My main goal is to study the ecological consequences of phenotypic plasticity in predator-prey interactions using a model system of ciliated protozoa.
Phenotypic plasticity is a common feature of organisms living in changing or variable environments.
Recently, inducible defenses of prey organisms have gained considerable interest among evolutionary ecologists. However, the ecological effects of phenotypic plasticity largely remain poorly understood although they have been repeatedly claimed to be potentially important. For example, theoretical models predict that inducible defenses stabilize predator-prey cycles. I am going to use an experimental model system of ciliated protozoa to analyze the influence of inducible defenses on predator-prey interactions. Protozoa are well suited for this kind of work due to their short generation times and relative ease of cultivation.