Sachin Suresh

I am interested in exploring the biology of eusocial insects. A major hallmark of eusocial insects is the existence of a reproductive division of labor where one or a subset of colony members are capable of reproduction (referred to as queens or gamergates) and the rest of the individuals are either obligately or functionally sterile (termed as workers). Furthermore, these distinct phenotypes within a colony usually arise from the same genome in response to environmental conditions. I am particularly fascinated by how these divergent phenotypes arise from a single genome and the proximate mechanisms contributing to these differential developmental trajectories.  Moreover, I am intrigued by how eusociality has evolved multiple times, independently across the tree of life. To address these overarching goals, I will integrate developmental genetic, comparative genomic, and phylogenetic approaches for my research.