Research in the Albert Lab at the University of Oldenburg is dedicated to the earliest stages of hearing: the conversion of mechanical signals into neuronal activity. In hearing and other mechanosensory systems, external stimuli such as sound-induced vibrations are transformed directly into electrical signals by specialized sensory cells. This process, mechanosensory transduction, is remarkable because a physical force can gate ion channels in the membrane with extraordinary speed, sensitivity and precision.

The lab investigates how this transformation is achieved at the molecular, cellular and biomechanical levels, and how these mechanisms shape auditory behaviour. A central focus is the mechanosensory world of insects, especially the ears of fruit flies and mosquitoes. These systems combine powerful genetic accessibility with exquisitely tuned auditory mechanics, making them valuable models for identifying the molecular components, active processes and feedback mechanisms that support hearing.

At Oldenburg, this work is embedded in a strong neurosensory and auditory neuroscience environment, where hearing is studied from signal transduction to perception. The Albert Lab combines experimental and theoretical approaches, including genetics, biophysics, physiology, imaging, modelling and behavioural analysis, to link specific molecules and cellular mechanisms to the performance of the auditory system. By studying hearing in experimentally tractable insect models, the lab aims to uncover general principles of mechanosensation and auditory function that may also provide insight into human hearing, hearing loss and age-related sensory decline.