2008
Visiting Research Fellow
Research Interests
I am interested in questions related to the immune defence of insects. Insects are phenomenally successful organisms in terms of biomass and the number of extant species, yet they rely on a comparatively simple immune system (compared to vertebrates) to defend themselves against parasites and pathogens. My research interests so far have laid within the area of ‘Ecological Immunology’, which essentially involves examining variation in immune function between individuals and populations: why should variation exist and what are its consequences – in the context of ecology and evolution.
I have used both solitary-living beetles and social-living ants as model organisms. The former I used to answer questions about whether there are measurable costs (in a life history context) of using the immune system. I was also interested in the insect cuticle as a barrier against pathogen invasion; and whether colour variation in this trait could relate to its physical nature and to internal innate immune parameters. Sociality may have brought different selection pressures on the immune system, and so I have used ants to ask questions about immune defence at both the social and the individual level; these include physiological as well as behavioural defences.
Currently, as a visitor within the Biodiversity and Global Change Lab, I aim 1) to gain an understanding of how broad-scale modelling techniques are used; and 2) to explore whether projected climate changes could impact upon the distribution of important insect vectors of disease and their immune systems.
Other information
Conference co-organiser ‘The impact of the Environment on Innate Immunity: At the Defence Frontier – The Biology of Innate Immunity’ Obergurgl, Austria. 22-27th April 2007. Funded by the ESF (European Science Foundation) –FWF (Fonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung) in Partnership with LFUI (Leopold-Franzens Universität Innsbruck)
Selected Publications
Cremer, S., Armitage, S.A.O. & Schmid-Hempel, P. (2007) Social Immunity (Review). Current Biology, 17, R693-R702.
Kurtz, J. & Armitage, S.A.O. (2006) Alternative adaptive immunity in invertebrates. Trends in Immunology, 27: 493-496.
Baer, B.C., Armitage, S.A.O. & Boomsma, J.J. (2006) Sperm storage induces an immunity cost in ants. Nature, 441: 872-875. *Joint first authors.
Armitage, S.A.O. & Siva-Jothy, M.T. (2005) Immune function responds to selection for cuticular colour in Tenebrio molitor. Heredity, 94: 650-656.
Armitage, S.A.O., Thompson, J.J.W., Rolff, J., Siva-Jothy, M.T. (2003) Examining costs of induced and constitutive immune investment in Tenebrio molitor. Journal of Evolutionary Biology, 16: 1038-1044.
