Focus
The group works on aquatic insects, fungi, fish, plankton, and microbes, using theory, data, and models drawn from evolutionary biology.
We are active in the Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, where our work combines environmental genomics with evolutionary bioinformatics to understand how freshwater biodiversity is assembled and maintained.
The group is located at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB) and the Institute of Biology, Freie Universität Berlin.
Methods
Our research includes the following core techniques, applied in the field, in the laboratory, and at the Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research.
- Environmental genomics
- DNA metabarcoding
- Phylogenetics
- Population genetics
- Marker development
- RNAseq
Our research applies genomics and evolutionary bioinformatics to the organisms that populate streams, rivers, and lakes. We ask how freshwater communities are assembled, how biodiversity is maintained over time, and how environmental change shapes the genetic and functional composition of aquatic systems. By combining sequencing approaches with computational analysis and ecological theory, we can follow patterns of variation that are invisible to conventional field surveys and use them to better understand the processes structuring freshwater ecosystems.
The group works across a broad range of freshwater organisms, including aquatic insects, fungi, fish, plankton, and microbes. Rather than treating these groups separately, we use them as complementary perspectives on the same ecological questions: how organisms respond to temperature variation, chemical conditions, and habitat structure, and how those responses ripple through entire communities. This comparative focus allows insights from one taxonomic group to inform our understanding of others and of the ecosystem as a whole.
Methodologically, our work blends theory, data, and models drawn from evolutionary biology. Molecular markers and whole-genome information are analyzed alongside ecological sampling, and computational bioinformatics tools help us detect signals of selection, adaptation, and community turnover. We are active within the Center for Genomics in Biodiversity Research, where environmental genomics meets evolutionary bioinformatics, providing a collaborative setting for developing new analytical frameworks and sharing expertise across institute boundaries.
Our applied interests include the effects of climate-induced stress on freshwater systems, the drivers of compositional change and rarity in biological communities, and the conservation of threatened species and their habitats. Questions of forest dieback, parasite transmission, and the population biology of commercially and ecologically important fishes such as eels also feature in our portfolio. Through publications, teaching, and engagement with journals and scientific media, we aim to make our findings accessible to practitioners and policymakers working on freshwater biodiversity.
Funding
Our work is supported by diverse international funding bodies, including national and European research councils, exchange programmes, and genomic community programmes.
| Funder | Programme |
|---|---|
| Belmont Forum | Collaborative research actions |
| European Union | Framework Programme for Research and Innovation |
| German Academic Exchange Service | Exchange and cooperation programmes |
| German Federal Ministry of Education and Research | Federal research funding |
| German Science Foundation (DFG) | Collaborative research and grants |
| JGI | Community Science Program |
| Leibniz Association | Leibniz funding lines |
| International IGB Fellowship Programme | Fellowships at Leibniz-IGB |
Further partners include SNF, the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research (Rep. Sudan), and DAAD.
Related pages
Read the group's outputs and meet the people behind the work.