Eukaryotic Microbiology

portrait of Sonja Rueckert

Eukaroytic Microbiology

Prof. Dr. Sonja Rückert

Group Leader Eukaryotic Microbiology

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:

  1. Systematics, molecular phylogeny, biodiversity, and evolutionary ecology of the Apicomplexa, in particular the gregarine apicomplexans
  2. Cell culture development of gregarine apicomplexans
  3. Protist-host relationships and interactions
  4. Diversity of parasitic/symbiotic protists in different environments
  5. Parasitic protist communities under different stressor scenarios

Group

 

Group Management

 

Head of Group | Arbeitsgruppenleiterin

Prof. Dr. Sonja Rückert (Dipl.-Biol. Univ.)

Room | Raum: S05 R04 H83
Phone | Telefon: +49 201 183 2459

sonja.rueckert[at]uni-due.de

 

Group Assistant | Arbeitsgruppenassistenz

Niklas Oelsner

Room | Raum:
Phone | Telefon: +49 201 183 5207

niklas.oelsner[at]uni-due.de

 

Technical Assistents | Technische Assistent*innen

 

Technical Assistant | Technischer Assistent

Lucas Arnold (BTA)

Room | Raum: S05 R04 H80
Phone | Telefon: +49 201 183 3832

lucas.arnold[at]uni-due.de

 

Technical Assistant | Technische Assistentin

Ines Pothmann (BTA)*

Room | Raum: S05 R04 H80
Phone | Telefon: +49 201 183 4109

ines.pothmann[at]uni-due.de

*maternity leave

 

PhD students | Doktorand*innen

 

PhD student | Doktorand

Anthony Allen-Cardoso (BSc)

Room | Raum: S05 R04 H80

anthony.allancardoso[at]uni-due.de

 

Bachelor students | Bachelor Student*innen

 

Astrid Bardeleben (BSc)

Elif Günes (Lehramt)

Amelie Ducrée (Lehramt)

Teaching

 

We are running or contributing to the following modules | Wir leiten oder sind an folgenden Modulen beteiligt:

 

WiSe

Mikrobiologie Übung (B.Sc.)

Zoologische Mikroskopierübung für LA Ba und MedBio (B.Sc.)

Literaturarbeit (M.Sc.)

 

SoSe

Seminar Ökologie und Evolutionsbiologie (LA Ba)

Zoologische Mikroskopierübungen (B.Sc.)

Einführung in die Meeresbiologie (M.Sc.)

Selected Publications

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.

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0187430

Mita, K., Kawai, N., Rueckert, S., & Sasakura, Y. (2012). Large-scale infection of the ascidian Ciona intestinalis by the gregarine Lankesteria ascidiae in an inland culture system. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, 101(3), 185-195.

https://doi.org/10.3354/dao02534

Rueckert, S., Simdyanov, T.G., Aleshin, V. V., & Leander, B.S. (2011). Identity of a divergent environmental DNA sequence clade using the phylogeny of gregarine parasites (Apicomplexa) from crustacean hosts. PLoS ONE 6: e18163. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0018163