Anika Wohlleben
Host-Parasite Research
In my PhD research I used an integrative approach to study the interaction of threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) and the helminth parasite Schistocephalus solidus. I was particularly interested in the underlying mechanisms of population level differences in infection rates.
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In my graduate work, I took advantage of the freshwater adaptive radiation of the threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in southcentral Alaska following the last glacial maximum. Oceanic stickleback independently colonized freshwater habitats where they encountered Schistocephalus solidus, a trophically transmitted cestode that is not viable in marine environments. Using this fascinating host-parasite system I am addressed questions concerning Immunology, Ecology and Evolution.
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Click on the images to learn more about each project.
During my postdoctoral position at the University of Jena (Germany) I focused on Nematomorphs, commonly known as horsehair worms. This is a clade of solely parasitoid animals and sister group to the nematodes. Although they are fairly well known to the public as the worms that force their cricket hosts into drowning themselves, these fascinating animals remain significantly understudied, with many aspects of their biology still unknown.
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During my postdoc my aim was to increase our knowledge of how Nematomorphs (focusing on Gordionus violaceus and Gordionus aquaticus) interact with both intermediate and final hosts. I am particularly interested in discovering and describing the adaptations of Nematomorphs to a parasitic lifestyle. For this, I employed a diverse array of methodologies spanning disciplines such as bioinformatics, parasitology, molecular biology, behavioral studies, and evolutionary biology.
Picture by Lisa Barf