Maleszka Group - From molecules to behaviour

We are investigating diverse epigenetic mechanisms in the context of behaviour and developmental plasticity, mainly using the honey bee model, but we also have close interactions with groups working on other interesting systems.

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Selected publications

  • Maleszka R.  (2024) Reminiscences on the honeybee genome project and the rise of epigenetic concepts in insect science. Insect Mol Biol. doi: 10.1111/imb.12888. 

    Kucharski R, Ellis N, Jurkowski TP, Hurd PJ, Maleszka R. (2023) The PWWP domain and the evolution of unique DNA methylation toolkits in Hymenoptera. iScience. 26(11):108193. 

    Wedd L, Kucharski R, Maleszka R. (2022) DNA Methylation in Honey Bees and the Unresolved Questions in Insect Methylomics. Adv Exp Med Biol. 2022;1389:159-176. 

    Maleszka R, Kucharski R (2022) Without mechanisms, theories and models in insect epigenetics remain a black box. Trends Genet. 38(11):1108-1111. 

    Wojciechowski M, Lowe R, Maleszka J, Conn D, Maleszka R, Hurd PJ. (2018) Phenotypically distinct female castes in honey bees are defined by alternative chromatin states during larval development. Genome Res. 28:1532-1542. 

    Wedd, L, Kucharski R, Maleszka R (2016) Differentially methylated obligatory epialleles modulate context-dependent LAM gene expression in the honey bee Apis mellifera. Epigenetics. 11: 1-10. 

    Foret S, Kucharski R, Pellegrini M, Feng S, Jacobsen SE, Robinson GE, Maleszka R (2012) DNA methylation dynamics, metabolic fluxes, gene splicing, and alternative phenotypes in honey bees. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 109:4968-4973. 

    Lyko, F, Foret, S, Kucharski, R, Wolf, S, Falckenhayn, C, Maleszka, R (2010) The Honey Bee Epigenomes: Differential Methylation of Brain DNA in Queens and Workers. PloS Biol8, e1000506.

    Kucharski, R, Maleszka, J., Foret, S. Maleszka, R (2008) Nutritional control of reproductive status in honey bees via DNA methylation. Science. 319:1827-1830. 

    Wang, Y, Jorda, M. Jones, PL, Maleszka, R, et al (2006) Functional CpG Methylation System in a Social Insect. Science. 314, 645-647.

    Drapeau, M.D., Albert, S., Kucharski, R, Prusko, C., Maleszka, R. (2006) Evolution of the Yellow / Major Royal Jelly Protein family and the emergence of social behavior in honeybees. Genome Res. 16, 1385-1394. [Cover article]

    Maleszka as a member of the Honey Bee Genome Consortium (2006) Insights into social insects from the genome of the honey bee Apis melliferaNature, 443, 931-949. [Cover article]

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Honey bees unravel nature-nurture mysteries

Story | Thursday 23 August 2018
They say leaders are born not made, but it seems the opposite is true for queen bees, according to a new study by researchers from The Australian National University (ANU) and Queen Mary University of London.

Nutritional control of organismal outcomes via an epigenetic mechanism

Story | Thursday 25 May 2017
In a landmark 2008 study, Maleszka and his group showed that by inhibiting DNA methylation and consequently modifying gene expression patterns, nutrition can have profound impact on organismal biology.

ARC Discovery projects and DECRA fellowships

Story | Monday 2 November 2015

Ryszard Maleszka

Story | Friday 29 November 2013
Lab research focus

Epigenetic buzz around bee genes

Story | Tuesday 24 April 2012

ARC grant success

Story | Thursday 3 November 2011

Bees reveal nature-nurture secrets

Story | Wednesday 3 November 2010
The nature-nurture debate is a “giant step” closer to being resolved after scientists studying bees documented how environmental inputs can modify our genetic hardware
Recorded EE Seminar - Jesse Wallace

E&E PhD Exit Seminar: Unravelling the mystery of migratory behaviour in the Bogong moth Agrotis infusa using genomics and novel automated monitoring techniques

Event | Fri 25 February 2022
An exceptionally impressive example of animal navigation is presented by the Bogong moth Agrotis infusa, that migrates over 1000 km from widely distributed winter breeding grounds to a relatively confined summer range in the Australian Alps, consistently arriving to the same sites as its predecessors

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