Our research focusses at the interface of Evolutionary Ecology, Genetics and Functional Biodiversity research. We aim to understand the fundamental ecological, behavioral, chemical and genetic/genomic processes that drive and limit adaptive evolution to maintain ecosystem functions and wildlife health. Details on current projects, target species, methods and technologies used to achieve our goals, as well as on our team can be found here:

Prof. Dr. Simone Sommer	Conservation Genomics and EcoHealth
Prof. Dr. Manfred Ayasse	Chemical Ecology
Prof. Dr. Lena Wilfert	Functional Biodiversity
apl. Prof. Dr. Marco Tschapka	Tropical Ecology

Recently published research (2022)

Le Provost G, Schenk NV, Penone C, Thiele J, Westphal C, Allan E, Ayasse M, Blüthgen N, Boeddinghaus RS, Boesing AL, Bolliger R, Busch V, Fischer M, Gossner MM, Hölzel N, Jung K, Kandeler E, Klaus VH, Kleinebecker T, Leimer S, Marhan S, Morris K, Müller S, Neff F, Neyret M, Oelmann Y, Perović DJ, Peter S, Prati D, Rillig MC, Saiz H, Schäfer D, Scherer-Lorenzen M, Schloter M, Schöning I, Schrumpf M, Steckel J, Steffan-Dewenter I, Tschapka M, Vogt J, Weiner C, Weisser W, Wells K, Werner M, Wilcke W & Manning P (2022) The supply of multiple ecosystem services requires biodiversity across spatial scales. Nature Ecology & Evolution . (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-022-01918-5)

Boff S (2022) Mating behaviour of the large-head resin bee Heriades truncorum (Megachilidae: Osminii) suggests female plastic strategy in selection of a mating partner and male quality assessment. Apidologie, 53, 9. (https://doi.org/10.1007/s13592-022-00916-7)

Müller-Klein N, Risely A, Schmid DW, Manser MB, Clutton-Brock T, Sommer S (2022) Two decades of tuberculosis surveillance reveal disease spread, high levels of exposure and mortality, and marked variation in disease progression in wild meerkats. Transboundary and Emerging Diseases.
(https://doi.org/10.1111/tbed.14679)

Fleischer R, Schmid DW, Wasimuddin, Brändel SD, Rasche A, Corman VM, Drosten C, Tschapka M, Sommer S (2022) Interaction between MHC diversity and constitution, gut microbiome composition and Astrovirus infections in a neotropical bat. Molecular Ecology, 31, 3342–3359.

Straub F, Kuppler J, Fellendorf M, Teuscher M, Vogt J, Ayasse M (2022) Land-use stress alters cuticular chemical surface profile and morphology in the bumble bee Bombus lapidarius. PloS one, 17(5), e0268474. (https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0268474)

 

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