in insect societies.

Males mated to single queens can compete with each other for reproductive success.
Yellowjacket wasp males do not contribute equally to the production of offspring.

Invasive social insects

Social insects are among the most successful of invasive species. We use genetic techniques to understand how invasive social insects enter and establish introduced populations.

Males mated to single queens can compete with each other for reproductive success.
Yellowjacket wasp males do not contribute equally to the production of offspring.

Nest construction and function

The nest represents a critical feature of most social insect societies. We are investigating how social insect nests are constructed and function under diverse conditions.

Social insects, such as the cathedral termite, build extraordinary nests. The internal gallery structure of nests likely contains adaptations to aid in colony function.

Social insect mating systems

The mating systems of social insects are constrained because of the importance of maintaining a strong family structure. Nevertheless, multiple mating has evolved in several species. We study the consequences of multiple mating in social insects.

Yellowjacket wasp queens are unusual because they mate multiply. The benefits to multiple mating may arise from manipulation of sex ratio within colonies.

Life history strategies of social insects

Social insect colonies make decisions as to how to allocate resources to growth and reproduction. We study how these decisions are made and affected by environmental and genetic factors in natural populations.

Males mated to single queens can compete with each other for reproductive success.
Yellowjacket wasp males do not contribute equally to the production of offspring.

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