Biodiversity Genomics

Expanding our knowledge of genetic diversity of species across the tree of life can significantly improve efforts to support impacted ecosystems and understand the underlying mechanisms of species adaptation to changing environments.

Throughout my career I have been working on the application of high-throughput sequencing data for analysis of biodiversity from the genomic to the ecosystem level. In my research I use a variety of data types, from single marker metabarcoding, to metagenomics, and whole genome data to investigate how species diversity and distributions change, and how organisms adapt to environmental change. 

In my research group at Senckenberg Natural History Museum & Research Institute and LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG) in Frankfurt we use these approaches to study the diversity and evolution of animal taxa, with a particular interest in aquatic and semi-aquatic groups. Extreme environments such as the polar regions, and deep sea and subterranean habitats present excellent grounds for the study of eco-evolutionary interactions and mechanisms of environmental adaptation. Furthermore, our work includes development of methodologies for environmental monitoring, such as protocol development and novel applications of eDNA metabarcoding, metagenomics, and reference genome sequencing and comparative analysis. We also use bioinformatics for analysis of large datasets and establishment of pipelines for HTS data processing.

For more information on projects and open positions visit our Research and Bista Lab pages.

Penguin colony Bird Island, Southern Ocean
Specimen collection – Antarctic cruise
Traversing a difficult pass at
T. Voria cave

Positions

2023 – present Research Group Leader, Senckenberg Research Institute & LOEWE Center for Translational Biodiversity Genomics (TBG), Frankfurt, Germany

2021 – 2023 Postdoctoral Fellow, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, Leiden, Netherlands

2020 – 2021 Postdoctoral Research Officer, University of Cambridge, Department of Genetics, UK

2017 – 2020 Postdoctoral Fellow & Lab Manager, Wellcome Sanger Institute, Cambridge, UK

2016 – 2017 Visiting Scientist, Bangor University, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics, UK 

2011-2016 PhD, Bangor University, Molecular Ecology and Fisheries Genetics, UK

Education

PhD in Biology, Bangor University, UK, 2011-2016

MRes in Ecology (focus Molecular Ecology), Bangor University, UK, 2010-2011

BSc in Biology, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, 2001 – 2007

Research

Lab

Publications