Research

Funding: EU, 1.234.225 EUR

Project Details:
Bewertung von rational konzipierten Influenza-Impfstoffen

Funding: DFG Ra 50/23-1, 2, Houston Zoo, 344.938 EUR

Project Details:
Drivers of speciation are diverse and complex, ranging from large-scale geomorphological processes like the formation of mountains or rivers to small-scale mechanisms like intra-specific ecological plasticity, divergent habitat choice or colonization potential. Due to the lack of appropriate model regions and species, previous studies typically focused on single or dual factor approaches without investigating interactions between drivers. We propose a highly suitable model region in eastern Madagascar to better explore the principal evolutionary processes driving species diversification and their interactions. The proposed study region is traversed by several large rivers that differ greatly in age. The geology and vegetation is rather uniform with similar macro-habitats ranging from tropical lowland to highland rain forest along an elevational east-west gradient. The area harbors an outstanding lemur species richness of which three genera are chosen as models for this project. Thirteen model species belong to two exceptionally speciose genera, Lepilemur and Microcebus, in contrast to the less speciose but ecologically plastic genus of woolly lemurs (Avahi). Rivers and mountains are assumed to have played a crucial role during speciation of lemurs, providing refugia during Pleistocene glaciation events which supposedly facilitated speciation. We propose that river chronology is an additional major co-variate shaping diversification processes, colonization pathways and phylogeographic history of species. We aim to combine geomorphological reconstructions of relative river ages, (micro-)habitat characterizations, ecological niche modeling techniques and RADseq-based phylogeographic reconstructions of colonization routes to investigate the role and interactions of various drivers of speciation including chronology of riverine barriers, vagility, altitudinal tolerance, body size, and ecological plasticity. This interdisciplinary project will thereby illuminate the relative importance of various extrinsic (e.g., geomorphology, habitat) and intrinsic factors (e.g., ecological plasticity, vagility) for the evolutionary diversification of animal populations.

Results:

Tiley, G.P.*; van Elst, T.*; Teixeira, H.; Schüßler, D.; Salmona, J.; Blanco, M.B.; Ralison, J.M.; Randrianambinina, B.; Rasoloarison, R.M.; Stahlke, A.R.; Hohenlohe, P.A.; Chikhi, L.; Louis, E.E.; Radespiel, U.; Yoder, A.D. (2022): Population genomic structure in Goodman?s mouse lemur reveals long-standing separation of Madagascar?s Central Highlands and eastern rainforests. Mol. Ecol., 31, 4901-4918. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.16632 (*: shared first authors)

 

Schüßler, D.#; Blanco, M.B.#; Salmona, J.; Poelstra, J.; Andriambeloson, J.B.; Miller, A.; Randrianambinina, B.; Rasolofoson, D.W.; Mantilla-Contreras, J.; Chikhi, L.; Louis, E.E. Jr., Yoder, A.D.; Radespiel, U. (2020): Ecology and morphology of mouse lemurs (Microcebus spp.) in a hotspot of microendemism in northeastern Madagascar, with the description of a new species. Am. J. of Primatol., e23180. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajp.23180 (#: joint first authors)

 

Poelstra, J.#; Salmona, J. #; Tiley, G.P. #; Schüßler, D.; Blanco, M.B.; Andriambeloson, J.B.; Manzi, S.; Campbell, C.R.; Bouchez, O.; Etter, P.D.; Iribar, A.; Hohenlohe, P.A.; Hunnicutt, K.E.; Johnson, E.A.; Kappeler P.M.; Larsen, P.A.; Ralison, J.M.; Randrianambinina, B.; Rasoloarison, R.M.; Rasolofoson, D.W.; Stahlke, A.R.; Weisrock, D.; Williams, R.C.; Chikhi, L.; Louis Jr., E.E.; Radespiel, U.* Yoder, A.D.*; (2020): Cryptic patterns of speciation in cryptic primates: microendemic mouse lemurs and the multispecies coalescent. Systematic Biology, syaa053. https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syaa053 (#: joint first authors, *: joint senior authors)

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. M. Sauerwein, Universität Hildesheim

Dr. Jordi Salmona, Universität Toulouse, Frankreich

Dr. Lounès Chikhi, IGC, Oeiras, Portugal

Pr. Dr. Jonah Ratsimbazafy, Universität Antananarivo, Madagaskar

Pr. Dr. Solofonirina Rasoloharijaona, Universität Mahajanga, Madagaskar

Dr. Romule Rakotondravony, Universität Mahajanga, Madagaskar

Dominik Schüßler, Apl.Prof. Dr. Jasmin Mantilla-Contreras, Universität Hildesheim

Funding: Bundesanstalt für Landwirtschaft und Ernährung, 128.383 EUR

Project Details:
In this project, the focus is on analysing the interrelationships between animal welfare and environmental protection in dairy farming. The aim of the project is to consider the three factors "low emissions, high walking comfort and long-lived cows"" in a three-year study phase in the Chamber of Agriculture's trial barn at Haus Riswick. "

Cooperation Partners:

- Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Institut für Landtechnik

- Landwirtschaftskammer Nordrhein-Westfalen, Haus Riswick

Funding: EU Kommission (imi), 337.500 EUR

Project Details:
The objective of WP3 is to combine the broad expertise of consortium partners in drug discovery in order to identify small molecule candidate drugs to fight coronaviruses.
To effectively deliver drug candidates, WP3 is interacting closely with WP1 and WP2 to identify and select potential starting points for further development based on clearly defined progression criteria. A screening cascade for (phenotypic) hit ID has been implemented and executed. In addition, a coordinated AI-platform and analysis of targets for their druggability is being finalized to facilitate the selection of potential starting points for chemistry. The medicinal chemistry efforts have not yet been initiated as the review and selection of potential starting points from the first wave of hit identification is still ongoing.
In addition to the Hit selection criteria to move forward into Hit to Lead (H2L), WP3 contributors have already prepared for the next steps by defining the initial progression criteria for hits, leads and optimized lead compounds. In addition, a screening cascade for H2L and lead optimization (LO) is proposed, including the flow for the ADMET-PK related assays. The aim is to work towards the predefined target product profiles (TPPs) which have also been discussed within WP3 and are close to finalisation.

Project Details:
Kniegelenkserkrankungen kommen bei Pferden regelmäßig vor. Bei der ultrasonographischen Untersichung ihrer Menisken entstehen akustische Artefakte, die mit krankhaften Befunden verwechselt werden können. In dieser Studie sollen ultrasonographische Befunde an Menisken von Pferden ohne Kniegelenkserkrankung mit anatomischen und feingeweblichen Befunden verglichen werden, um eine bessere Abgrenzung zwischen normalen Ultraschall-Befunden mit den üblichen akustischen Artefakten einerseits und pathologischen Veränderungen andererseits zu ermöglichen. Durch eine Einteilung der Präparate in verschiedene Lebensaltersgruppen wird zudem eine Einordnung alterungsbedingter morphologischer Veränderungen am Meniskus erwartet.

Results:

Geburek, F., Bodem, L., Staszyk, C.

Tears or Artifacts? Comparison between normal ultrasound and macro-anatomy of the medial femorotibial meniscus.

In: Scientific Abstracts of the 29th Annual Scientific Meeting of the ECVS. Vet. Surg. 2020, 49(S2), p. O195

https://doi.org/10.1111/vsu.13478

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. C. Staszyk, Institut für Veterinär-Anatomie, -Histologie und -Embryologie, Fachbereich Veterinärmedizin, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen

Project Details:
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Funding: DFG Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1270 (2017-2025) ?Electrically Active Implants? ELAINE.

Project Details:
Der dtsz Hamster ist ein hervorragend charakterisiertes Modell für die Dystonie, der Gendefekt ist jedoch nicht bekannt. Eine Identifikation des Effektes ist wichtig zum Verständnis der Pathophysiologie der Dystonie und zur Therapieentwicklung. In diesem Projekt werden Genom und Transkriptom des Modells sequenziert und auf Gendefekte hin untersucht.

Funding: Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes

Project Details:
We investigate the pathophysiological pathways underlying post-COVID-19 syndrome with the goal to develop biomarkers and rational therapeutic intervention.

Cooperation Partners:

Prof. Dr. Gülsah Gabriel (TiHo, HPI Hamburg), Prof. Dr. Günter Höglinger (Neurology, MHH), Prof. Dr. Ulrich Kalinke (TWINCORE Hannover)

Funding: Deutscher Akadademischer Austausch Dienst (DAAD-PROCOPE), 9.108 EUR

Project Details:
Nonverbal vocal communication in humans contains information about the emotional state of the sender which can be used by the receiver. Comparing the acoustic structure and the context of production of these vocalizations across mammalian species revealed cross-taxa similarities suggesting a pre-human origin in encoding emotional information acoustically (e.g., Davila Ross et al., 2009, Newman, 1985, Zimmermann et al., 2013). In contrast to human laughter and cries, our knowledge on other nonverbal sounds such as the Sigh is limited. Therefore, the current study investigated whether vocalizations comparable to the human sigh can be found in nonhuman mammals and whether these vocalizations can be related to emotional states of the sender as well as to the quality of social interaction.
In the order Perissodactyla, horses and rhinoceros are known to produce noisy vocalizations at a high call rate (e.g. Policht et al., 2008, Yeon et al., 2011). The Snort is one of this noisy vocalizations, characterized as an explosive more or less pulsed breathing sound produced by nostril vibrations while expulsing the air. The function of this call type is not yet clear. First, it was proposed that this call type might have a hygienic function rather than a communicative function (e.g., Yeon et al., 2011, Linn et al., 2018). Second, it was proposed that the Snort might be an indicator of positive emotions or at least a relaxed state in horses. In the rhinoceros infant Snorts occurred also during affiliative interactions supporting to function as an indicator of the positive emotional state (Linn et al., 2018). This suggests that either the Snort has a communicative function to signal socially acceptance to group members or express an internal relaxed state of the sender which might affect group members via an emotional contagion mechanism.
To clarify the function of Snorts and to investigate to which extent there are cross-taxa similarities at least in the order Perissodactyla, we aim to compare Snort production between horses and rhinoceros.

Cooperation Partners:

Idu Azogu-Sepe, Serengeti Park Hodenhagen

Prof. Alban Lemasson, Rennes 1 University, France

Prof. Martine Hausberger, Rennes 1 University, France

Dr. Mathilde Stomp, Rennes 1 University, France

Planét Sauvage, Frankreich

Funding: Pharmaceutical sector, 230.000 EUR

Project Details:
therapy development for neurodegenerative diseases