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

Daniel Flatschacher, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): Molecular microbiology, Secondary Metabolism, Transcriptomics

Thesis: Triggering of Secondary Metabolite Production in the Antagonistic Fungi Trichoderma atroviride

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

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

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

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

Siebe Pierson, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): molecular mycology, mycoparasitsm

Thesis: 

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

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

Sophia Strobl, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): anaerobic fungi, intra- and extracellular DNA, microbial ecology

Thesis: Unraveling the life cycle of anaerobic fungi – with special focus on resting structures and intra- and extracellular DNA

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

Julia Maria Vinzelj, MSc

Department of Microbiology

Research area(s): anaerobic gut fungi, microbiome analysis, phylogeny based detection methods, FISH

Thesis: Meet & Breed: detection and cultivation of anaerobic fungi

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

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

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