Eukaryotic Microbiology
Eukaroytic Microbiology
Prof. Dr. Sonja Rückert
Group Leader Eukaryotic Microbiology
- +49 201 183 2453
- Sonja.rueckert[at]uni-due.de
- S05 R04 H83
- ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8016-1634
Faculty of Biology
Universität Duisburg-Essen
45141 Essen
Research Overview
Diversity, ecology, and evolution of protist symbionts/parasites
Our group is broadly interested in symbiosis, with a focus on aquatic parasites/symbionts. Our aim is to broaden the understanding of the evolution, and effects of parasitism on an individual, population, and ecosystem level. We are investigating the following aspects:
- Systematics, molecular phylogeny, biodiversity, and evolutionary ecology of the Apicomplexa, in particular the gregarine apicomplexans
- Cell culture development of gregarine apicomplexans
- Protist-host relationships and interactions
- Diversity of parasitic/symbiotic protists in different environments
- Parasitic protist communities under different stressor scenarios
Selected Publications
Allan-Cardoso, A., Schwelm, A. & Rückert, S. (2026) Filling the gaps – New molecular and morphological data of gregarine apicomplexans colonising freshwater invertebrates. Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 216, 108565.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2026.108565
Knight, H. J., McKinley, K. O., Tsaousis, A. D., Dodd J. A. & Rückert, S. (2026). The effect of gregarine (Apicomplexa) colonisation on the functional response of the amphipod host. International Journal for Parasitology, 56(5), 104742.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijpara.2025.10.002
Berlinches de Gea, A., Walochnik, J., Boenigk, J., Dumack, K., Henriquez, F., Rückert, S., Simon, M. & Geisen, S. (2025). Protists as determinants of the One Health framework. ISME Journal, 19(1), wraf179.
https://doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wraf179
Rückert, S. (2025). The Protists: Small but mighty. In: Aquatic Parasitology: Ecological and environmental concepts and implications of marine and freshwater parasites. Smit, N. J. & Sures, B. (Eds.), Springer Nature, pp. 9-40.
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-83903-0_2
Tedersoo, L., Hosseyni Moghaddam, M S., Mikryukov, V., Hakimzadeh, A., Bahram, M., Nilsson, R. H., Yatsiuk, I., …, Rückert, S., …, & Anslan, S. (2024). EUKARYOME: The rRNA gene reference database for identification of all eukaryotes. Database: The Journal of Biological Databases and Curation, 2024, baae043.
https://doi.org/10.1093/database/baae043
Prati, S., Rückert, S., Grabner, D. S., Sures, B. & Bojko, J. (2024). Metacollinia emscheri n. sp., a novel sanguicolous apostome ciliate of freshwater amphipods (Gammarus spp.). Journal of Invertebrate Pathology, 207, 108224.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jip.2024.108224
Hiillos, A.-L., Rony, I., Rueckert, S. & Knott, E. K. (2023). Coinfection patterns of two marine apicomplexans are not associated with genetic diversity of their polychaete host. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 70(1), e12932.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12932
Wolz, M., Rueckert, S., & Müller, C. (2022). Fluctuating starvation conditions modify host-symbiont relationship between a leaf beetle and its newly identified gregarine species. Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution, 10, 850161
https://doi.org/10.3389/fevo.2022.850161
Bass, D., Rueckert, S., Stern, R., Cleary, A. C., Taylor, J. D., Ward, G. M. & Huys, R. (2021). Parasites, pathogens and other symbionts of copepods. Trends in Parasitology, 37(10), 875-889.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2021.05.006
Salomaki, E. D., Terpis, K. X., Rueckert, S., Kotyk, M., Kotyková-Varadínová, Z., Čepička, I., … & Kolisko, M. (2021). Gregarine single-cell transcriptomics reveals differential mitochondrial remodelling and adaptation in apicomplexans. BMC Biology, 19, 77.
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12915-021-01007-2
Rueckert, S., Betts, E. L., & Tsaousis, A. D. (2019). The symbiotic spectrum: where do the gregarines fit? Trends in Parasitology, 35(9), 687-694.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pt.2019.06.013
Adl, S. M., Simpson, A. G. B., Lane, C. E., Lukeš, J., Bass, D., Bowser, S. S., Brown, M. W., …, Rueckert, S., ... & Spiegel, F. W. (2019). Revisions to the Classification, Nomenclature, and Diversity of Eukaryotes. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, 66(1), 4-119.
https://doi.org/10.1111/jeu.12691
Lentendu, G., Mahé, F., Bass, D., Rueckert, S., Stoeck, T., & Dunthorn, M. (2018). Persistent patterns of high alpha and low beta diversity in tropical parasitic and free-living protist. Molecular Ecology, 27(13), 2846-2857.
https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.14731
Rueckert, S. & Horák, A. (2017). Archigregarines of the English Channel revisited: New molecular data on Selenidium species including early described and new species and the uncertainties of phylogenetic relationships. PLoS ONE, 12(11), e0187430.