1. What do you study related to biodiversity (what are your research questions, what organisms do you work on)?
|
|
 I am working with fungi that form stable symbioses with algae, forming so-called lichens. I am concentrating on some inconspicuous groups of lichens (crustose lichens) that grow on a variety of substrates, including rocks, bark of trees and soil. Some of these lichens are pioneers in harsh, arid environments, such as deserts in cold and hot areas. The phylogeny and classification of these lichens is the main focus of my research.
|
2. How do you study biodiversity (for example, what technological tools and methodologies do you use in your research)?
|
|
I am using morphological, chemical, and molecular data. Morphological data mainly refer to characters that are studied using cross sections under a microscope. Chemical characters are examined using chromatographic methods, such as thin-layer and high performance liquid chromatography. The molecular studies concentrate on the analyses of sequences of some selected genes from a variety of different samples.
|
3. Where do you study biodiversity?
|
|
Lichens occur in almost every habitat in the world. They can be found in polar regions, hot deserts, and rainforests. Consequently, I am studying lichens on different continents. My current research focuses on Antarctica, Australia, and southern South America.
|
4. How might your research have implications for biological conservation?
|
|
Lichens are known as bioindicators to monitor air pollution or soil disturbance in Europe and North America. A firm knowledge of the taxonomy of these poorly understood organisms is necessary to utilize these organisms in other regions.
|
5. How did you become interested in science? What made you want to be a scientist, and how did you get to The Field Museum?
|
|
My interest in natural sciences began at age 15. I collected plants and lichens and studied them under the microscope. This interest in plants made me study biology. I recently moved from Germany to the Field Museum to accept a post as assistant curator in the botany department.
|
