Evolutionary analyses and biological archives

Team

Head

Prof. Dr. Marco Thines
Professor, Head of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'

Research interests

I am fascinated by the diversity of organisms and in particular the oomycetes In my group, we are aiming to elucidate the patterns of evolution in this diverse lineage and how oomycetes interact with the environment. We have discovered new species, genera and even families in the past and will continue our efforts to understand the evolution of this group using cutting edge methods, including genomics, functional assays, as well as population genetics, phylogenetics, and classical methods, like microscopy and taxonomic studies. It is my aim to sustain an internationally competitive, diverse group that offers a stimulating and friendly research atmosphere in which the individual research aims can be pursued efficiently.

Short CV

Since 2010 Professor at the Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (BiK-F) and the Goethe University Frankfurt am Main, Department of Biological Sciences, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Biodiversity.
2009-2010 Visiting Scientist at the Sainsbury Laboratory, Norwich, UK (Max-Planck Society Fellowship)
2009 Habilitation in Botany (professional Dissertation for qualifying for a full professorship)
2007-2010 PI at the University of Hohenheim, Institute of Botany funded by the DFG
2006 CEO and of the molecular diagnostics company PathoScan GbR (now, IdentXX GmbH)
2005 PhD in Life Sciences (Dr. rer. nat.)
2003-2005 Stipendiate of the Ministry of Science, Education and the Arts of BW
2003 Diploma in Biology (Dipl.-Biol.)
1999-2003 Biology Studies (Major in Botany, Virology and Soil Sciences)

Publications in international peer reviewed journals

2013 and in press

Nigrelli L, Thines M (2013) Tropical oomycetes in the German Bight – Climate warming or overlooked diversity? Fungal Ecology, in press.

Thines M, Kummer V (2013) Diversity and species boundaries in floricolous downy mildews. Mycological Progress, in press.

Mirzaee MR, Ploch S, Runge F, Telle S, Nigrelli L, Thines M (2013) A new presumably widespread species of Albugo parasitic to Strigosella spp. (Brassicaceae).Mycological Progress 12:45-52.

2012

Runge F, Ndambi B, Thines M (2012) Which morphological characteristics are most influenced by the host matrix in downy mildews? A Case Study inPseudoperonospora cubensis. PLoS ONE 7:e44863.

Quesada-Ocampo LM, Granke LL, Olsen J, Gutting HC, Runge F, Thines M, Lebeda A, Hausbeck MK (2012) The genetic structure of Pseudoperonospora cubensispopulations. Plant Disease 96:1459-1470.

Lamour KH, Mudge J, Gobena D, Hurtado-Gonzales OP, Schmutz J, Kuo A, Miller NA, Rice BJ, Raffaele S, Cano LM, Bharti AK, Donahoo RS, Finley S, Huitema E, Hulvey J, Platt D, Salamov A, Savidor A, Sharma R, Stam R, Storey D, Thines M, Win J, Haas BJ, Dinwiddie DL, Jenkins J, Knight JR, Affourtit JP, Han CS, Chertkov O, Lindquist EA, Detter C, Grigoriev IV, Kamoun S, Kingsmore SF (2012) Genome Sequencing and Mapping Reveal Loss of Heterozygosity as a Mechanism for Rapid Adaptation in the Vegetable Pathogen Phytophthora capsici. Molecular Plant- Microbe Interactions 25:1350-1360.

Trigiano RN, Wadl PA, Dean D, Hadziabdic D, Scheffler BE, Runge F, Telle S, Thines M, Ristiano J, Spring O (2012) Ten polymorphic microsatellite loci fromPeronospora tabacina, the cause of blue mold of tobacco. Mycologia 104:633-640.

Rost C, Thines M (2012) A new species of Pustula (Oomycetes, Albuginales) is the causal agent of sunflower white rust. Mycological Progress 11:351-359.

Shivas RG, Ryley MJ, Telle S, Liberato JR, Thines M (2012) Peronosclerospora australiensis sp. nov. and Peronosclerospora sargae sp. nov., two newly recognised downy mildews in northern Australia, and their biosecurity implications. Australasian Plant Pathology 41:125-130.

Telle S, Thines M (2012) Reclassification of an enigmatic downy mildew species on lovegrass (Eragrostis) to the new genus Eraphthora with a key to the genera of the Peronosporaceae. Mycological Progress 11:121-129.

Runge F, Thines M (2012) Re-Evaluation of host specificity of the closely related species Pseudoperonospora humuli and P. cubensis. Plant Disease 96:55-61.

Choi Y-J; Thines M; Tek MP; Shin H-D (2012) Morphological evidence supports the existence of multiple species in Pustula (Albuginaceae, Oomycota). Nova Hedwigia 94:181-192.

2011
Ploch S, Thines M (2011) Obligate biotrophic pathogens of the genus Albugo are widespread as asymptomatic endophytes in natural populations of Brassicaceae.Molecular Ecology 20:3692-3699.

Thines M (2011) Recent outbreaks of downy mildew on grape ivy (Parthenocissus tricuspidata Vitaceae) in Germany are caused by a new species of Plasmopara.Mycological Progress 10:415-422.

Reimer D, Pos KM, Thines M, Grün P, Bode HBA (2011)natural prodrug activation mechanism in nonribosomal peptide synthesis. Nature Chemical Biology 7:888-890.

Spring O, Thines M, Wolf S, Zipper R (2011) PCR-based detection of sunflower white blister rust (Pustula helianthicola C. Rost & Thines) in soil samples and asymptomatic host tissue. European Journal of Plant Pathology 131:519-527.

Choi Y-J, Thines M, Han J-G, Shin H-D (2011) Mitochondrial phylogeny reveals intraspecific variation in Peronospora effusa, the spinach downy mildew pathogen.The Journal of Microbiology 49:1039-1043.

Choi Y-J, Shin H-D, Ploch S, Thines M (2011) Three new phylogenetic lineages are the closest relatives of the widespread species Albugo candida. Fungal Biology 115:598-607.

Ploch S, Telle S, Choi Y-J, Cunnington J, Priest M, Rost C, Shin H-D, Thines M (2011) The molecular phylogeny of the white blister rust genus Pustula reveals a case of underestimated biodiversity with several undescribed species on ornamentals and crop plants. Fungal Biology 115:214-219.

Telle S, Shivas RG, Ryley MJ, Thines M (2011) Molecular phylogenetic analysis ofPeronosclerospora (Oomycetes) reveals cryptic species and genetically distinct species parasitic to maize. European Journal of Plant Pathology 130:521-528.

Choi Y-J, Thines M (2011) Morphological and molecular confirmation of Albugo resedae (Albuginales; Oomycota) as a distinct species from A. candida. Mycological Progress 10:143-148.

Runge F, Telle S, Ploch S, Savory E, Day B, Sharma R, Thines M (2011) The inclusion of downy mildews in a multi-locus-dataset and its reanalysis reveals high degree of paraphyly in Phytophthora. IMA Fungus 2:163-171.

Choi Y-J, Thines M, Runge F, Hong S-B, Telle S, Shin H-D (2011) Evidence for high degrees of specialisation evolutionary diversity and morphological distinctiveness in the genus Bremia. Fungal Biology 115:102-111.

Hawksworth DL, Crous PW, Redhead SA, Reynolds DR, Samson RA, Seifert KA, Taylor JW, Wingfield MJ, Abaci Ö, Aime C, Asan A, Bai F-Y, de Beer ZW, Begerow D, Berikten D, Boekhout T, Buchanan PK, Burgess TI, Buzina W, Cai L, Cannon PF, Crane JL, Damm U, Daniel H-M, van Diepeningen AD, Druzhinina IS, Dyer PS, Eberhardt U, Fell JW, Frisvad JC, Geiser DM, Geml J, Glienke C, Gräfenhan T, Groenewald JZ, Groenewald M, de Gruyter JZ, Guého-Kellermann E, Hibbett DS, Hong S-B, de Hoog GS, Houbraken JAMP, Huhndorf SM, Hyde KD, Ismail A, Johnston PR, Kadaifciler DG, Kirk PM, Kõljalg U, Kurtzman CP, Lagneau P-E, Lévesque CA, Liu X, Lombard L, Meyer W, Miller A, Minter DW, Najafzadeh JM, Norvell L, Ozerskaya SM, Öziç R, Pennycook SR, Peterson SW, Pettersson OV, Quaedvlieg W, Robert VA, Ruibal C, Schnürer J, Schroers H-J, Shivas R, Slippers B, Spierenburg H, Takashima M, Taþkýn E, Thines M, Thrane U, Uztan HA, van Raak M, Varga J, Vasco A, Verkley G, Videira SIR, de Vries RP, Weir BS, Yilmaz N, Yurkov A, Zhang N. (2011) The Amsterdam Declaration on Fungal Nomenclature. IMA Fungus 2:105-112.

Schröder S, Telle S, Nick P, Thines M (2011) Cryptic diversity of Plasmopara viticolain North America. Organisms Diversity and Evolution 11:3-7.

Runge F, Thines M (2011) Host matrix has major impact on the morphology ofPseudoperonospora cubensis. European Journal of Plant Pathology 129:147-156.

Guerrero Y, Hofmann TA, Williams C, Thines M, Piepenbring M (2011) Asterotexis cucurbitacearum, a poorly known pathogen on Cucurbitaceae new for Panama and Costa Rica. Mycology 2:87-90.

Choi Y-J, Thines M, Shin H-D (2011) A new perspective on the evolution of white blister rusts: Albugo s.str. (Albuginales; Oomycota) is not restricted to Brassicales but also present on Fabales. Organisms, Diversity and Evolution 11:193-199.

Runge F, Choi Y-J, Thines M (2011) Phylogenetic investigations in the genusPseudoperonospora reveal overlooked species and cryptic diversity in the P. cubensisspecies cluster. European Journal of Plant Pathology 129:135-146.

Thines M, Runge F, Telle S, Voglmayr H (2011) Phylogenetic investigations in the downy mildew genus Bremia reveal several distinct lineages and a species with a presumably exceptional wide host range. European Journal of Plant Pathology 129:81-89.

2010
Hulvey J, Telle S, Nigrelli L, Lamour K, Thines M (2010) Salisapiliaceae – A new family of oomycetes from marsh grass litter of southeastern North America. Persoonia 25:109-116.

Baxter L, Tripathy S, Ishaque N, Boot N, Cabral A, Kemen E, Thines M, Ah-Fong A, Anderson R, Badejoko W, Bittner-Eddy P, Boore JL, Chibucos MC, Coates M, Dehal P, Delehaunty K, Dong S, Downton P, Dumas B, Fabro G, Fronick C, Fuerstenberg SI, Fulton L, Gaulin E, Govers F, Hughes L, Humphray S, Jiang RHY, Judelson H, Kamoun S, Kyung K, Meijer H, Minx P, Morris P, Nelson J, Phuntumart V, Qutob D, Rehmany A, Rougon A, Ryden P, Torto-Alalibo T, Studholme D, Wang Y, Win J, Wood J, Clifton SW, Rogers J, Van den Ackerveken G, Jones JDG, McDowell JM, Beynon J, Tyler BM, (2010) Signatures of adaptation to obligate biotrophy in the Hyaloperonospora arabidopsidis genome. Science 330:1149-1151.

Raffaele S, Farrer RA, Cano LM, Studholme DJ, Maclean D, Thines M, Jiang RHY, Zody MC, Kunjeti SG, Donofrio NM, Meyers BC, Nusbaum C, Kamoun S (2010) Genome evolution following host jumps in the Irish potato famine pathogen lineage. Science 330:1540-1543.

Thines M, Kamoun S (2010) Oomycete-plant coevolution: Recent advances and future prospects. Current Opinion in Plant Biology 13: 427-433.

Ploch S, Choi Y-J, Rost C, Shin H-D, Schilling E, Thines M (2010) Evolution of diversity in Albugo is driven by high host specificity and multiple speciation events on closely related Brassicaceae. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 57:812-820.

Constantinescu O, Thines M (2010) Plasmopara halstedii is absent from Australia and New Zealand. Polish Botanical Journal 55:293-298. (invited manuscript)

Thines M (2010) Evolutionary history and diversity of white blister rusts. Polish Botanical Journal 55:259-264. (invited manuscript)

Schornack S, van Damme M, Bozkurt TO, Cano LM, Smoker M, Thines M, Gaulin E, Kamoun S, Huitema E (2010) Ancient class of translocated oomycete effectors targets the host nucleus. PNAS 107:17421-17426.

Levesque CA, Brouwer H, Cano L, Hamilton JP, Holt C, Huitema E, Raffaele S, Robideau GP, Thines M, Win J, Zerillo MM, Beakes GW, Boore JL, Busam D, Dumas B, Ferriera S, Fuerstenberg SI, Gachon CM, Gaulin E, Govers F, Grenville- Briggs L, Horner N, Hostetler J, Jiang RH, Johnson J, Krajaejun T, Lin H, Meijer HJ, Moore B, Morris P, Phuntmart V, Puiu D, Shetty J, Stajich JE, Tripathy S, Wawra S, van West P, Whitty BR, Coutinho PM, Henrissat B, Martin F, Thomas PD, Tyler BM, De Vries RP, Kamoun S, Yandell M, Tisserat N, Buell CR (2010) Genome sequence of the necrotrophic plant pathogen Pythium ultimum reveals original pathogenicity mechanisms and effector repertoire. Genome Biology 11:R73.

Oliva R, Win J, Raffaele S, Boutemy L, Bozkurt TO, Chaparro-Garcia A, Segretin ME, Stam R, Schornack S, Cano LM, van Damme M, Huitema E, Thines M, Banfield MJ, Kamoun S (2010) Recent Developments in effector biology of filamentous plant pathogens. Cellular Microbiology 12:705-715.

2009

Schornack S, Huitema E, Cano LM, Bozkurt TO, Oliva R, Van Damme M, Schwizer S, Raffaele S, Chaparro-Garcia A, Farrer R, Segretin ME, Bos J, Haas BJ, Zody MC, Nusbaum C, Win J, Thines M, Kamoun S (2009) Ten things to know about oomycete effectors. Molecular Plant Pathology 10:795-803.

Haas BJ, Kamoun S, Zody MC, Jiang RH, Handsaker RE, Cano LM, Grabherr M, Kodira CD, Raffaele S, Torto-Alalibo T, Bozkurt TO, Ah-Fong AM, Alvarado L, Anderson VL, Armstrong MR, Avrova A, Baxter L, Beynon J, Boevink PC, Bollmann SR, Bos JI, Bulone V, Cai G, Cakir C, Carrington JC, Chawner M, Conti L, Costanzo S, Ewan R, Fahlgren N, Fischbach MA, Fugelstad J, Gilroy EM, Gnerre S, Green PJ, Grenville-Briggs LJ, Griffith J, Grünwald NJ, Horn K, Horner NR, Hu CH, Huitema E, Jeong DH, Jones AM, Jones JD, Jones RW, Karlsson EK, Kunjeti SG, Lamour K, Liu Z, Ma L, Maclean D, Chibucos MC, McDonald H, McWalters J, Meijer HJ, Morgan W, Morris PF, Munro CA, O’Neill K, Ospina-Giraldo M, Pinzón A, Pritchard L, Ramsahoye B, Ren Q, Restrepo S, Roy S, Sadanandom A, Savidor A, Schornack S, Schwartz DC, Schumann UD, Schwessinger B, Seyer L, Sharpe T, Silvar C, Song J, Studholme DJ, Sykes S, Thines M, van de Vondervoort PJ, Phuntumart V, Wawra S, Weide R, Win J, Young C, Zhou S, Fry W, Meyers BC, van West P, Ristaino J, Govers F, Birch PR, Whisson SC, Judelson HS, Nusbaum C (2009) Genome sequence and comparative analysis of the Irish potato famine pathogen Phytophthora infestans. Nature 461:393-398.

Thines M, Choi Y-J, Kemen E, Ploch S, Holub EB, Shin H-D, Jones JDG (2009) A new species of Albugo parasitic to Arabidopsis thaliana reveals new evolutionary patterns in white blister rusts (Albuginaceae). Persoonia 22:123-128.

Choi Y-J, Shin H-D, Thines M (2009) The host range of Albugo candida extends from Brassicaceae through Cleomaceae to Capparaceae. Mycological Progress 8:329-335.

Choi Y-J, Shin H-D, Thines M (2009) Two novel Peronospora species are associated with recent reports of downy mildew on sages. Mycological Research 113:1340-1350.

Heller A, Thines M (2009) Evidence for the importance of enzymatic digestion of epidermal walls during subepidermal sporulation and pustule opening in white blister rusts (Albuginaceae). Mycological Research 113:657-667.

Thines M, Telle S, Ploch S, Runge F (2009) Identity of the downy mildew pathogens of basil, coleus, and sage with implications for quarantine measures. Mycological Research 113:532-540.

Thines M (2009) Bridging the gulf: Phytophthora and downy mildews are connected by rare grass parasites. PLoS ONE 4:e4790.

Runge F, Thines M (2009) A potential perennial host for Pseudoperonospora cubensisin temperate regions. European Journal of Plant Pathology 123:483-486.

2008

Telle S, Thines M (2008) Amplification of cox2 (∼620 bp) from 2 mg of up to 129 years old herbarium specimens, comparing 19 extraction methods and 15 polymerases.PLoS ONE 3:e3584.

Choi Y-J, Shin H-D, Ploch S, Thines M (2008) Evidence for uncharted biodiversity in the Albugo candida complex, with the description of a new species. Mycological Research 112:1327-1334.

Thines M, Göker M, Telle S, Ryley M, Mathur K, Narayana YD, Spring O, Thakur RP (2008) Phylogenetic relationships of graminicolous downy mildews based on cox2sequence data. Mycological Research 112:345-351.

2007

Choi Y-J, Shin H-D, Hong S-B, Thines M (2007) Morphological and molecular discrimination among Albugo candida materials infecting Capsella bursa-pastorisworld-wide. Fungal Diversity 27:11-34.

Thines M (2007) Characterisation and phylogeny of repeated elements giving rise to exceptional length of ITS2 in several downy mildew genera (Peronosporaceae).Fungal Genetics and Biology 44:199-207.

Thines M, Göker M, Oberwinkler F, Spring O (2007) A revision of Plasmopara penniseti, with implications for the host range of the downy mildews with pyriform haustoria (DMPH). Mycological Research 111:1377-1385.

Hammer T, Thines M, Spring O (2007) Transient expression of gfp in the obligate biotrophic oomycete Plasmopara halstedii using electroporation and a mechanoperforation method. Plant Pathology 56:177-182.

Komjáti H, Walcz I, Virányi F, Zipper R, Thines M, Spring O. (2007) Characteristics of a Plasmopara angustiterminalis isolate from Xanthium strumarium. European Journal of Plant Pathology 119: 421-428.

Voglmayr H, Thines M (2007) Phylogenetic relationships and nomenclature ofBremiella sphaerosperma (Chromista, Peronosporales). Mycotaxon 100:11-20.

2006

Thines M, Göker M, Spring O, Oberwinkler F (2006) A revision of Bremia graminicola. Mycological Research 110:646-656.

Spring O, Bachofer M, Thines M, Göker M, Oberwinkler F (2006) Intraspecific relationship of Plasmopara halstedii isolates differing in pathogenicity and geographic origin based on ITS sequence data. European Journal of Plant Pathology 114:309- 315.

Thines M (2006) Evaluation of characters available from herbarium vouchers for the phylogeny of the downy mildew genera (Chromista, Peronosporales), with focus on scanning electron microscopy. Mycotaxon 97:195-218.

Constantinescu O, Thines M (2006) Dimorphism of sporangia in Albuginales (Chromista, Peronosporomycetes). Sydowia 58:178-190.

Thines M, Zipper R, Schäuffele D, Spring O (2006) Characteristics of Pustula tragopogonis (syn. Albugo tragopogonis) newly occurring on cultivated sunflower in Germany. Journal of Phytopathology 154:88-92.

2005

Thines M, Spring O (2005) A revision of Albugo (Chromista, Peronosporomycetes). Mycotaxon 92:443-458.

Constantinescu O, Voglmayr H, Fatehi J, Thines M (2005) Plasmoverna gen. nov., and the nomenclature and taxonomy of Plasmopara (Chromista, Peronosporales).Taxon 54:813-821.

Thines M, Komjáti H, Spring O (2005) Exceptional length of ITS in Plasmopara halstedii is due to multiple repetitions in the ITS 2. European Journal of Plant Pathology 112:395-398.

2004

Spring O, Thines M (2004) On the necessity of new characters for classification and systematics of obligate biotrophic Peronosporomycetes. Planta 219:910-914. Peer reviewed book chapters

Spring S, Thines M (2010) Molecular Techniques for Classification and Diagnosis of Plant Pathogenic Oomycota. In: Youssuf Gherbawy Y, Voigt K (eds) Molecular identification of Fungi. Springer, pp. 35-50.

Thines M, Voglmayr H, Göker M (2009) Taxonomy and phylogeny of the downy mildews (Peronosporaceae). In: Lamour K, Kamoun S (eds) Oomycete Genetics and Genomics: Biology, Interactions with Plants and Animals, and Toolbox. Wiley- Blackwell, pp. 47-75.

Thines M, Voglmayr H (2009) Evolution, phylogeny and diversity of the white blister rusts (Albuginales) In: Lamour K, Kamoun S (eds) Oomycete Genetics and Genomics: Biology, Interactions with Plants and Animals, and Toolbox. Wiley-Blackwell, pp. 77- 92.

Dr. Sebastian Ploch
Researcher, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Mitarbeiterbild Tahir Ali
Dr. Tahir Ali
PostDoc, Member of Research Group “Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives”

Research interests

Synthesis of the approaches that investigate historical (geographic and palaeoclimatic changes) and contemporary (i.e., like habitat loss, fragmentation and anthropogenic climate change) processes underlying current patterns of genetic variation is key to reconstruct the evolutionary history of species and implement conservation measures promoting their long-term persistence. Resolving the evolutionary and ecological patterns and processes that underlie speciation and diversification is a central theme of my research. While the focus of my current research is on landscape genomics, plant microbiome and integrated species distribution modelling, however, I have an interdisciplinary research background ranging from plant systematics to population genetics and phylogeography.

Current projects 

I am currently working as a postdoctoral researcher on a project funded by Translation Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), wherein, I am investigating the role of micro-evolutionary processes in determining genetic and phenotypic diversity across a heterogeneous landscape, and doing genome‐wide association studies on the phyllosphere microbiome using Microthlaspi erraticum (claspleaf pennycress) as a model system. Apart from my research work, I am Young Scientist main speaker at Senckenberg, and also working with a small group of volunteers on a project “Translating the Climate Change Science to Human”- aiming to educate and empower communities, particularly children and women on Climate.
 
Google Scholar Profile 

ResearchGate Profile 

ORCID Profile 

Linkedin Profile 

 CV (PDF)

Ali, T., Peterson, A.T., A conceptual framework and toolkit for phylogeography and landscape genomics(submitted in Critical Reviews in Plant Sciences).

Ali, T., Muñoz-Fuentes, V., Çelik, A., Schmuker, A., Buch, A., Dutbayev, A., Runge, F., Khaliq, I., Solovyeva, I., Gabrielyan, I., Maciá-Vicente, J.G., Glynou, K., Nigrelli, L.,Vakhrusheva, L., Kitner, M.,  Ploch, S., Xia, X., Nowak, C., Thines, M., (2019). Out of Transcaucasia: Origin of Western and Central Palearctic populations of Microthlaspi perfoliatum. Flora 253, 127-141.

Brandrud, T.E., Schmidt-Stohn, G., Liimatainen, K., Niskanen, T., Frøslev, T.G., Soop, K., Bojantchev, D., Kytövuori, I., Jeppesen, T.S., Bellù, F., Saar, G., Oertel, B., Ali, T., Thines, M., Dima, B., (2018) Cortinarius sect. Riederi: taxonomy and phylogeny of the new section with European and North American distribution.  17, 1323-1354.

Bandini, D., Oertel, B., Ploch, S., Ali, T., Vauras, J., Schneider, A., Scholler, M., Eberhardt, U., Thines, M., (2018) Revision of some central European species of Inocybe (Fr.: Fr.) Fr. subgenus Inocybe, with the description of five new species. Mycological Progress, 1-48.

Ali, T., Muñoz-Fuentes, V., Çelik, A., Schmuker, A., Buch, A., Dutbayev, A., Runge, F., Khaliq, I., Solovyeva, I., Gabrielyan, I., Maciá-Vicente, J.G., Glynou, K., Nigrelli, L.,Vakhrusheva, L., Kitner, M.,  Ploch, S., Xia, X., Nowak, C., Thines, M., (2017). Genetic patterns reflecting Pleistocene range dynamics in the annual calcicole plant Microthlaspi erraticum across its Eurasian range. Flora, 236-237, 132-142.

Glynou, K., Ali, T., Haghi Kia S., Thines, M., Maciá-Vicente, J.G., (2017). Intraspecific genetic diversity in root-endophytic fungi reflects efficient dispersal and environmental adaptation. Molecular Ecology. 10.1111/mec.14231.

Ali, T., Runge, F., Ayan D., Schmuker, A., Solovyeva, I., Nigrelli, L., Buch, A., Xia, X., Ploch, S., Orren, O., Kummer, V., Ҫelik, A., Vakhrusheva, L., Gabrielyan, I., Thines, M., (2016b). Range-wide complete taxon sampling of Microthlaspi reveals that Microthlaspi erraticum is widespread and ranges from the Alps to the Tien Shan. Flora, 225, 76-81.

Ali, T., Schmuker, A., Runge, F., Solovyeva, I., Nigrelli, L., J, P., Buch, A., Xia, X., Ploch, S., Orren, O., Kummer, V., Linde-Laursen, I., Ørgaard, M., Hauser, T.P., Ҫelik, A., Thines, M., (2016a). Morphology, phylogeny, and taxonomy of Microthlaspi (Brassicaceae, Coluteocarpeae) and related genera. Taxon 65(1):79-98.

Glynou K., Ali T., Buch A., Haghi Kia S., Ploch S., Xia X., Çelik A., Thines M., Maciá-Vicente J.G., (2016) The local environment determines the assembly of root endophytic fungi at a continental scale. Environmental Microbiology doi:10.1111/1462-2920.13112.

Cheikh-Ali Z., Glynou K., Ali T., Ploch S., Kaiser M., Thines M., Bode H.B., Maciá-Vicente J.G., (2015) Diversity of exophillic acid derivatives in strains of an endophytic Exophiala sp. Phytochemistry 118:83–93.

Kitner, M., Lebeda, A., Sharma, R., Runge, F., Dvorák, P., Ali, T., Choi, Y.-J., Sedláková, B., Thines, M., (2015) Coincidence of virulence shifts and population genetic changes of Pseudoperonospora cubensis in the Czech Republic. Plant Pathology 64, 1461–1470.

Schneider, J.V., Bissiengou, P., Amaral Mdo, C., Ali, T., Fay, M.F.,Thines, M., Sosef, M.S., Zizka, G., Chatrou, L.W., (2014) Phylogenetics, ancestral state reconstruction, and a new infrafamilial classification of the pantropical Ochnaceae (Medusagynaceae, Ochnaceae s.str., Quiinaceae) based on five DNA regions. Molecular Phylogenetics and Evolution 78:199–214.

Dr. Stefan Wötzel
PostDoc, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'

Research Interests

The manifold shapes, colours and behaviours that can be observed in nature are a fascinating motivation to study the evolutionary principles and developmental mechanisms that produce and maintain the diversity of life.

Current Project

Climate change increasingly challenges biodiversity. Habitats, to which species have adapted during evolutionary timescales, will be modified by shifting environmental parameters at an unprecedented speed. Whether or not a species will be able to keep pace is difficult to predict and depends on a multitude of environmental, phenotypic and genetic parameters. Long-lived species, such as trees, represent a living time-series archive that can be searched for genomic patterns that might be associated with environmental adaptation. To this end, we are employing population genomics methods to understand the processes that shaped the genomes of the European Beech, Fagus sylvatica, across the present-day distribution range (DFG project Spatio-temporal dynamics of genome-wide diversity of Fagus sylvatica).

External Links

ResearchGate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Stefan_Woetzel
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/stefanwötzel

Short CV

since 2020 Postdoc at Goethe University Frankfurt, Institute of Ecology, Evolution and Diversity & Senckenberg BiK-F (with Marco Thines)

2016 – 2019 Postdoc at MPI for Plant Breeding Research Cologne, Department of Plant Developmental Biology (with George Coupland)

2011 – 2016 PhD in Genetics; MPI for Plant Breeding Research Cologne, Department of Plant Developmental Biology (with George Coupland) and University of Cologne

2008 – 2010 MSc Molecular Biosciences (Evolution & Ecology) at Heidelberg University

2005 – 2008 BSc Biology at Heidelberg University

Madrid E, Severing E, de Ansorena E, Kiefer C, Brand L, Martinez-Gallegos R, Woetzel S, Kemi U, Jiao WB, Schneeberger K, Coupland G. Duplication and transposition of MADS-domain transcription factor genes in annual and perennial Arabis species modulates flowering. PNAS. September 2021. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2109204118

Wötzel S and Andrello M, Albani MC, Koch MA, Coupland G, Gugerli F. Arabis alpina: a perennial model plant for ecological genomics and life‐history evolution. Molecular Ecology Resources. August 20, 2021. doi: 10.1111/1755-0998.13490

Mishra B, Ulaszewski B, Meger J, Pfenninger M, Gupta DK, Wötzel S, Ploch S, Burczyk J, Thines M. A chromosome-level genome assembly of the European Beech (Fagus sylvatica ) reveals anomalies for organelle DNA integration, repeat content and distribution of SNPs. bioRxiv 2021.03.22.436437; doi: 10.1101/2021.03.22.436437

Kiefer C, Bergonzi S, Brand L , Wötzel S and Koch MA. Contrasting Life History Traits in Monocarpic Versus Polycarpic Plants from a Molecular ‐Evolutionary Point of View. Annual Evolutionary Point of View. Annual Plant Reviews online. 2019 May.

Laenen B, Tedder A, Nowak MD, Toräng P, Wunder J, Wötzel S, Steige KA, Kourmpetis Y, Odong T, Drouzas AD, Bink MCAM, Ågren J, Coupland G, Slotte T. Demography and mating system shape the genome-wide impact of purifying selection in Arabis alpina. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA. 2018 Jan.

Jiao WB, Accinelli GG, Hartwig B, Kiefer C, Baker D, Severing E, Willing EM, Piednoel M, Woetzel S, Madrid-Herrero E, Huettel B, Hümann U, Reinhard R, Koch MA, Swan D, Clavijo B, Coupland G, Schneeberger K. Improving and correcting the contiguity of long-read genome assemblies of three plant species using optical mapping and chromosome conformation capture data. Genome Res. 2017 May.

Toräng P, Vikström L, Wunder J, Wötzel S, Coupland G, Ågren J. Evolution of the selfing syndrome: Anther orientation and herkogamy together determine reproductive assurance in a self-compatible plant. Evolution. 2017 Sep.

Simon S, Rühl M, de Montaigu A, Wötzel S, Coupland G. Evolution of CONSTANS Regulation and Function after Gene Duplication Produced a Photoperiodic Flowering Switch in the Brassicaceae. Mol Biol Evol. 2015 Sep.

Goremykin VV, Nikiforova SV, Biggs PJ, Zhong B, Delange P, Martin W, Woetzel S, Atherton RA, McLenachan PA, Lockhart PJ. The evolutionary root of flowering plants. Syst Biol. 2013 Jan.

Albani MC, Castaings L, Wötzel S, Mateos JL, Wunder J, Wang R, Reymond M, Coupland G. PEP1 of Arabis alpina is encoded by two overlapping genes that contribute to natural genetic variation in perennial flowering. PLoS Genet 2012 Dec.

bharti
Sakshi Bharti
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Anthony Buaya
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Ann-Katrin Buch
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Bagdevi Mishra
Bagdevi Mishra
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Xiaojuan Xia
Ph.D. student, Member of Research Group 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives'
Mitarbeiterfoto
Ricarda Prinz
Administrative coordination of Research Group 'Biogeography and Ecosystem Ecology', 'Evolutionary Analyses and Biological Archives' and 'Molecular Evolutionary Biology'