Main Focus
Phd Thesis started in 2022
The interface of host-symbiont interaction
Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Martin Kaltenpoth, Dr. Veit Grabe, Dr. Tobias Engl
My PhD project focuses on ancient bacterial endosymbionts in the grain beetle Prostephanus truncatus, which rely on the exchange of RNAs or proteins to complete essential metabolic functions and cellular machinery. I visualize and analyze how these interdependent symbiotic bacteria cooperate within host cells and persist despite their evolutionary maladaptiveness. To do this, I employ a variety of FISH techniques and high-resolution microscopy. Additionally, microCT scanning and electron microscopy are used to investigate physiological changes and structural adaptations in both the host beetle and its symbionts.
Research Focus
Insect-bacteria symbiosis, Evolution, Ecology, in situ techniques, FLIM, STED, microCT, Image analysis
Curriculum Vitae
B.Sc. Environmental Health Science - Seoul, Republic of Korea
M.S. Evolution, Ecology, and Systematics - Jena, Germany
Awards
2025: IMPRS Presentation Award for Best Talk at the 24th IMPRS Symposium: “NOT Everything Everywhere All at Once: How Interdependent Symbionts in a Beetle Work”
2024: The best oral presentation award: Symbiosis in context: Connecting insights across systems and scales