Projects

During my PhD and postdoc life at UFZ and iDiv, my research has mainly focused on the importance of species interactions, especially predator-prey interactions, and how the nature of perturbations shapes them.

Abiotic and biotic interactions may constrain the evolution of traits. To test the effect of ecology on evolution, I have been observing host bacterial species co-evolving with their predator bacteriophage, competitors, and different selection pressures over generations.

Many organisms survive long-term environmental stress and energy limitation by reducing metabolic activity in a dormant state. Microbial dormancy, for instance, by forming resistant spores, stores genetic, phenotypic, and taxonomic diversity, contributing to longevity and long-term stability of individuals and populations.

Evolutionary medicine is an emerging discipline that employs eco-evolutionary theories alongside analyses of historical and contemporary patient data. Tracing the evolutionary origins of human health and diseases gives us profound insights into the genetic and physiological mechanisms underlying conditions.