Fleur Ponton

Dr. Fleur Ponton is an Associate Professor at Macquarie University's School of Natural Sciences, affiliated with the Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre and the ARC Industrial Transformation Training Centre for Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB). Her research focuses on nutritional immunology, host-parasite interactions, and gut microbiota dynamics in insects and mammals. She has pioneered studies using Drosophila and Queensland fruit fly models to explore how nutrition modulates immunity and infection outcomes.

Her work bridges entomology, microbiology, and translational research, with recent projects investigating the brain-gut axis in vertebrates. Collaborations span disciplines including environmental health, public health, and immunology. Dr. Ponton has secured funding for projects like the 'Raising Qfly Sterile Insect Technique' initiative and the 'FAAB' training centre.

Key research themes include:

• Microbiota-immunity interactions
• Parasite-host coevolution
• Transgenerational effects of diet
• Mass-rearing optimization for pest control

Recent publications emphasize symbiont regulation, microbiome-pollination interactions, and the role of larval nutrition in adult fitness. Current projects address honeybee viral pathogens and AI applications in science education.

Awards: No specific honors mentioned in the provided materials.

Grants and collaborations include 20 active projects, with notable contributions to sterile insect technique advancements and bioactive compound research.

Labs/Teams: Active in the Biomolecular Discovery Research Centre and FAAB collaboration network.