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Molecular biodiversity

What are we doing?

We study animal biodiversity from a molecular perspective, particularly in the context of the diversity of molecules in each cell. Each genome is an ecosystem of molecules with diverse parasitic, mutualistic and symbiotic interactions with each other. We study genetic conflicts between molecular parasites such as transposable elements, viruses and B chromosomes, and how these affect host genome structure and, through effects on reproductive isolation, biodiversity change. Only by understanding the depths of the unknown genetic diversity can the unknown biodiversity be better understood.

How do we do that?

Although much of our ongoing research focuses on the unknown genetic diversity of birds, particularly in the form of differences between germline and soma genomes, our research is not taxon-centred but concept-centred. Our past and ongoing projects have also focussed on crocodilians, turtles, bony fishes, insects, crustaceans, tardigrades, roundworms, arthropods and fungi.

 

Our research combines methods and concepts of evolutionary genomics, molecular biology, developmental biology, molecular cytogenetics and functional genomics. We also apply taxonomic principles to the characterisation of transposable elements and viruses.

Who are we?

Our team is interdisciplinary and multicultural with members from currently 8 nations, as well as actively involved in various national and international research networks. Our current research is funded by the European Research Council (ERC Consolidator Grant "GermlineChrom"), the Leibniz Association (Leibniz-Lab Pandemic Preparedness), the Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change and the University of Bonn.

Contact person

Prof. Dr. Alexander Suh

  • Head of Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb)
  • Head of Section Molecular Biodiversity

Phone: +49 228 9122 289
E-Mail: a.suh@leibniz-lib.de

Projects

Publications

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    2025

  • 2025/10

    Kempel, A., Adamidis, G.C., Anadón, J.D., Atkinson, J., Auge, H., Avtzis, D., Bachelot, B., Bashirzadeh, M., Bota, J.L., Classen, A., Constantinou, I., Crawley, M., de Bellis, T., Dostal, P., Ebeling, A., Eisenhauer, N., Eldridge, D.J., Encina, G., Estrada, C., Everingham, S., Fanin, N., Feng, Y., Gaspar, M., Gooriah, L., Graff, P., Montalván, E.G., Montalván, P.G., Hartke, T.R., Huang, L., Jochum, M., Kaljund, K., Karmiris, I., Koorem, K., Korell, L., Laine, A., le Provost, G., Lessard, J., Liu, M., Liu, X., Liu, Y., Llancabure, J., Loïez, S., Loydi, A., Marrero, H., Gockel, S., Montoya, A., Münzbergová, Z., Niu, Y., Ott, D., Oyarzabal, M., Panitsa, M., Papatheodorou, E., Piper, F.I., Püssa, K., Rand, K., Saiz, H., Sanders, N.J., Schädler, M., Scherber, C., Semchenko, M., Sepp, S., Shah, M.A., Shaheen, I., Stein, C., Stewart, J., Tang, Z., Tschan, G., van Nouhuys, S., Vandegehuchte, M.L., Vernon, M., V. R., S., Wang, J., Xiao, Y., Xystrakis, F., Yang, J., Yang, S., Zografou, K., Allan, E.

    Show more...

    The Bug‐Network (BugNet): A Global Experimental Network Testing the Effects of Invertebrate Herbivores and Fungal Pathogens on Plant Communities and Ecosystem Function in Open Ecosystems

    Ecology and Evolution, 10, 15

  • 2025/08

    Schwesig, K., Zizka, V., Scherber, C., Hölzel, N.

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    Pioneer habitats drive high plant beta diversity and conservation value of mineral extraction sites

    Journal of applied ecology, n/a, n/a

  • 2025/05

    Wan, N., Woodcock, B.A., Scherber, C., Wyckhuys, K.A.G., Li, Z., Qian, X.

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    Leaving synthetic pesticides behind

    Science, 6748, 388

  • 2025/05

    Wang, Y., Shi, D., Scherber, C., Woodcock, B.A., Hu, Y., Wan, N.

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    Understanding biodiversity effects on trophic interactions with a robust approach to path analysis

    Cell Reports Sustainability, 5, 2

  • 2025/04

    Decher, J., Schlitter, D., Adu-Tutu, P., Gazzard, A.

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    Baers’s Wood Mouse - Hylomyscus baeri

  • 2025/04

    Ahissa, L., Decher, J., Gazzard, A.

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    Wimmer’s Shrew - Crocidura wimmeri

  • 2025/03

    Thomas, L.J., Zizka, V.M.A., Noll, N.W., Scherges, A.M., Posanski, M., Bourlat, S.J., Rulik, B., Mühlethaler, R., Lehmann, G.U.C., Koethe, S., Scherber, C., Schäffler, L.

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    Identifying conservation hotspots and assessing species commonness and rarity: Baseline arthropod diversity in German nature reserves via national Malaise trap monitoring

    Insect Conservation and Diversity

  • 2025/02

    Wan, N., Fu, L., Dainese, M., Kiær, L.P., Hu, Y., Xin, F., Goulson, D., Woodcock, B.A., Vanbergen, A.J., Spurgeon, D.J., Shen, S., Scherber, C.

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    Pesticides have negative effects on non-target organisms

    Nature communications, 1, 16

  • 2025/02

    Stefen, C., Jentke, T., Birkwald, T., Chmieleski, J., Decher, J., Kaus-Thiel, A., Morkel, C., Thielen, J., Goldberg, R., Jakobitz, J., Atzig, H., Müller, A., Krause, R., Fichter, E., Wolfram, E., Twietmeyer, S., Stuckas, H.

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    Large scale monitoring of terrestrial small mammals using noninvasive sampling and COI barcoding

    Mammal Research

  • 2025/02

    Zizka, V., Schwesig, K., Engel, N., Hölzel, N., Scherber, C.

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    Environmental supports importance of heterogeneous pond landscapes for arthropod diversity conservation

    Ecosphere, 2, 16

  • 2025/01

    Kilian, I.C., Kirse, A., Peters, R.S., Bourlat, S.J., Fonseca, V.G., Wägele, W.J., Hamm, A., Mengual, X.

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    Maximizing Identification Precision of Hymenoptera and Brachycera (Diptera) With a Non‐Destructive Metabarcoding Approach

    Ecology and Evolution, 1, 15

  • 2025/01

    Kirse, A., Wittenhorst, M.A., Scherber, C., Posanski, M., Scherges, A., Zizka, V., Ott, D., Noll, N.W., Wägele, W.J.

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    The clockwork of insect activity: Advancing ecological understanding through automation

    Journal of Animal Ecology

  • 2025/01

    Ranasinghe, U.S.L., Eberle, J., Benjamin, S.P., Scherber, C., Ahrens, D.

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    Morphospace disparity and species diversity in Sri Lankan phytophagous scarab beetles—A comparison by forest types, altitude and sites

    Ecological Entomology

    • 2024

  • 2024/12

    Chiavassa, J.A., Kraft, M., Noack, P., Walther, S., Kirse, A., Scherber, C.

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    The Field Automatic Insect Recognition‐Device—A Non‐Lethal Semi‐Automatic Malaise Trap for Insect Biodiversity Monitoring: Proof of Concept

    Ecology and Evolution, 12, 14

  • 2024/12

    Schwesig, K., Zizka, V., Scherber, C., Hölzel, N.

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    Comparing and Transect Methods for Aquatic Biodiversity Assessment in Lakes and Ponds

    Molecular Ecology resources, 3, 25

  • 2024/09

    Kilian, I.C., Neuhoff, D., Täufer, F., Nabel, M., Kirse, A., Bourlat, S.J., Döring, T.

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    Der Einfluss von Bewirtschaftung und organischer Düngung auf Bodenarthropoden in ackerbaulich genutzten Böden

    0028-0615, 9-10, 99

  • 2024/07

    Thomas, L.J., Kirse, A., Raus, H., Langen, K., Nümann, B., Tschan, G., Gemeinholzer, B., Wägele, J.W., Bourlat, S.

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    Synchronised monitoring of plant and insect diversity: a case study using automated Malaise traps and DNA-based methods

    Biodiversity Data Journal, 12

  • 2024/04

    Rasmussen, L.V., Grass, I., Mehrabi, Z., Smith, O.M., Bezner-Kerr, R., Blesh, J., Garibaldi, L.A., Isaac, M.E., Kennedy, C.M., Wittman, H., Batáry, P., Buchori, D., Cerda, R., Chará, J., Crowder, D.W., Darras, K., DeMaster, K., Garcia, K., Gómez, M., Gonthier, D., Guzman, A., Hidayat, P., Hipólito, J., Hirons, M., Hoey, L., James, D., John, I., Jones, A.D., Karp, D.S., Kebede, Y., Kerr, C.B., Klassen, S., Kotowska, M., Kreft, H., Llanque, R., Levers, C., Lizcano, D.J., Lu, A., Madsen, S., Marques, R.N., Martins, P.B., Melo, A., Nyantakyi-Frimpong, H., Olimpi, E.M., Owen, J.P., Pantevez, H., Qaim, M., Redlich, S., Scherber, C., Sciligo, A.R., Snapp, S., Snyder, W.E., Steffan-Dewenter, I., Stratton, A.E., Taylor, J.M., Tscharntke, T., Valencia, V., Vogel, C., Kremen, C.

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    Joint environmental and social benefits from diversified agriculture

    Science, 6691, 384

  • 2024/03

    Chiavassa, J.A., Kraft, M., Noack, P., Walther, S., Kirse, A., Scherber, C.

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    The FAIR-Device-a non-lethal and generalist semi-automatic Malaise trap for insect biodiversity monitoring: Proof of concept

    bioRxiv

  • 2024/03

    Meusemann, K., Scherber, C., Rduch, V., Peters, R.

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    Leibniz Research Network Biodiversity. (2024). 10 Must Knows from Biodiversity Science 2024 (Version 1). Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. 

  • 2024/02

    Kirse, A., Paja, M., Reinhold, L., Bourlat, S., Wägele, W.

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    Development of an automated Malaise trap multisampler

  • 2024/02

    Zizka, V., Langen, K., Kirse, A., Scherges, A., Bourlat, S.J.

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    Non-destructive DNA extraction and metabarcoding of arthropod bulk samples: a step-by-step protocol

  • 2024/00

    Lin, W., He, X., Hu, J., Balle, M., Darras, K.F., Jing, S., Scherber, C., Toledo-Hernandez, M., Yan, Y., Zhang, C.C., Zeng, S., Wanger, T.C.

    Show more...

    Diversification mitigates pesticide but not microplastic effects on bees without compromising rapeseed yield in China

    bioRxiv

    • 2023

  • 2023/12

    Dürrbaum, E., Fornoff, F., Scherber, C., Vesterinen, E.J., Eitzinger, B.

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    Metabarcoding of trap nests reveals differential impact of urbanization on cavity‐nesting bee and wasp communities

    Molecular Ecology, 23, 32

  • 2023/12

    Noll, N.W., Scherber, C., Schäffler, L.

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    taxalogue: a toolkit to create comprehensive CO1 reference databases

    PeerJ, 11

Employees

All employees

  • Dr. Marilou Boddé

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 369
    E-mail: m.bodde@leibniz-lib.de

  • Ines Borges

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Doctoral candidate

    Phone: +49 228 9122 401
    E-mail: i.borges@leibniz-lib.de

  • Diana Gonzalez

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Doctoral candidate

    Phone: +49 228 9122 359
    E-mail: d.gonzalez@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dr. Yifan Pei

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Postdoctoral researcher

    Phone: +49 228 9122 242
    E-mail: y.pei@leibniz-lib.de

  • Dr. Francisco Jesus Ruiz-Ruano Campana

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Postdoctoral researcher

    Phone: +49 228 9122 427
    E-mail: f.ruizruano@leibniz-lib.de

  • Prof. Dr. Alexander Suh

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 289
    E-mail: a.suh@leibniz-lib.de

  • Anna Torgasheva

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Scientist

    Phone: +49 228 9122 427
    E-mail: A.Torgasheva@leibniz-lib.de

  • Niki Vontzou

    zmb Molecular biodiversity Doctoral candidate

    Phone: +49 228 9122 242
    E-mail: n.vontzou@leibniz-lib.de

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