TRAUGOTT Michael MMag. Dr. PD
Professor of Applied Zoology

Michael graduated in Zoology and Agroecology in 1997 and received his doctoral degree from the University of Innsbruck in 2001. In 2007 he obtained his professorial qualification ("Habilitation") in Ecology at the University of Innsbruck.

His scientific interests cover the ecology of animals in natural and managed ecosystems and the role these organisms play in providing ecosystem services such as pest control. Michael is especially interested in food web ecology, including the development and application of novel molecular approaches to study trophic networks under natural conditions in both terrestrial and aquatic systems. Together with his team he offers the unique MATI and MOTI university courses where scientists from all over the world get a hands-on start into the world of molecular food web ecology. Michael’s interest in environmental molecular diagnostics is also reflected in his research on environmental DNA, aiming at assessing organismic communities in various ecosystems. More information on current and past research projects is available here.

At the Department of Zoology Michael leads the Applied Animal Ecology division. Furthermore, he acts as the head of the Research Unit for Mountain Agriculture at the University of Innsbruck.

Finally, Michael is a co-founder and the current CEO of the Sinsoma GmbH, a spin-off company from the University of Innsbruck. Sinsoma offers a wide range of DNA services in the fields of biomonitoring, conservation and nature management, providing scientific and technological excellence to scientific, governmental and business sectors alike.

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