Mohammed Khallaf
@khallaf.bsky.social
Neuroscientist exploring sensory biology in naked mole-rats, mice, and flies.
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ax7a1CwAAAAJ&hl=en
https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=ax7a1CwAAAAJ&hl=en
New from @enriberti.bsky.social how changes in taste processing reshape dietary preferences across Drosophila species
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Evolution of taste processing shifts dietary preference - Nature
Calcium imaging of taste neurons and the ventral brain provides insight into evolutionary divergence of food choice in Drosophila species, supporting a role of sensorimotor processing in addition to p...
www.nature.com
November 26, 2025 at 6:04 PM
New from @enriberti.bsky.social how changes in taste processing reshape dietary preferences across Drosophila species
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
www.nature.com/articles/s41...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
@rorycoleman.bsky.social and I wrote an opinion piece called
'From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution'
We argue that now is a great time for neuro-evo research
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
'From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution'
We argue that now is a great time for neuro-evo research
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution
The vast diversity of animal behaviors has long inspired ethologists and neuroscientists, but circuit mechanisms driving this variation remain elusive…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 17, 2025 at 8:57 AM
@rorycoleman.bsky.social and I wrote an opinion piece called
'From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution'
We argue that now is a great time for neuro-evo research
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
'From neurons to novelty: Circuit mechanisms shaping courtship evolution'
We argue that now is a great time for neuro-evo research
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Many thanks to the amazing team that made the weird fun (but not the fun weird): Madison Walker,
@jacoporazzauti.bsky.social, Anurag Sharma, Amalia Pasolli, and the almighty @leslievosshall.bsky.social
Many thanks to the amazing team that made the weird fun (but not the fun weird): Madison Walker,
@jacoporazzauti.bsky.social, Anurag Sharma, Amalia Pasolli, and the almighty @leslievosshall.bsky.social
A rapidly evolving female-controlled lock-and-key mechanism determines Aedes mosquito mating success
Houri-Zeevi et al. uncover a lock-and-key mating system in mosquitoes, where females
control mating through genital responses to rapidly evolving male structures. Males
of the invasive Asian tiger mos...
www.cell.com
October 28, 2025 at 8:57 PM
www.cell.com/current-biol...
Many thanks to the amazing team that made the weird fun (but not the fun weird): Madison Walker,
@jacoporazzauti.bsky.social, Anurag Sharma, Amalia Pasolli, and the almighty @leslievosshall.bsky.social
Many thanks to the amazing team that made the weird fun (but not the fun weird): Madison Walker,
@jacoporazzauti.bsky.social, Anurag Sharma, Amalia Pasolli, and the almighty @leslievosshall.bsky.social
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Join us! We’re recruiting a PhD researcher to uncover how hedgehogs & other insectivores survive prey toxins. Dive into molecular evolution & protein biochemistry @shabmohammadi.bsky.social @livuni-ives.bsky.social @livuni-ismib.bsky.social @mpi-ce.bsky.social
🦔 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
🦔 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
November 6, 2025 at 9:12 AM
Join us! We’re recruiting a PhD researcher to uncover how hedgehogs & other insectivores survive prey toxins. Dive into molecular evolution & protein biochemistry @shabmohammadi.bsky.social @livuni-ives.bsky.social @livuni-ismib.bsky.social @mpi-ce.bsky.social
🦔 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
🦔 www.findaphd.com/phds/project...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
I am thrilled to share our latest work: we identified a population of central amygdala neurons that promote the earliest and perhaps most important social behavior: pup suckling!... We also developed new tools for pup neuroscience
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
October 21, 2025 at 10:18 AM
I am thrilled to share our latest work: we identified a population of central amygdala neurons that promote the earliest and perhaps most important social behavior: pup suckling!... We also developed new tools for pup neuroscience
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
Work by @Jeff Moore now at USC, a collaboration with @Sam Pfaff lab
A fly that courts everyone 🪰. Male Drosophila santomea woo both males and females alike, driven by evolved pheromone changes and brain processing that flipped attraction and aggression. Evolution is wild!
Recent work from Joe Ouadah:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Recent work from Joe Ouadah:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
October 17, 2025 at 12:51 PM
A fly that courts everyone 🪰. Male Drosophila santomea woo both males and females alike, driven by evolved pheromone changes and brain processing that flipped attraction and aggression. Evolution is wild!
Recent work from Joe Ouadah:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Recent work from Joe Ouadah:
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
I'm looking to recruit a post-doc to help push forward our growing interests in insect ecotoxicology.
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Career Opportunities: Posdoctoral researcher in toxin susceptibility and evolution of resistance in insects (22517)
career5.successfactors.eu
October 16, 2025 at 12:18 PM
I'm looking to recruit a post-doc to help push forward our growing interests in insect ecotoxicology.
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Apply here by Nov 30th!
(thanks for reposting)
career5.successfactors.eu/sfcareer/job...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Excited to share our new #biorxivpreprint
We discovered that the fruit fly #drosophila erecta requires food odor to mate and arousal is further enhanced by social group motion.
Cross-species analysis of brain activity reveals a novel gate evolved from within a conserved circuit
shorturl.at/gGYm7
We discovered that the fruit fly #drosophila erecta requires food odor to mate and arousal is further enhanced by social group motion.
Cross-species analysis of brain activity reveals a novel gate evolved from within a conserved circuit
shorturl.at/gGYm7
October 16, 2025 at 6:34 AM
Excited to share our new #biorxivpreprint
We discovered that the fruit fly #drosophila erecta requires food odor to mate and arousal is further enhanced by social group motion.
Cross-species analysis of brain activity reveals a novel gate evolved from within a conserved circuit
shorturl.at/gGYm7
We discovered that the fruit fly #drosophila erecta requires food odor to mate and arousal is further enhanced by social group motion.
Cross-species analysis of brain activity reveals a novel gate evolved from within a conserved circuit
shorturl.at/gGYm7
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
I really like this one 🤓. Work led by Elisa Toscano with invaluable help from many 🙏 @alesantuz.bsky.social, @lowensteined.bsky.social. A spinal circuit for skilled locomotion www.cell.com/current-biol...
A spinal circuit for skilled locomotion
Toscano et al. identify glutamatergic Pitx2+ V0 ascending neurons (V0g-aNs) that receive
input from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)-contacting neurons and target spinal premotor
and motor neurons. Eliminati...
www.cell.com
October 3, 2025 at 3:21 PM
I really like this one 🤓. Work led by Elisa Toscano with invaluable help from many 🙏 @alesantuz.bsky.social, @lowensteined.bsky.social. A spinal circuit for skilled locomotion www.cell.com/current-biol...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Having personally sworn for years that insects don’t use GPCRs for odour detection, Suguru Takagi (@sugurutakagi.bsky.social) discovers that, in fact, they sometimes do …
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
A GPCR signaling pathway in insect odor detection
Odor detection differs fundamentally in vertebrates, which use G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), and insects, which employ ion channels. Here, we report the first evidence for a GPCR defining tunin...
www.biorxiv.org
October 6, 2025 at 4:17 AM
Having personally sworn for years that insects don’t use GPCRs for odour detection, Suguru Takagi (@sugurutakagi.bsky.social) discovers that, in fact, they sometimes do …
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Sam has now started her new group at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research Diseases. Congratulations! I wish her the very best for her independent career. The time Sam spent with us was hugely successful in many respects and we will all be sad to see her go..
Delighted to be starting a new research group at @helmholtzhzi.bsky.social ! Happy to chat about working together! #pain #infection #electrophysiology
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/...
www.helmholtz-hzi.de/en/research/...
October 2, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Sam has now started her new group at the Helmholtz Center for Infection Research Diseases. Congratulations! I wish her the very best for her independent career. The time Sam spent with us was hugely successful in many respects and we will all be sad to see her go..
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Our first big preprint, led by the great Dr. Qi Xue
@Qi_Xue_94
. We discovered three mechanisms for olfactory adaptation in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, two of which are novel .Well Done Qi; you will be a great professor. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@Qi_Xue_94
. We discovered three mechanisms for olfactory adaptation in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, two of which are novel .Well Done Qi; you will be a great professor. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Genomic plasticity drives olfactory adaptation in a pest fly
Preference shifts in insects are often driven by changes in the olfactory system, yet the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. The worldwide pest Drosophila suzukii, which oviposits in ripe rather th...
www.biorxiv.org
September 19, 2025 at 11:18 PM
Our first big preprint, led by the great Dr. Qi Xue
@Qi_Xue_94
. We discovered three mechanisms for olfactory adaptation in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, two of which are novel .Well Done Qi; you will be a great professor. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
@Qi_Xue_94
. We discovered three mechanisms for olfactory adaptation in the fruit pest Drosophila suzukii, two of which are novel .Well Done Qi; you will be a great professor. www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1...
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
We present the first subset-specific proteomic signature of electrophysiologically-defined, pain-sensing neurons. One step closer to uniting function with molecules- one neuron at a time. Thanks to all who have contributed, especially @coscialab.bsky.social @garyrlewin.bsky.social #neuroscience
Ultrasensitive proteomics uncovers nociceptor diversity and novel pain targets https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.09.20.677124v1
September 22, 2025 at 6:12 PM
We present the first subset-specific proteomic signature of electrophysiologically-defined, pain-sensing neurons. One step closer to uniting function with molecules- one neuron at a time. Thanks to all who have contributed, especially @coscialab.bsky.social @garyrlewin.bsky.social #neuroscience
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Wonderful visit @mdc-berlin.bsky.social thanks @hannahornberg.bsky.social for the invitation and congrats @khallaf.bsky.social for showing me such cool data on naked mole rats!
Incredibly special and inspiring talk today by @dulaclab.bsky.social at @mdc-berlin.bsky.social. Thanks to @hannahornberg.bsky.social for inviting Cathrine to visit!
June 20, 2025 at 8:55 PM
Wonderful visit @mdc-berlin.bsky.social thanks @hannahornberg.bsky.social for the invitation and congrats @khallaf.bsky.social for showing me such cool data on naked mole rats!
Incredibly special and inspiring talk today by @dulaclab.bsky.social at @mdc-berlin.bsky.social. Thanks to @hannahornberg.bsky.social for inviting Cathrine to visit!
June 20, 2025 at 5:34 PM
Incredibly special and inspiring talk today by @dulaclab.bsky.social at @mdc-berlin.bsky.social. Thanks to @hannahornberg.bsky.social for inviting Cathrine to visit!
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
Kicking off my Bluesky account by sharing a new review I wrote with @lindymcbr.bsky.social for @currentbiology.bsky.social! If you’ve ever wondered about the source of your stank or just want to learn why humans smell weird (it's true!), then this review is for you! 👃🧪🤔 doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
April 22, 2025 at 11:39 PM
Kicking off my Bluesky account by sharing a new review I wrote with @lindymcbr.bsky.social for @currentbiology.bsky.social! If you’ve ever wondered about the source of your stank or just want to learn why humans smell weird (it's true!), then this review is for you! 👃🧪🤔 doi.org/10.1016/j.cu...
Excited to introduce our naked mole-rats from @garyrlewin.bsky.social to the chemical ecology course @mpi-ce.bsky.social for the first time — bringing some serious subterranean chemistry to the surface!
Registration is open; more info:
events.gwdg.de/event/1003/
Registration is open; more info:
events.gwdg.de/event/1003/
April 13, 2025 at 11:51 AM
Excited to introduce our naked mole-rats from @garyrlewin.bsky.social to the chemical ecology course @mpi-ce.bsky.social for the first time — bringing some serious subterranean chemistry to the surface!
Registration is open; more info:
events.gwdg.de/event/1003/
Registration is open; more info:
events.gwdg.de/event/1003/
Reposted by Mohammed Khallaf
✍️🧠🪰 New paper finally out! Neuroecology of alcohol risk and reward. Different neural pathways with opposite valence for the same odor are combined to balance attraction and aversion based on physiological state. Natural history of alcohol and the fly. www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Neuroecology of alcohol risk and reward: Methanol boosts pheromones and courtship success in Drosophila melanogaster
Flies increase pheromones and mating success with alcohol, but methanol is toxic; thus, the brain must balance risk versus reward.
www.science.org
April 2, 2025 at 9:15 PM
✍️🧠🪰 New paper finally out! Neuroecology of alcohol risk and reward. Different neural pathways with opposite valence for the same odor are combined to balance attraction and aversion based on physiological state. Natural history of alcohol and the fly. www.science.org/doi/full/10....
Honored to present my work on naked mole rats from @garyrlewin.bsky.social at the @modolfor.bsky.social symposium (@silkesachse.bsky.social) during the Göttingen Neuroscience Meeting #NWG @neurowissg.bsky.social —and finally getting the famous and amazing Drosophila from @katrinvogt.bsky.social!!
March 26, 2025 at 3:23 PM
Honored to present my work on naked mole rats from @garyrlewin.bsky.social at the @modolfor.bsky.social symposium (@silkesachse.bsky.social) during the Göttingen Neuroscience Meeting #NWG @neurowissg.bsky.social —and finally getting the famous and amazing Drosophila from @katrinvogt.bsky.social!!