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Department of Entomology

entomologija_skupinska

Our team has its research focus on fundamentals of insect biology. Specific interests are directed to communication processes at the behavioural and neuronal level, comparative and and evolutionary neurobiology, influences of diseases on the behaviour and physiology and to population genetics. The experimental animals include economically important species (honey bees, planthoppers, leafhoppers and stink bugs) model species (crickets) and species adapted for life in specific environments (cave crickets).

In the frame of communication studies we investigate the repertoire of vibrational signals of stink bugs, planthoppers and leafhoppers produced during mating, their transmission through plants, reception by the relevant sensory organs and information processing in the central nervous system, as well as cognitive abilities in healthy, pesticide treated or infested specimens. Comparative and model neurobiological studies, performed in crickets and cave crickets, are focused on the anatomy and function of sensory organs and neuronal networks involved in reception, transmission and processing of the vibratory and acoustic information at different synaptic levels. Insect-plant interactions are investigated in the context of biomechanical studies of green plants as the transmission medium for communication signals. Influences of diseases and pesticides are studied in forager bees at the behavioural level and the level of physiological mechanisms that underlie the respective behavioural changes. Mitochondrial sequence data and nuclear molecular markers are used in green stink bugs for the assessment of genetic variation within populations, population structure and differentiation, evolutionary relationships, gene flow and dispersal, patterns of introgression and hybridisation.

We use DNA-based methods to investigate trophic interactions between invertebrate predators (spiders) and insect prey (leafhoppers) in order to determine whether spiders exploit insect vibrational communication in order to locate and capture their prey. We use methods from animal physiology, specifically neurobiology, animal behaviour, genetics, molecular biology, pathology and immunology. The group is skilled in methods using laser systems, such as the highly sensitive laser vibrometery and the laser-ablation system that enables specific in vivo elimination of single cells in the studies preparations. Basic research is the key direction of the team activities. In addition, the group knowledge and experience is successfully applied on problems with bee keeping, the impact of pesticides on insect populations and testing of the resonant properties of differently modified wood or other biological material.
 


Head: Meta Virant Doberlet, PhD

 

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Employees


PhD Danilo BevkAssistant with PhD05 923 27 83
PhD Nataša MoriResearch Associate05 923 27 39
Branko BogunovićYoung Researcher05 923 29 23
Assist. Prof., PhD Branko ČermeljResearch development associate, Head of IC IV05 923 29 12
Uni. Prof., PhD Andrej ČoklScience Councillor05 923 27 71
Alja ŠtraserYoung Researcher05 923 28 64
Ida ŠmidYoung Researcher05 923 28 23
Tjaša StareYoung Researcher05 923 28 40
Martina JakličYoung Researcher05 923 27 42
Assist. Prof., PhD Oliver BajtScience Councillor05 923 29 10
PhD Jasna KraljResearch Associate
Vladimir BernetičProject Assistant05 923 29 06
PhD Martina Orlando BonacaResearch Associate05 671 29 34
Žiga DobrajcProject Assistant
Prof. Dr. Jadran FaganeliScience Councillor05 923 29 11
PhD Vesna Flander PutrleResearch Associate05 923 29 09
Janez ForteSenior Specialised Associate05 923 29 20
PhD Janja FranceAssistant with PhD05 923 29 33
Neli GlavašYoung Researcher05 923 29 30
PhD Mateja GregoAssistant with PhD05 923 29 13
Mira AvčinLaboratory Engineer05 923 29 15
Alma HvalaLaboratory Associate05 923 29 00
Maja JeromelAutonomous Specialised Staff Member
PhD Tjaša KogovšekAssistant with PhD05 923 29 35
Neža KoronYoung Researcher
Assist. Prof., PhD Nives KovačSenior Research associate05 923 29 18
Uni. Prof., PhD Lovrenc LipejScience Councillor05 923 29 17
Tihomir MakovecAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 29 19
Olga BrišarGeneral Accountant05923 27 21
Barbara ČernačResearcher05923 27 10
Lučka GlavačDocumentalist registrar05 923 27 11
Uni. Prof., PhD Vlado MalačičScience Councillor, Head of Scientific - Research unit OE II05 923 29 04
PhD Miomir KneževićDirector Assistant for knowledge transfer
Prof. Dr. Alenka MalejScience Councillor, Head of program group ll05 923 29 03
Helena KončarAutonomous Specialised Staff Member for Organisation and Business Operations 05923 27 02
PhD Borut MavričAssistant with PhD05 923 29 36
Doc. Dr. Patricija MozetičSenior Research Associate , Head of DE ll05 923 29 14
Janez KrallAutonomous Specialised Staff Member
Uni. Prof., PhD Tamara Lah TurnšekDirector, Science Councillor05923 27 03
MSc Boris PetelinResearch development associate05 923 29 07
Gašper PolajnarAutonomous Specialised Staff Member for organization05 923 29 08
Maja MalecSpecialised associate for legal matters05923 27 01
PhD Andreja RamšakResearch Specialised associate05 923 29 30
Manja RogeljaAssistant05 923 29 05
MSc Mirjana OblakHead of technology transfer office and Expert associate for international projects05923 27 05
Katja StoparYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level05 923 29 35
Milijan ŠiškoSenior Specialised Associate05 923 29 31
Marko TadejevičAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 29 22
Iva TalaberYoung Researcher05 923 29 43
Karmen StaničCoordinator05 923 28 86
PhD Tinkara TintaAssistant with PhD05 923 29 21
MSc Franc PotočnikDirector Assistant05 923 27 04
Karolina RiglerAuthorized Accountant05 923 27 22
Uni. Prof., PhD Valentina TurkScience Councillor05 923 29 16
Jelka SvenšekAccountant05 923 27 23
Dunja GoršičAutonomous Specialised Staff Member for HR05 923 27 07
Irena VerderberAccountant05 923 27 24
PhD Mihael BriceljSenior Research Fellow05 923 28 83
Maja DerlinkYoung Researcher05 923 27 74
PhD Špela BaeblerResearch Associate05 923 28 25
Katja StareAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 28 26
PhD Anja BubikYoung Researcher05 923 28 84
Aleš BlatnikLaboratory Engineer05 923 28 04
PhD Maria Beatriz Duran AlonsoAssistant with PhD05 923 28 68
PhD Tina EleršekResearch associate05 923 28 85
PhD Meti Buh GašparičAssistant05 923 28 17
PhD Marjana CamlohSenior Research Associate, Specialised Councillor with PhD05 923 28 02
PhD Urška ČepinAssistant with PhD05 923 28 27
Tina DemšarSenior Research Associate05 923 28 18
Prof. Dr. Marina DermastiaScience Councillor05 923 28 05
Klemen ZupančičYoung Researcher+386 59 232 841
PhD Magda Tušek ŽnidaričSenior Research Specialised associate05 923 28 14
PhD David DobnikAssistant with PhD05 923 28 19
Prof. Dr. Metka FilipičScience Councillor,Head of Scientific - Research unit(OE) II05 923 28 61
PhD Tanja DreoResearch Associate05 923 28 06
Prof. Dr. Kristina GrudenScience Councillor, Head of DE IIl05 923 28 24
Rok LenarčičAssistant with PhD05 923 28 45
Matjaž NovakSpecialised Staff Member05 923 28 82
PhD Boris GoleYoung Researcher
PhD Irena HreljacYoung Researcher I
PhD Saša KenigYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level05 923 28 70
Katja KološaAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 28 67
PhD Gorazd KosiSenior Research development associate040 220 054
PhD Helena MotalnAssistant with PhD05 923 28 70
PhD Jana NunićAssistant with PhD05 923 28 62
Marko PezdircYoung Researcher05 923 28 65
PhD Janja PlazarAssistant with PhD
PhD Anja PucerYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level05 923 28 65
Uni. Prof., PhD Bojan SedmakScience Councillor05 923 28 81
PhD Ion Gutierrez AguirreResearch Associate05 923 28 15
PhD Matjaž HrenAssistant with PhD05 923 28 28
PhD Polona KogovšekAssistant with PhD
Uni. Prof., PhD Maja KovačScience Councillor
Lidija MatičičProject Assistant05 923 28 07
MSc Nataša MehleSenior Research Specialised Associate05 923 28 08
Ana MihevcCoordinator05 923 28 00
Neža PodergajsYoung Researcher05 923 28 70
Dejan BordjanYoung Researcher05 923 27 32
PhD Mojca MilavecResearch Specialised associate05 923 28 20
PhD Dany MorissetSenior Research Associate05 923 28 21
Petra Nikolić
PhD Marko PetekAssistant with PhD05 923 28 31
PhD Manca PircAssistant with PhD05 923 28 09
PhD Maruša Pompe NovakResearch Associate, Head of IC II 05 923 28 03
Nina PrezeljYoung Researcher05 923 28 10
Špela Prijatelj NovakProject Assistant05 923 28 11
Uni. Prof., PhD Maja RavnikarScience Councillor, Head of Scientific - Research unit(OE) II 05 923 28 01
PhD Ana RotterAssistant with PhD05 923 28 32
Jana ErjavecYoung Researcher05 923 28 12
Dejan ŠtebihSenior Research Specialised associate05 923 28 22
Jana VojvodaYoung Researcher
Prof. Dr. Jana ŽelScience Councillor, Head of DE III05 923 28 16
Prof. Dr. Anton BranceljScience Councillor, Head of Scientific - Research unit(OE) II05 923 27 31
Darja PenšekAutonomous Specialised Staff Member for HR05 923 27 07
PhD Irena ZajcSenior Research Specialised Associate05 923 28 64
PhD Bojana ŽeguraResearch Associate05 923 28 62
PhD Damijan DenacAssistant with PhD05 923 27 36
Andreja Jerebic, MScCoordinator05 923 27 30
Andrej KaplaProject Assistant05 923 27 43
PhD Urška KoceAssistant with PhD
PhD Simon LukančičAssistant05 923 27 41
PhD Tadej Mezek, MBAAssistant with PhD
PhD Franja Pajk
PhD Petra PavlovčičAssistant with PhD
Dr. Maja ZorovićResearch Associate05 923 27 80
Marko ChersicolaYoung Researcher
Jernej PavšičYoung Researcher
Barbara DebeljakYoung Researcher
PhD Tatjana SimčičSenior Research Associate05 923 27 38
Uni. Prof., PhD Davorin TomeScience Councillor05 923 27 32
PhD Al VrezecResearch Associate05 923 27 35
Uroš Žibrat
Uni. Prof., PhD Andrej BlejecScience Councillor05 923 27 89
PhD Jernej PolajnarAssistant
PhD Maarten De GrootYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level
PhD Janez PrešernAssistant with PhD
Avtomatska tajnica 05 923 27 00
Entomolab 1 05 923 27 75
Dr. Nataša StritihResearch Associate05 923 27 77
Entomolab 2 elektrofiz 05 923 27 76
Entomolab 3 komora 05 923 27 78
Dr. Meta Virant DoberletScience Councillor, Head of Scientific - Research unit OE II05 923 27 72
GEN Skupna 05 923 28 60
Vera ZgonikYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level05 923 27 84
GEN Toks 05 923 28 80
laboratorij GEN velik 05 923 28 91
Sejna soba 2N-01 05 923 29 40
Dinamika tekočin PT-04 05 923 29 41
PhD Alenka ŽuničAssistant with PhD05 923 27 74
Kabinet PT-26 05 923 29 42
Martin Vodopivec Specialised Associate
Tomaž RijavecYoung Researcher on Doctoral Level05 923 28 33
Špela AmbrožičAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 27 44
PhD Irena BertonceljAssistant with PhD05 923 27 34
PhD Uroš RajčevičResearch Associate05 923 28 87
Ana TorkarResearcher05 923 28 70
PhD Mateja GermScience Councillor
PhD Olga Urbanc BerčičSenior Research Specialised Associate
PhD Gregor MuriResearch Associate
Polona PagonYoung Researcher
PhD Špela SchraderAssistant with PhD
PhD Peter KozmusYoung Researcher I
PhD Simon CasermanAssistant with PhD
Nataša SeverYoung Researcher
PhD Borut VrišarResearch Associate
Silva MasloProject Assistant
PhD Milan LovkaSenior Research Associate
Majda DerglinThe cashier
Tina LeskošekAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 27 33
PhD Matjaž LičerAssistant with PhD
Lucija Raspor Dall'OlioYoung researcher059232937
Ana LazarYoung Researcher05 923 28 42
Matevž RuparYoung Researcher
Andreja KavčičYoung researcher05 923 27 74
Urška TajnšekYoung researcher05 923 28 65
Ana KorenAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 28 65
mag. Neža TurnšekAutonomous Specialised Staff Member059232847
dr. Anna CollSenior Research Associate,05 923 28 46
Allen Wei LiuYoung Researcher
Živa RamšakYoung Researcher05 923 28 28
Nejc RačkiYoung Researcher05 923 28 33
Anka KuheljYoung Researcher059232779
Katja KlunYoung Researcher059232930
Maja KosYoung Researcher059232935
Valentina PitaccoYong Researcher059232937
Martina Mršnik, MDAutonomous Specialised Staff Member05 923 28 84
Alenka TomšičAutonomous Specialised Staff Member - Barrister at Law059232706
Selma DobnikSpecialised Staff Member05 923 28 36
MSc Marija RakGeneral Accountant05 923 27 21
Denis KutnjakYoung Researcher