Mercator Fellows visit life sciences at Kiel University
Long-term cooperation and research impetus: Prof. Jessica Metcalf and Prof. Brendan Bohannan are spending research stays at the CRC 1182 and RTG TransEvo
Yesterday, Kiel University hosted the joint summer meeting of the Biology Section, the Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) 1182 “Origin and Function of Metaorganisms” and the Research Training Group (RTG) “Translational Evolutionary Research” (TransEvo). Scientific presentations by two Mercator Fellows, Professor Jessica Metcalf from Princeton University and Professor Brendan Bohannan from the University of Oregon, formed the mainstay of the meeting, which was attended by around 120 participants. Both Metcalf and Bohannan are currently contributing to the research activities in Kiel as guests of the RTG TransEvo and CRC 1182.
With its Mercator Fellowships, the German Research Foundation (DFG) promotes intensive and long-term exchange between members of a DFG-funded research consortium and renowned scientists, both domestic and international. These fellows complete several research stays at their host institutions and remain in long-term contact with their cooperation partners beyond the duration of their stays. Metcalf and Bohannan have worked together with Kiel University for years and, as Mercator Fellows, conduct research in Germany for up to two months per year. This is reflected, among other things, in joint publications and multifaceted collaborations with a large number of colleagues in Kiel.
“Our collaboration with these internationally renowned experts provides important impetus for the future direction of the life sciences at Kiel University. The close collaboration with Jessica Metcalf and Brendan Bohannan is particularly valuable for our research consortia in evolutionary biology and metaorganism research. I would like to express my sincere thanks to both of them for their consistent contributions to our research networks in Kiel,” emphasises Professor Hinrich Schulenburg, spokesperson for the CRC 1182 and RTG TransEvo. “The Kiel research community is such a stimulating incubator for new ideas, which always inspires me again,” emphasises Mercator Fellow Bohannan, who also draws valuable input for his work from his collaboration with his colleagues in Kiel.
As part of the summer meeting, researchers from the life sciences in Kiel came together to exchange ideas with the international guests. Both Mercator Fellows presented their current research, which also play an important role in the two Kiel research networks: Evolutionary biologist Metcalf explained how the evolution of pathogens can be monitored through global observation of population immunity in order to prevent future pandemics. Evolutionary ecologist Bohannan spoke about how the spatial distribution of microorganisms shapes microbial diversity in different ecosystems, including the microbial colonisation of host organisms.
Can the next pandemic be predicted?
Jessica Metcalf, professor in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology at Princeton, researches the connections between population structures and the dynamics of infectious diseases. For example, she examines how changes in population immunity, such as through vaccination campaigns, affect the frequency and spread of infectious diseases, and how the knowledge gained can be used to better prepare for future pandemics, which might be caused by novel coronaviruses.
Together with an international network of colleagues, she is committed to monitoring population immunity to various problematic pathogens as comprehensively as possible. To this end, Metcalf and her team are working to establish a global system for predicting population immunity and thus the possible spread of diseases. At the same time, it is important to filter out the particularly worrying candidates with pandemic potential from the multitude of potentially dangerous pathogens. This would not only make it possible to predict and better combat future pandemics, but ideally even prevent them altogether.
Biogeography of microorganisms
Brendan Bohannan, professor at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution at the University of Oregon in Eugene, is considered one of the pioneers of microbial ecology. His research focuses on understanding the causes and consequences of microbial biodiversity. With his research group, he seeks to determine the fundamental drivers of biodiversity, the effects of environmental changes on microbial diversity, and the alteration of this diversity in human-influenced environments, for example in the form of the microbiome in the human body and other host organisms.
One of Bohannan’s notable research achievements is the development of the concept of microbial biogeography: his research group was one of the first to demonstrate that bacteria differ significantly in the composition and diversity of their ecological communities across space and time. These biogeographical patterns can also shape the microbial colonisation of host organisms in a similar way. Another important current aspect of his research area is the way in which microorganisms are passed on between hosts over generations and how this transmission influences the co-evolution of the microbiome and host organisms.
“We are particularly pleased about the commitment of Jessica Metcalf and Brendan Bohannan,” emphasises Professor Olivia Roth, co-spokesperson of the RTG TransEvo and one of the organisers of the summer event. “Both have already provided important impetus for research activities in Kiel,” Roth continues. Furthermore, both are wonderful contacts for our early career scientists and postdoctoral researchers, thus making a lasting contribution to the training of the next generation of scientists in the life sciences.
Images are available for download:
www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2025/136-mercator-fellows-metcalf.jpg
Caption: Jessica Metcalf spoke about the evolution of problematic pathogens and how their spread can be monitored through global observation of population immunity.
© Christian Urban, Kiel University
www.uni-kiel.de/de/pressemitteilungen/2025/136-mercator-fellows-bohannan.jpg
Caption: The spatial distribution of microorganisms and their influence on microbial biodiversity in different ecosystems is the research area that Brendan Bohannan presented in Kiel.
© Christian Urban, Kiel University
Contact:
Prof. Hinrich Schulenburg
Spokesperson CRC 1182 „Origin and Function of Metaorganisms“ &
RTG „Translational Evolutionary Research“, Kiel University:
Phone: +49 431-880-4141
Email: hschulenburg@zoologie.uni-kiel.de
More information:
RTG „Translational Evolutionary Research“, (TransEvo), Kiel University:
www.transevo.de
Priority research area „Kiel Life Science”, Kiel University:
www.kls.uni-kiel.de
Environmental Studies and Biology (Bohannan Lab),
Institute of Ecology and Evolution,
University of Oregon, Eugene:
pages.uoregon.edu/bohannanlab
Disease Modelling and Demography (Metcalf Lab)
Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology
Princeton University
eeb.princeton.edu/people/c-jessica-e-metcalf
