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10/15/2019

Humboldt Fellow researches on the sense of smell of insects

The University of Kassel welcomes a scholarship holder from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation from Turkey. Associate Professor Dr. Hülya Altuntaş is a biologist and examines the immune system of insects in Turkey. Here in Kassel, she performs research on the sense of smell of insects, together with Prof. Dr. Monika Stengl from the Department of Animal Physiology/Neuroethology. Prof. Dr. Altuntaş has been a guest at the University of North Hesse since August and will stay for one year.

Image: Press

Her field of research is the influence of chemicals, such as pesticides, on insects. Pesticides are hold responsible for the mass extinction of insects that endangers also important pollinators such as bees.  Protecting helpful insects is also a goal of Prof. Altuntaş's research.

With her work at the University of Kassel, she primarily intents to broaden her research areas and to acquire new research techniques, but she also wants to contribute to the bilateral cooperation between Turkey and Germany. "I want to study insect olfactory transduction with state of the art techniques," says the biologist. "Monika Stengl's work in this area has won international awards. "It's a great opportunity for me to acquire important new insights and to contribute with my research here to highly relevant, still unsolved questions in insect olfaction," said Prof. Dr. Altuntaş. Dr. Hülya Altuntaş (37) is Associate Professor at the Department of Biology at Eskisehir Technical University. Starting 2004 she studied biology there and received her doctorate in 2011 with a study on the "Effects of gibberellin on haemolymph chemistry and hemocytes on the wax moth host Galleria mellonella L.".

 

Contact:

Prof. Dr. Monika Stengl
University of Kassel
Field: Animal Psychology
E-Mail: stengl[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Tel: +49 561 804-4564