Max Planck Institute - for neurobiology of behavior — caesar

Institute News

BIOMORA24 - a look back

In November, we housed the first international conference on mole-rat biology: “BIOMORA24 - Unique Biology of Mole-Rats – from husbandry to biomedical applications”. The meeting was organized by our group leader Dr. Pascal Malkemper together with Dr. Alison Barker (Max Planck Institute for Brain Research, Frankfurt), Dr. Jane Reznick, and Paul Friedemann Pohlig (CECAD, University of Cologne). Supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG), the event ensured affordable participation fees, particularly benefiting students.

Mole-rats are subterranean mammals native to Africa with fascinating biological adaptations and traits. Their underground niche provides protection against predators and oscillating environmental conditions but simultaneously imposes a plethora of environmental pressures on their sensory, thermoregulatory, and metabolic systems. The different mole-rat species are extremely well-adapted to their habitats, displaying many innovative ecophysiological adaptations at the morphological, physiological, behavioral and molecular levels.

The pioneering conference brought together established experts and emerging researchers exploring the potential of mole-rats in various fields of research. The program featured topics such as metabolism, sensory biology, physiology, omics technologies, and the practicalities of maintaining and studying these animals in laboratory settings. The over 110 international participants enjoyed 2 days of fantastic talks and posters on cutting-edge research, highlighting the growing interest in mole-rats as model organisms and laying the groundwork for future collaborations.

We are already looking forward to next time!

MPINB

A group photo of the BIOMORA24 participants