Research interests

I am interested in animal ecology and ecotoxicology. In my PhD project, I investigate the multigenerational effects of Ag⁺ exposure on the fitness of the water flea Daphnia magna (Cladocera) and the midge Chironomus riparius (Diptera): a comparison of phenotypic plasticity, maternal effects and adaptive evolution in species using different reproduction strategies.

Silver ions (Ag⁺) are widely used worldwide for the disinfection of drinking water. As one of the most toxic classes of heavy metals, Ag⁺ has extremely high toxicity and lasting effects on aquatic organisms. Therefore, the effects of Ag⁺ exposure on aquatic organisms and its mechanisms have become a hot topic of research in ecotoxicology. Recent studies have shown that contaminant exposure can have inter- or multi-generational effects on aquatic organisms. Even if these organisms are removed from that environmental contamination, these changes can be transferred to future generations. However, important scientific questions regarding whether inter- or multigenerational effects of Ag⁺ exposure on aquatic populations are mediated through genetic adaptation and epigenetic changes have not yet been systematically addressed.

A comparative study of the intergenerational adaptation strategies of organisms with different reproductive strategies to Ag⁺ exposure is an important breakthrough in elucidating these scientific questions. Whereas differences in the offspring of solitary breeding species arise from phenotypic plasticity alone, differences in the offspring of sexually reproducing species involve both phenotypic plasticity and phenotypic/genotypic selection, and the resulting adaptations have a strong evolutionary significance.