Research Projects
Concert of trumpets: next generation taxonomy of Stentor. FWF Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds (Projekt 10.55776/PAT8010623), PI B. Sonntag, (January 2024-January 2028)
Pan-European Lake Sampling – Microbial Eco-genomics. Czech Academy of Sciences, Biology Centre CAS, Budweis, Czech Republic, PI Rohit Ghai, Michaela Salcher (January 2020-December 2024)
Next Generation Taxonomy: Ciliophora and their bacterial symbionts as a proof of concept. EU – Horizon 2020 Marie Curie Actions – Research and Innovation Staff Exchange (RISE) University of Pisa, Italy, PI Giulio Petroni (July 2021-March 2026)
Aquatic Symbiosis Genome Project. Subhub PI Patrick Keeling (University of British Columbia) ‘Ciliates as models for symbiosis: using genomic analyses of functionally diverse symbiotic associations with parallel origins to gain insights into basic evolutionary principles of symbiosis’ – Wellcome Sanger Institute and Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation (since October 2020)
Freshwater endosymbiotic algae and their ciliate hosts: morphology, phylogeny, ecology.
FWF Austrian Science Fund (Project 10.55776/P28333), April 2016 – March 2021, PI B. Sonntag & T. Pröschold
Co-occurrence networks in aquatic food webs: ciliates as models.
International trilateral project funded by the FWF Austrian Science Fund (lead agency; project 10.55776/I2238), SNF and DFG. PIs B. Sonntag (FWF), T. Posch (SNF, University of Zürich), T. Stoeck (DFG, University of Kaiserslautern); September 2015 – August 2020
Ultraviolet radiation effects on planktonic freshwater ciliates:
an assessment of photoprotection and repair strategies.
FWF Austrian Science Fund (Project 10.55776/P21013), February 2009 – November 2013, PI B. Sonntag
Taxonomy, ecology and ultraviolet radiation protection strategies in ciliates from alpine lakes.
Ph.D. – fellowship of the Leopold-Franzens-University of Innsbruck (2012/3/BIO9), February 2013 – October 2014, PI B. Kammerlander
Ciliate assemblages in six remote alpine lakes (Faselfadseen, Austria):
Taxonomy, ecology and ultraviolet radiation protection strategies.
DOC-fForte – fellowship of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (ÖAW: 22883), April 2010 – March 2012, PI B. Kammerlander
The ecology of ciliated protists and intra-specific variation of Frontonia sp. in two saline-alkaline Rift Valley lakes in Kenya.
APPEAR – fellowship of the Austrian Agency for International Cooperation in Education and Research (OEAD: ICM-2010-01186), March 2011 – February 2012, PI G.O. Ong’ondo
Cooperation projects
Wasserleben. More than 400 children and teenagers from nine educational institutions participate in this project. Funded by the FFG (Austrian Research Promotion Agency), program ‘Talents’, July 2015 – December 2016, PI S. Wanzenböck, M. Ellmauer