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.

04.03.2021
 

"Pharmacological inhibition of tumor anabolism and host catabolism as a cancer therapy"

20.02.2021
 

"Luca" paper served as inspiration for artist Helena Kauppila to create an installation, now in exhibition in Berlin.

15.02.2021
 

Ruth Taubner et al.'s paper "Experimental and Simulation Efforts in the Astrobiological Exploration of Exooceans" made an impact

12.02.2021
 

2021 it's the Methanothermobacter

11.02.2021
 

What we can learn from Archaea about early evolution (and about a scientist)

26.01.2021
 

"Intestinal Microbiota and Perspectives of the Use of Meta-Analysis for Comparison of Ulcerative Colitis Studies"

Guest Lectures

27.01.2022
 

Christina Plank (moderation), Katharina Bohnenberger, Marlene Engelhorn, Hendrik Theine, Katerina Vrtikapa (panelists)

25.01.2022
 

"Laywers For Future: Why I sued the Austrian republic twice"

20.01.2022
 

"If nothing changes, everything changes - climate activism, politics and the way forward"