I am mainly interested in understanding the dynamics of parasite evolution in spore forming parasites. In my research, I am addressing two questions using two host-parasite model systems. The first question is how does the virulence evolve in the parasites that persist in the external environment. Theory suggests that, such parasites achieve a higher level of virulence. In order to understand the dynamics in the laboratory settings, we are using red flour bettle Tribolium castaneum population (Cro1) as a host and Metarhizium spp. isolates as a panel of parasites.

In addition to this, theoreticians have put forward various extended versions of this theory under different conditions. One such work on this complex relationship environmentally persistence parasites and virulence is by Day (2002), which predicts that virulence is likely to be stronger in parasites that are transmitted upon host death. We aim to test this hypothesis experimentally by allowing parasites to evolve experimentally under different conditions in the lab. For this, we are using a host-pathogen system consisting of Caenorhabditis elegans worms as a host organism and two strains of the spore forming soil fungus Purpureocillium lilacinum.

F. Behr, G. Fritsch, S. Collet, N. Ghani, B. Cocchiararo, K. Knorr, T. Müller, J. Sprenger, Claudia A. Szentiks (2021) An unusual case of auto-mutilation in a free-ranging grey wolf (Canis lupus). Forensic Science International: Animals and Environments, Volume 1 100019