Welcome to Archaea Biology and Ecogenomics

Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology

We belong to the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna. On 1 January 2022 Archaea Biology, Molecular Systems Biology, Limnology and Bio-Oceanography and Marine Biology merged to the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology.

Archaea arose together with Bacteria as the first organisms on this planet about 3.5 billion years ago. They form a separate domain of life beside bacteria and eukaryotes and inhabit virtually all environments on earth, including the most extreme environments that can sustain life.
Our unit studies the biology of archaea as well as bacterial symbioses with a focus on ecological, physiological and evolutionary aspects to shed light on the diversity and fundamental distinctions between these two prokaryotic groups.

In particular we are interested in:

- the ecological distribution of archaea from terrestrial, aquatic and hot environments

- the phylogeny of archaea

- the metabolism and genomes of ammonia oxidizing thaumarchaeota

- virus-defense (CRISPR-) systems of hyperthermophilic archaea

- archaea Biotechnology

- bacterium-nematode symbioses

We thus attempt to improve the understanding of the role of microorganisms, in particular of archaea, in global biogeochemical cycles and in early evolution.

07.12.2020
 

"Geochemical transition zone powering microbial growth in subsurface sediments"

01.12.2020
 

Review of the current state and future potential of Archaea in Biotechnology.

23.11.2020
 

Break the Silence – Act upon Science! Schulen und Unis in ganz Österreich bringen die Klimakrise in den Fokus

19.11.2020
 

The Highly Cited Researchers list identifies scientists who have demonstrated significant influence through publication of multiple highly cited...

06.11.2020
 

"Heavily Armed Ancestors: CRISPR Immunity and Applications in Archaea with a Comparative Analysis of CRISPR Types in Sulfolobales"

30.10.2020
 

The Environmental Cell Biology group (ECB) at the Department of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology, University of Vienna, invites applications for a...

Guest Lectures

13.01.2022
 

"Science, Society and the Climate Crisis - Ethical Perspectives"

09.12.2021
 

"Can we achieve climate resilient development of all?"

02.12.2021
 

"Climate change impacts and adaptation options in agriculture"