Research Portfolios
Comparative Evolutionary Biology and Systematics
Adaptation and diversification of succulent plants
PD Dr. Reto Nyffeler, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The succulent life form is a tried and true strategy for flowering plants to thrive in arid environments. The adaptation...
Plant Evolution and Systematics
An integrative phylogenetic approach to elucidate the evolution of plant diversity
Prof. Dr. Elena Conti, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The fundamental goal of my research is to understand the evolution of plant diversity. To achieve this goal, I integrate...
Systematic Botany
Chemical and evolutionary ecology of plant - insect interactions
Prof. Dr. Florian P. Schiestl, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Plants interact with a vast array of insects in antagonistic and mutualistic associations. Among the various channels...
Plant Systematics and Evolution
Dynamics of neotropical plant diversification
Dr. Colin Hughes, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Geotemporal patterns of plant species diversification and the causes of differences in species richness among clades and...
Plant Population Ecology
Ecology and evolution in invasive plants
Prof. Dr. Heinz Müller-Schärer, BeNeFri, University of Fribourg, Dept. of Biology
Invasion ecology, the study of the distribution and spread of organisms in habitats to which they are not native, has...
Ecology and Evolution of Plant Sexual Systems
Ecology and Evolution of Plant Sexual Systems
Prof. Dr. John Pannell, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution
Epigenetics in Plants
Epigenetics in plants
Prof. Dr. Jerzy Paszkowski, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
Our research focuses on the transgenerational inheritance of epigenetic information in plants and on the molecular...
Cell Biology
Establishment of membrane fences and local cell wall modifications in plants
Dr. Daniele Roppolo, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
<b>Biological context</b> ...
Plant Pathology
Evolutionary biology of plant pathogens
Dr. Patrick Brunner, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Research in the Plant Pathology group centers around population genetics and phylogeography of the fungal pathogens...
Plant Evolutionary Genomics
Evolutionary genomics of plant adaptation and speciation
Prof. Dr. Christian Lexer, BeNeFri, University of Fribourg, Dept. of Biology
Understanding the genetics of adaptation, reproductive isolation and speciation has always been of great interest to...
Plant Evolutionary Ecology
Experimental and evolutionary ecology of plants in changing environments
Dr. Oliver Bossdorf, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
I am particularly interested in plant intraspecific variation, the different causes of this variation (phenotypic...
Molecular Ecology of Arbuscular Mycorrhizal Fungi
Experimental fungal community assembly
Dr. Hannes A. Gamper, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Agricultural Sciences
We aim at understanding the ecological and evolutionary determinants of biodiversity in natural arbuscular mycorrhizal...
Molecular Genetics and Evolution
Genetics and evolution of the mycorrhizal symbiosis
Prof. Dr. Ian R. Sanders, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Ecology and Evolution
Our work focuses on the mycorrhizal symbiosis between plants and arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi. The symbiosis occurs...
Plant Evolutionary Genetics
Genome-wide patterns of nucleotide diversity and divergence in wild tomatoes (Solanum section Lycopersicon)
Dr. Thomas Städler, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Under a genealogical (coalescent) perspective, DNA sequence data obtained from many unlinked genes contain footprints of...
Plant Ecological Genetics
Grass endophytes
Prof. Dr. Adrian Leuchtmann, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Symbiotic associations between organisms are common in ecosystems, but mutual benefits may be conditional depending on...
Evolutionary Functional Genomics / Systems Biology
How genomic changes promote adaptation and speciation in Arabidopsis relatives and in tropical trees
Prof. Dr. Kentaro Shimizu, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Darwin proposed the first conclusive theory to explain biodiversity with two principles: adaptation by natural...
Evolutionary Biology
Limits to the adaptive evolution process
Prof. Dr. Yvonne Willi, BeNeFri, University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology
The process of adaptive evolution – in the simplest models – occurs as long as selection acts on the population and...
Plant Ecology and Evolution
Modern approaches to important environmental problems
Prof. Dr. Peter J. Edwards, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
The study of plant evolution is not only fascinating scientifically but is also of great environmental importance. Human...
Plant Population Biology
Plant adaptation and genetic connectivity in the face of climate change
Dr. Andrea R. Pluess, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute for Terrestrial Ecosystems
Plants are expected to react to climate change with adaptation, phenotypic plasticity, migration or extinction. Given...
Plant Ecology
Plant ecology
Prof. Dr. Markus Fischer, BeNeFri, University of Bern, Institute of Plant Sciences
Most of our research is concerned with drivers and functional consequences of biodiversity change, with the ecology and...
Plant Population and Evolutionary Biology
Plant life in alpine habitats
Prof. Dr. Jürg Stöcklin, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Institute of Botany
Adaptation and phenotypic plasticity are both crucial for the long-term survival of plants in changing world. Our actual...
Plant reproductive Biology
Plant-insect interactions: pollination and reproductive biology
Prof. Dr. Andreas Erhardt, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Basel, Section of Conservation Biology
Evolutionary Genomics
Polyploidization and stress response in plants
Dr. Rie Shimizu-Inatsugi, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies
Polyploidization is a frequently observed phenomenon in plant species. It has played an important role as a driving...
Plant Pathology
Population genetics and evolutionary biology of plant pathogenic fungi
Prof. Dr. Bruce McDonald, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Plant pathogens evolve rapidly to overcome the disease control strategies that are deployed against them. Resistance...
Systematic Botany
Radiation of the Cape flora
Prof. Dr. Peter Linder, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
The species diversity in Angiosperms is not evenly distributed around the globe, nor among different phylogenetic...
Biochemistry
Structure – function analysis of cutin and the cuticle in Arabidopsis
Dr. Christiane Nawrath, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
One of the important steps in the evolution of land plants is the formation of a primary barrier at the surface of...
Plant Molecular Biology
The cereal genomes: hidden treasures for evolutionary genomics and agronomy
Prof. Dr. Beat Keller, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Plant Biology
We are studying the genomes of the grass species wheat, barley and rice to analyze genome evolution in cereals. Plant...
Molecular Genetics & Natural Genetic Variation
The molecular basis of plant growth & development
Prof. Dr. Christian Hardtke, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Lausanne, Department of Plant Molecular Biology
A central feature of plant development is the post-embryonic formation of the majority of plant organs in a reiterative...
Evolutionary Biology
The molecular basis of pollinator-mediated reproductive isolation and speciation
Dr. Philipp M. Schlüter, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Divergent selection by the environment can result in the establishment of reproductive isolation and, thereafter, the...
Tropical Pant Biodiversity and Biogeography
Tropical plant biodiversity and biogeography
Dr. Michael Kessler, Zurich-Basel PSC, University of Zurich, Institute of Systematic Botany
Plant species and assemblages show distinct geographical distribution patterns. In my research I attempt to discern the...
Population and Community Ecology
Understanding plant population, community, and invasion dynamics
Prof. Dr. Jonathan Levine, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology
Research in my group examines leading questions at the interface of plant population and community ecology. Though I am...
Biodiversity and Evolution
Understanding plant speciation and diversification patterns
Dr. Yamama Naciri, Arc Lémanique PS, University of Geneva, Department of Botany and Plant Biology
I am interested in understanding speciation and diversification patterns of plants, questioning the role of adaptation...
Plant Ecological Genetics
Understanding the genetic basis of ecological and evolutionary processes
Prof. Dr. Alex Widmer, Zurich-Basel PSC, ETH Zurich, Institute of Integrative Biology