• Learning and memory.
• Sensorimotor control in insects.
• Invertebrate Neuroethology / -anatomy / -physiology.

Ongoing Projects

Embodied learning of scale- and modality invariant concepts
One prerequisite of cognitive interaction is the ability to extract, learn and transfer invariant concepts of object properties. A primitive but non-trivial example of an invariant concept is the shape of an object and the orientation of its surface pattern. The main objective of my Postdoctoral project is to investigate learning and transfer abilities of honey bees when confronted with object features of different scale and sensory modality (e.g., prevalent orientation of a pattern). The sensory modalities investigated are going to be touch and vision. This combination is chosen because the second objective is to investigate the significance of postural and movement cues of an embodied contact sensor for scale- and modality-invariant concept learning. Touch is a modality that requires physical contact and samples near-range, small-scale features. In honey bees, tactile feature sizes larger than the antennal tip require active spatial sampling of the object and, thus, changes in posture and movement. The obtained experiments should test the importance of additional proprioceptive and motor cues. Vision, on the other hand, is a non-contact modality that is capable of sampling far-range and, thus, potentially very large-scale features. Any visual feature that exceeds the spatial resolution of the eye can be sampled passively, i.e., without active movement (at least in 2D). It is both possible and well-established methodologically to train honey bees to recognize either visual or tactile stimulus features of various quality, intensity and/or size. Given that natural scenes always provide simultaneous information from both modalities, it is very likely that bees are able to combine and transfer information among modalities and to establish a scale- and modality-invariant concept. In my project I will test this hypothesis by means of a set of four experiments, all of which will aid formal modelling of embodied concept formation. The corresponding experimental hypotheses are:

• Scale invariance requires active sampling.
• Embodied (tactile) learning dominates non-embodied (visual) learning.
• Tactile discrimination depends on distinct sampling strategies.
• Visual deprivation reduces the ability to transfer from touch to vision.

Former Projects

Doctoral thesis: Sensory sensitivities, learning and foraging behaviour in the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.)
Former laboratory studies in honey bees have shown correlations between sucrose responsiveness and complex behaviours like division of labour, learning and memory formation. In my Doctoral thesis I describe the significance of sucrose perception for behaviour under free-flying conditions in honey bees and the importance of the behavioural context under natural conditions for the interpretation of responses of the animal in the laboratory. The following objectives were analysed in this study:

• transformation rules between field and laboratory in relation to gustatory sensitivity for sucrose.
• extrinsic and intrinsic factors modulating sensitivity thresholds.
• mechanisms controlling learning and foraging behaviour on the behavioural and neuronal level.

For more details see: [Mujagic, 2009]

Diploma thesis: Comparative analyses of the sensors and motor function of the phasmatodean antennae
The objective of my Diploma thesis was to resolve the question whether the peculiar morphology of the joint axis arrangement found in the antennae of the stick insect Carausius morosus (see Dürr et al., 2001; Krause and Dürr, 2004) represents an important evolutionary trait of the order Phasmatodea. I analysed the joint axis orientation of the head-scape and scape-pedicel joints along with other parameters that affect the tactile efficiency of the antenna. The obtained result was a complete kinematic description of the antenna. This was used to determine the size and location of kinematic out-of-reach zones, which are indicators of tactile acuity. I show that the oblique and non-orthogonal arrangement is common to eight species from six sub-families indicating that it is a synapomorphic character of the Euphasmatodea.

For more details see: [Mujagic et al., 2007]

SS-2011 [eKVV]

200928 - Projektmodul: "Visuelle Integration" (PP+S)
209527 - Supplementary Module B: "Control Of Sensorimotor Systems" (S+Pr)

WS 2011/2012 [eKVV]

200701/02/03 - Aufbaumodul: "Verhalten/Neuronale Mechanismen" (Ü+S)
200943 - Projektmodul: "Methoden zur Untersuchung einfacher Verhaltensweisen" (PP+S)

since 2010	PostDoc in the dep. of Biological Cybernetics at the University of Bielefeld.
2009 - 2010	PostDoc grant of the graduate school CITEC - Cognitive Interaction Technology - Center of Excellence at the University of Bielefeld.
2006 - 2009	Scholarship of the graduate college GRK 837 - Functional Insect Science in Berlin.
2009	Doctoral thesis at the dep. of Neurobiology at the Technical University of Berlin.
2006	Academic assistant researcher at the University of Bielefeld.
2005	Diploma thesis at the dep. of Biological Cybernetics at the University of Bielefeld.

Research Articles


• Mujagic S., Würth S., Hellbach S. and Dürr V. (2012). Tactile conditioning and movement analysis of antennal sampling strategies in honey bees (Apis mellifera L.). J. Vis. Exp. [submitted]


• Balfanz S., Ehling P., Wachten S., Jordan N., Erber J. , Mujagic S. and Baumann A. (2012). Functional characterization of transmembrane adenylyl cyclases from the honeybee brain. Insect Biochem Mol Biol. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ibmb.2012.02.005. [Abstract]


• Mujagic S., Sarkander J., Erber B. and Erber J. (2010). Sucrose acceptance and different forms of associative learning of the honey bee (Apis mellifera L.) in the field and laboratory. Front. Behav. Neurosci. 4:46. doi:10.3389/fnbeh.2010.00046. [Abstract]


• Fuss N., Mujagic S., Wachten S., Erber J. and Baumann A. (2010). Biochemical properties of heterologously expressed and native adenylyl cyclases from the honey bee brain (Apis mellifera L.). Insect Biochem Mol Biol. 40(8): 573-580 [Abstract]


• Mujagic S. and Erber J. (2009). Sucrose acceptance, discrimination and proboscis responses of honeybees (Apis mellifera L.) in the field and the laboratory. J. Comp. Physiol. A. 195: 325-339. [Abstract]


• Mujagic S., Krause A.F. and Dürr V. (2007). Slanted joint axes of the Phasmatodean antenna: an adaptation to tactile acuity. Naturwissenschaften 94 (4): 313-318. [Abstract]

Conference Abstracts


• Mujagic S. and Volker D. (2011). Embodied learning of scale- and modality invariant concepts in honeybees. The Kavli Royal Society, Theo Murphy meeting on Active Touch Sensing London/England.


• Mujagic S. and Erber J. (2010). Field versus Lab: How sucrose acceptance affects complex behaviours of honey bees in the field and laboratory. International Symposium in Honeybee Neuroscience. Berlin.


• Mujagic S. and Erber J. (2008). Taste of sweetness: Sucrose acceptance, learning and foraging behaviour in free flying honey bees. The 3rd European conference of Apidology 3:71. Belfast/Northern Ireland.


• Mujagic S. (2008). Sensory sensitivities, learning and foraging behaviour in free flying honey bees. Neuro-DOWO 19: 42. Saarbrücken.


• Mujagic S., Erber J., Baumann A. (2007). Sensory sensitivities in honey bee foragers: From behaviour to the molecules and back. Neuro-DOWO 18: 16. Konstanz.


• Mujagic S., Krause A.F., Dürr V. (2005). Common features of the Phasmatodean antennae suggest adaptation to tactile orientation during terrestrial locomotion. Proc. German Zool. Soc. 98: 66. Bayreuth.
  
  Theses
  
  
• Mujagic S. (2009). Sensorische Empfindlichkeiten, Lernen und Sammelverhalten bei der Honigbiene (Apis mellifera L.). Technische Universität Berlin: Dissertation. URN: nbn:de:kobv:83-opus-22824. [PDF]
  
  
• Mujagic S. (2005). Vergleichende morphologische Untersuchungen zur Motorik und Sensorik der Antennen der Phasmatodea. Universität Bielefeld: Diplomarbeit. pp. 1-148.