Michael Brunner, Dipl.-Ing.

Department of Zoology

Research area(s): Biocontrol, Attract-and-Kill using trap crops and entomopathogenic fungi (M. brunneum), Ecology of wireworms and Click-beetle (Coleoptera: Elateridae), Oviposition behaviour of Click-beetle, Food-preferences of wireworms, Molecular gut content analysis

Thesis: Evaluation of a systemic biological control approach for the regulation of wireworms (Coleoptera: Elateridae) in potato and maize

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott

Julia Embacher, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Molecular microbiology, Transcriptomics, Metabolomics, FISH

Thesis: Interaction of wood-decaying fungi with other fungi and bacteria

First Supervisor: Univ. Prof. Dr. Susanne Zeilinger-Migsich, Ass. Prof. Mag. Dr. Sigrid Neuhauser, PD. Dr. Martin Kirchmair

Yasemin Günay, MSc

Department of Ecology

Research area(s): Biodiversity of arthropods, Metacommunity ecology / genetics, Molecular ecology, Population genetics, Bioinformatics (genome assemblies) and next generation sequencing (NGS) approaches, Trophic ecology

Thesis: Trophic assessment of ecosystem services provided by carabid beetles in agricultural land

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott

Carina Desirée Heussler, MSc

Department of Microbiology, Department of Ecolgoy

Research area(s): Waste management and monitoring, Life history

Thesis: Using Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens) for the exploitation of protein and fat out of biological waste

First Supervisor:

Sebastian Hupfauf, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Biogas Production, Microbial Communities, Molecular Ecology, Effect of Temperature on Anaerobic Digestion (AD)

Thesis: Biogas production under atypical temperature conditions

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heribert Insam

Thomas Klammsteiner, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Gut microbiome, Hermetia illucens, microbial interactions, microbial communities

Thesis: Microbial communities associated to the Black Soldier Fly and interspecific relationships between the fly and bacteria

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heribert Insam

Felix Kurzemann, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Usage of different recycling products as fertilizers, Soil microbiota, Soil chemistry, NGS

Thesis: Impacts of recycling products like biomass ash on soil microbiota and plant yield

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heribert Insam

Nina Lackner, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): physiology of anaerobes, methanogenesis and biogas production, archaea

Thesis: Microbial communities and carbon flow in methanogenic systems

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Paul Illmer

Rudolf Markt, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): biological pre-treatment, cellulolytic fungi, anaerobic digestion, analytics (HPLC, GC)

Thesis: Causal-analytical investigation of biological pre-treatment using the cellulolytic fungus Trichoderma viride for increased biogas production

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Paul Illmer

Dubraska Moreno Ruiz Coromoto, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s):

Thesis:

First Supervisor:

Mira Mutschlechner, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): ecophysiology of anaerobic microorganisms, methanogenesis and biogas production, climate change and microorganisms

Thesis: Abundance, activity, sensibility, and efficiency of methanogenic organisms in natural habitats

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Mag. Dr. Paul Illmer

Magdalena Nagler, MSc MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Biogas Microbiology, extra- vs. intracellular DNA, microbial activity

Thesis: Anaerobic gut fungi and their potential to increase biogas yields from lignocellulose-rich biomass

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr. Heribert Insam

Veronika Neidel, MSc

Department of Ecology

Research area(s): agroecology, trophic ecology, quantification of DNA from dietary samples, i.e. regurgitates of carabid beetles, by use of molecular approaches such as digital droplet PCR, diagnostic PCR and Next Generation Sequencing (NGS)

Thesis: Molecular assessment of trophic interactions and ecosystem services of carabid beetles in arable land

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott

Eva Maria Prem, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): anaerobic digestion, inhibition, physiology of anaerobes

Thesis: Effects of various inhibitory substances on the anaerobic digestion of organic substrates – Evaluation of disturbed methanogenic fermentation systems

First Supervisor: Priv. Doz. Dr. Mag. Andreas Wagner

Yannick Pütz, MSc

Department of Ecology

Research area(s): Amphibians, trophic interactions, the feeding ecology of newts, molecular gut content analysis

Thesis: Assessing the role of the Alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) in food webs through its larval development

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott

Verena Speckbacher, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): molecular mycology, mycoparasitsm, secondary metabolites

Thesis: Insights into secondary metabolite biosynthesis of the mycoparasite Trichoderma atroviride

First Supervisor: Univ. Prof. Dr. Susanne Zeilinger-Migsich

Julia Wagner, MSc

Department of Ecology

Research area(s): Agriculture, drought, pest infestation, landraces, modern cultivars, plant physiology

Thesis: Resistance of barley landraces to drought and pests in comparison to modern cultivars

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott

Georg Walch, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): indoor mycology, anamorphic fungi

Thesis: Microorganisms in Indoor Environments

First Supervisor: PD Mag. Dr. Martin Kirchmair

Marco Wehner, Dipl.-Ing. (FH), MSc

Unit of Environmental Engineering

Research area(s): Wastemanagement

Thesis: Bedarfsgerechte Energiebereitstellung durch die Vergärung von organischen Abfällen

First Supervisor: Univ.-Prof. Dr.-Ing. Anke Bockreis

Christiane Zeisler, MSc

Department of Ecology

Research area(s): Quantification of eDNA derived from water samples using new methodological approaches including diagnostic PCR, NGS-based eDNA analysis and droplet digital PCR to assess the occurrence of species and describe species communities in aquatic systems with a special emphasize on invasive species and species which are of commercial and conservational interest

Thesis: Quantification of aquatic organisms using environmental DNA

First Supervisor: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Michael Traugott