Dr. Jes Johannesen

Illustration

Dr. habil Jes Johannesen

jesjo@uni-mainz.de

Research interests and Methods

  • Plant-insect co-evolution
  • Species co-existence
  • Biology of vector transmitted diseases
  • Hierachical levels of population structure
  • Consequences of hybridziation
  • Phylogeography
  • Speciation

My research interests focus on understanding processes that shape distributions, diversity and adaptations of populations and species. The response can take place at multiple levels of organisation: principally at the individual level, but also at the level of the genome, social group, population, and inter-specifically, for example in interactions between an individual and its endosymbiotic bacteria. In my research, I combine ecological and population genetic approaches to study adaptations and population dynamics. My present projects include the plausibility for parapatric speciation and the tri-trophic biology of phytoplasma, insect vectors and host plan ts. Former projects focused, among other, on genetic structures in sub-social and social spiders, host-race evolution in insects, and phylogeography in general. The data is gained through laboratory and field experiments as well as observation. The population genetic studies are based on microsatellite analysis, DNA sequences and genotyping-by-sequencing SNP markers, while studies in ecology and behaviour include interactions with temperature and oxygen levels, phenology, dispersal, and mating and oviposition decisions.

current projects