The order Vampyrellida comprises predatory amoebae that feed on other eukaryotes in a highly specialised way and occur in diverse ecosystems (Hess & Suthaus, 2022: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.protis.2021.125854). The aim of the project is the exploration of new vampire amoebae and their description as an essential contribution to the understanding of protist diversity. In addition, questions concerning species definition, trait evolution and ecology of vampire amoebae will be addressed.

The tasks in this project include

– Sampling in aquatic and terrestrial habitats
– Microscopic screening of natural samples
– Establishment of cultures by cell isolation
– Morphological analysis of isolated vampire amoebae using light microscopy
– Laboratory experiments on predator-prey interactions
– Molecular work to obtain genetic information (e.g. PCR, genome sequencing)
– Expansion of sequence alignments and phylogenetic analyses
– Organisation and analysis of taxonomic information (incl. German literature of the 19th century)
– Detailed preparation of species descriptions and manuscripts
– Presentation of scientific results at conferences
– Support in the teaching activities of the department and supervision of student work