Welcome to the Evolutionary Ecology Group
We are based at Eawag's Department of Aquatic Ecology, and we are also part of the Institute of Integrative Biology (IBZ) and the Department of Environmental Systems Science (D-USYS) at ETH Zürich. Members of our group are fascinated by the process of evolution and strive to understand how ecological interactions act on the genetic variation inherent in populations to generate the biological diversity we observe. An important research focus of our group is the study of insect host-parasite interactions. In particular, we are interested in how such interactions are modified by endosymbiotic bacteria that protect insects against natural enemies like parasitic wasps. Some members of our group also work in the field of conservation genetics. We investigate how man-made fragmentation of streams and rivers affects the genetic population structure of aquatic animals (fish and crayfish), and we provide these informations to the responsible authorities to support conservation efforts for endangered native crayfish.News
29.05.2020: Parasitoid genome paper finally out. Many thanks to Alice Dennis for pushing this through!07.05.2020: New paper by Nina out in Ecology Letters:
"Parasitoids as drivers of symbiont diversity in an insect host". Link
09.12.2019: New MSc project opportunity on Wolbachia in the aquatic isopod Asellus aquaticus. link
MSc & BSc Projects
Follow this link for a list of available MSc or BSc Projects in our group. But note that there are always additional possibilities.So: If you're interested in what we're doing, it is best to simply contact us or come by for a visit.