Profile
Prof Dr Bernhard Misof has been Director General of the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change since 2021 and Professor of Special Zoology at the University of Bonn since 2020.
His research has focused on evolutionary biodiversity research with a particular emphasis on phylogenomic analyses, the evolution of arthropods and the reconstruction of the evolutionary history of complex groups of organisms. As Director General of the LIB, he is concerned with questions of museum development and transdisciplinary approaches. He is particularly interested in the interaction between the individual research and work areas of the LIB in order to create a socially relevant and effective institution.
After completing his studies and doctorate at the University of Vienna and his habilitation at the University of Bonn, Prof Misof held various international research and management positions, including research stays at Yale University and management positions in Bonn and Hamburg.
In addition to his scientific activities, Prof Misof is involved in numerous national and international scientific committees. Since the end of 2025, he has been the deputy spokesperson for Section C "Life Sciences" of the Leibniz Association.
Projects
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Genomics technology for the Caucasus
Management: Dr. Jonas Astrin
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Hybrid swarm evolution in minnows
Management: Dr. Madlen Stange
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Museum Koenig #digital
Management: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof
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CaBOL - Caucasus Barcode of Life
Management: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof
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FOGS
Management: Dr. Jonas Astrin
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1KITE
Management: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof
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GGBC
Management: Prof. Dr. Bernhard Misof
Publications
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2026/02
Genome and transcriptome‐based identification and expression profiling of chemosensory gene families across developmental stages and tissues in Sirex noctilio (Hymenoptera: Siricidae)
Insect Molecular Biology
2025/11
Unknown Germany - An integrative biodiversity discovery program
npj Biodiversity, 1, 4
2025/02
Molecular evolution of dietary shifts in ladybird beetles (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae): from fungivory to carnivory and herbivory
BMC Biology, 1, 23
2025/01
FOGS: A SNPSTR Marker Database to Combat Wildlife Trafficking and a Cell Culture Bank for Ex‐Situ Conservation
Molecular Ecology resources
2024/07
Discriminating woody species assemblages from National Forest Inventory data based on phylogeny in Georgia
Ecology and Evolution, 7, 14
2024/07
Phylogenomics recovers multiple origins of portable case making in caddisflies (Insecta: Trichoptera), nature’s underwater architects
Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological sciences/Proceedings - Royal Society. Biological Sciences, 2026, 291
2024/06
Joint detection of microsatellites and flanking sequences–SNPSTR markers for Athene noctua to fight illegal wildlife trade
Forensic Science International Animals and Environments, 5
2024/02
Arthropod diversity in the alpine tundra using metabarcoding: Spatial and temporal differences in alpha‐ and beta‐diversity
Ecology and Evolution, 2, 14
2023/12
Geographic Variation in Genomic Signals of Admixture Between Two Closely Related European Sepsid Fly Species
Evolutionary Biology, 4, 50
2023/12
Metazoa‐level USCOs as markers in species delimitation and classification
Molecular Ecology resources, 3, 24
2023/11
Die Bibliothek des biologischen, technischen und kulturellen Wissens – Warum brauchen wir eine integrierte Sammlungsinfrastruktur?
BIBLIOTHEK Forschung und Praxis, 3, 47
2023/10
A landmark‐free analysis of the pelvic girdle in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae): How 2D and 3D geometric morphometrics can complement each other in the analysis of a complex structure
Ecology and Evolution, 10, 13
2023/08
Potential contribution of ancient introgression to the evolution of a derived reproductive strategy in ricefishes
Genome biology and evolution, 8, 15
2023/06
A transcriptome‐based phylogeny of Scarabaeoidea confirms the sister group relationship of dung beetles and phytophagous pleurostict scarabs (Coleoptera)
Systematic entomology, 4, 48
2023/02
Standardized nuclear markers improve and homogenize species delimitation in Metazoa
Methods in Ecology and Evolution, 2, 14
2023/02
Intrasexual cuticular hydrocarbon dimorphism in a wasp sheds light on hydrocarbon biosynthesis genes in Hymenoptera
Communications Biology, 1, 6
2022/04
The genetic basis of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes: How modularity and a low number of loci shape pelvic brooding
Evolution, 5, 76
2022/01
Phylogenetic Revision and Patterns of Host Specificity in the Fungal Subphylum Entomophthoromycotina
Microorganisms, 2, 10
2021/12
Complex sexually dimorphic traits shape the parallel evolution of a novel reproductive strategy in Sulawesi ricefishes (Adrianichthyidae)
BMC ecology and evolution, 21
2021/11
Evolutionary history and divergence times of Odonata (dragonflies and damselflies) revealed through transcriptomics
iScience, 11, 24
2021/10
Phylogenomic analyses clarify the pattern of evolution of Adephaga (Coleoptera) and highlight phylogenetic artefacts due to model misspecification and excessive data trimming
Systematic entomology, 4, 46
2020/12
Four myriapod relatives – but who are sisters? No end to debates on relationships among the four major myriapod subgroups
BMC Evolutionary Biology, 1, 20
2020/11
Author Correction: Phylogenomic analysis sheds light on the evolutionary pathways towards acoustic communication in Orthoptera
Nature communications, 1, 11
2020/11
Are fleas highly modified Mecoptera? Phylogenomic resolution of Antliophora (Insecta: Holometabola)
2020/10
Correction to: An integrative phylogenomic approach to elucidate the evolutionary history and divergence times of Neuropterida (Insecta: Holometabola)
BMC evolutionary biology, 1, 20
2020/07
How old are dragonflies and damselflies? Odonata (Insecta) transcriptomics resolve familial relationships
2020/06
Comparing diversity levels in environmental samples: DNA sequence capture and metabarcoding approaches using 18S and COI genes
Molecular ecology resources, 5, 20
2020/05
Sawfly Genomes Reveal Evolutionary Acquisitions That Fostered the Mega-Radiation of Parasitoid and Eusocial Hymenoptera
Genome biology and evolution, 7, 12
2020/01
Phylogenomics changes our understanding about earwig evolution
Systematic entomology, 3, 45
2019/12
A prelude to the Caucasus Barcode of Life Platform (CaBOL): Biodiversity days in Georgia in 2018 and 2019
Bonn zoological bulletin, 2, 68
2019/10
Phylogenomics reveals the evolutionary timing and pattern of butterflies and moths
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 45, 116
2018/06
Hypothesis on monochromatic vision in scorpionflies questioned by new transcriptomic data
Scientific reports, 1, 8
2018/03
Brochosomins and other novel proteins from brochosomes of leafhoppers (Insecta, Hemiptera, Cicadellidae)
Insect biochemistry and molecular biology, 94
2018/00
The genomic basis of arthropod diversity
2017/01
A posteriori evaluation of molecular divergence dates using empirical estimates of time-heterogeneous fossilization rates
bioRxiv
2016/12
Transcriptomic data from panarthropods shed new light on the evolution of insulator binding proteins in insects: Insect insulator proteins
BMC genomics, 17
2016/12
Phylogenetic Origin and Diversification of RNAi Pathway Genes in Insects
Genome biology and evolution, 12, 8
2016/09
Inferring the evolutionary history of wasps, ants, and bees from transcriptomic data (Insecta: Hymenoptera)
2016/09
Inferring the relationships of early brachyceran lineages with phylogenomic and comprehensive morphological data
2016/09
Phylogenetic relationships of apoid wasps and bees inferred from analyzing target DNA enrichment data
2016/09
How to tackle the molecular species inventory for an industrialized nation—lessons from the first phase of the German Barcode of Life initiative GBOL (2012–2015)
Genome, 9, 59
2015/00
Fleas, Flies, Scorpionflies: phylogenetic relationships of Antliophora based on transcriptomics.
2014/00
RNA in phylogenetic reconstruction
2012/11
Automated Masking of AFLP Markers Improves Reliability of Phylogenetic Analyses
PloS one, 11, 7
2012/06
Oligonucleotide primers for targeted amplification of single-copy nuclear genes in apocritan Hymenoptera
PloS one, 6, 7
2012/04
Exploring diversity in cryptorhynchine weevils (Coleoptera) using distance-, character- and tree-based species delineation
Molecular phylogenetics and evolution, 1, 63
2012/02
Phylogeography of the burnet moth Zygaena transalpina complex: molecular and morphometric differentiation suggests glacial refugia in Southern France, Western …
Journal of Zoological Systematics and Evolutionary Research, 1, 50
2009/01
Phylogenetic support values are not necessarily informative: the case of the Serialia hypothesis (a mollusk phylogeny)
Frontiers in zoology, 1, 6
2008/09
Gene flow at the margin of Lake Matano’s adaptive sailfin silverside radiation: Telmatherinidae of River Petea in Sulawesi
Hydrobiologia, 205
2006/08
Molecular taxonomy in pholcid spiders (Pholcidae, Araneae): evaluation of species identification methods using CO1 and 16S rRNA
5, 35