How do yeast cells predict the future?

01.03.2017 bis 28.02.2019

Anticipatory behavior is found in many species across kingdoms of life. Cells or organisms extrapolate from their current environment to predict the most likely next occurrence. In microbes anticipatory behavior can be seen, for example, in responses to changes in nutrients. One well-known example is the diauxic shift in yeast, where cells anticipate the exhaustion of glucose well before this nutrient becomes limiting. However, the nature of the signal that allows cells to sense a decline in glucose concentrations remains elusive. Using live cell imaging combined with microfluidic cultivation we will investigate the sensing and signaling mechanisms triggering this anticipatory response in yeast.