Our focus is on the study of primates living today, including humans. Our research addresses the biogeography of Sulawesi tarsiers, the dynamics of African ape populations and the causes of male infertility. In addition, we are studying the evolution of parasitism using the example of thorny-headed worms that parasitize a variety of jaw-bearing vertebrates in addition to primates. For doing so, we analyze genomes, transcriptomes and proteomes. Corresponding samples are collected in the field and at medical facilities, processed in the laboratory and analyzed with state-of-the-art software. The results of our research have implications for species protection measures, our understanding of species diversification in the context of geological processes, the diagnosis of male infertility and the control of thorny-headed worm infestations in fish aquaculture.
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