Team

RESEARCH INTERESTS

My research interests lie in exploring the molecular evolution and population genetics of the circadian clock in lichens. To this end, my aim is to combine molecular phylogenetics and population genomics with experimental approaches in the laboratory to better understand the interplay between fungal and algal circadian clocks in the lichen symbiosis.

I am an evolutionary biologist with background in ecology, genomics, botany and mycology. I am interested in employing a combination of field, laboratory, and bioinformatic tools to study processes underlying evolution and speciation. I have worked with a variety of organisms including plants, fungi, insects and bacteria. My current focus at SBiK-F is climate adaptation of lichens using various omics tools. Previously, I was at the University of Oxford, studying evolutionary genomics in fungi (crop pathogens) and insects over a time series, metagenomics of bacterial communities, and speciation and adaptation of ragworts on Mount Etna.

 

 

My research focuses on obligate symbiotic systems, in particular, those that mainly involve a photosynthetic algal partner such as coral and lichen. I am interested about acclimatization mechanisms of a holobiont to changing environments and examining phenotypic variations using a combination of physiological trait measurements and ‘omics tools (genomics and transcriptomics).  

I am primarily interested in the structure and interactions of communities in different environmental contexts. Especially how different species within a community influence each other and how those relationships are mediated by their environment. In the past I have studied root competition between shrubs from mediterranean type ecosystems in South Africa, identifying how this interaction is shaped by density dependence. Currently I am expanding my skillset and work with microbial communities from various forest substrates, which are assessed by high-throughput metabarcoding. I study community interactions and model how abiotic factors, such as forest management, are changing these micro-communities. Being able to combine fieldwork with laboratory work, statistics and ecological modeling is one of the things making this research field so fascinating and I enjoy being part of the genetically informed future of community ecology.

Assistant of Prof. Dr. Imke Schmitt, Prof. Dr. Marco Thines and Prof. Dr. Thomas Hickler
Coordination Research Group ‘Molecular Evolutionary Biology’, Research Group ‘Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives’ and Research Group ‘Biogeography’

Research interests

Metabarcoding complex communities
Lake sediment-preserved DNA in paleoecology
Impact of climate change on biodiversity
Distribution and differentiation of organisms

External Links

http://grolshausen.weebly.com