Daniela Drummond-Barbosa

Stem cell lineages undergo intrinsic metabolic shifts during differentiation, and they also sense and respond to physiological and environmental factors. Our past work revealed a multi-organ network involving insulin-like peptides and other signaling molecules that regulate the Drosophila germline stem cell lineage in response to organismal physiology. We currently focus on the following questions: 1) How do specific metabolic requirements change during differentiation from the germline stem cell fate to progressively more developed stages of oogenesis? 2) How do specific diets, physiological factors, and obesity modulate the germline stem cell lineage? 3) How do other types of stress (e.g. high temperature) impact oogenesis? Our research addresses fundamental aspects of the physiological and metabolic regulation of stem cell lineages and oogenesis across a wide range of organisms, and it will also generate new insight into how the current climate crisis affects the reproduction of insects.