21 January 2025 – Insatiable curiosity and experiencing the effects of global warming in her home country Croatia have shaped Jelena Bujan’s career path. She started out as a middle school teacher for biology and chemistry before transitioning to her PhD studies. Bujan, who returned to Croatia in 2023 after 12 years of research abroad, is now a research associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. Fascinated by insects, she reflects on their ecological significance: “Insects are really important parts of our ecosystems. They are decomposers, scavengers, pollinators and food for many organisms. Without insects our ecosystems would collapse.”
Bujan’s research focuses on understanding how insects, particularly ants, adapt to heat stress. Her group uses islands in the cooler Northern and warmer Southern part of the Adriatic as natural laboratories of global warming. The research combines fieldwork with laboratory experiments to study thermal adaptations. The Mediterranean Region, with its rapidly rising temperatures, provides an ideal environment. “Our overarching goal is to understand how insects cope with global warming and heat extremes,” Bujan explains. Logistical challenges can derail fieldwork despite careful planning, she adds, especially as the activity of ants in this region peaks in only one month of the year: “With field work, you can plan everything perfectly. But you can’t affect the weather, and sometimes the boat simply can’t sail out because it’s too windy.”
A major benefit of the EMBO Installation Grant for Bujan is training in managing a lab, which she considers crucial at her career stage. She is also looking forward to meeting other grantees, attending EMBO events and forming new collaborations. She says: “I’m super excited that I got the EMBO Installation Grant. It provides not only financial support but also a lot of professional development and a big scientific network.” Bujan’s group currently consists of five scientists and will grow to ten by the end of this year. Together, they will expand the research on the often-overlooked ants in the light of the ongoing, rapid insect decline.
