Robert Anholt

Research Interests

Research in the Anholt laboratory uses the Drosophila model system and focuses on several interrelated topics: The Genetic Architecture of Behavior, Drosophila as a Model for Human Disease, Phenotypic Plasticity and Genome by Environment Interactions, and The Olfactomedin Gene Family. The Anholt laboratory is closely associated with the laboratory of Dr. Trudy F. C. Mackay. Students, postdocs, and technicians mingle freely between the two laboratories. Extensive collaborations between the Anholt and Mackay laboratories create a stimulating synergistic environment in which students and postdocs have considerable freedom to pursue their research endeavors.

Selected Publications

Arya, G. H., Weber, A. L., Wang, P., Magwire, M. M., Serrano Negron, Y. L., Mackay, T. F. C. and Anholt, R. R. H. (2010) Natural variation, functional pleiotropy and transcriptional networks of Odorant binding protein genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Genetics 186: 1475-1485.

Swarup, S., Islam Williams, T. and Anholt R. R. H. (2011) Functional dissection of Odorant binding protein genes in Drosophila melanogaster. Genes Brain Behav. 10: 648-657.

Zwarts, L., Magwire, M. M., Carbone, M. A., Versteven, M., Herteleer, L., Anholt, R. R. H., Callaerts, P. and Mackay, T. F. C. (2011) Complex genetics architecture of Drosophila aggressive behavior. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 108: 17070-17075.

Swarup, S., Harbison, S. T., Hahn, L. E., Morozova, T. V., Yamamoto, A., Mackay, T. F. C. and Anholt, R. R. H. (2012) Extensive epistasis for olfactory behavior, sleep and waking activity in Drosophila melanogaster. Genet. Res. 94: 9-20.

Anholt, R. R. H. and Mackay, T. F. C. (2012) Genetics of aggression. Annu. Rev. Genet. 46: 145-164.

Swarup, S., Huang, W., Mackay, T. F. C. and Anholt, R. R. H. (2013) Analysis of natural variation reveals neurogenetic networks for Drosophila olfactory behavior. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 110: 1017-1022.

Shorter, J., Couch, C., Huang, W., Carbone, M. A., Peiffer, J., Anholt, R. R. H. and Mackay, T. F. C. (2015) Genetic architecture of natural variation in Drosophila melanogaster aggressive behavior. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 112: E3555-E3563.

Dembeck, L. M., Böröczky, K., Huang, W., Schal, C., Anholt, R. R. H. and Mackay, T. F. C. (2015) The genetic basis of natural variation in cuticular hydrocarbon composition in Drosophila melanogaster. eLife 4: e09861.

He, X., Zhou, S., St. Armour, G. E., Mackay, T. F. C. and Anholt, R. R. H. (2016) Epistatic partners of neurogenic genes modulate Drosophila olfactory behavior. Genes Brain Behav. 15: 280-290.