Katharina Birgit Budde

Short presentation

I am a biologist working on ecological population genetics and genomics of tree species from temperate, Mediterranean and tropical Ecosystems.  I studied biology at the University of Marburg (Germany) and the University of Costa Rica and I have a Master in Evolutionary Biology from the Complutense University in Madrid (Spain).  During my time as PhD student, I worked at the Center of Forest Research in Madrid. I used genetic markers (e.g. nSSR, CpSSR, chloroplast sequences and SNPs) to investigate the population genetic effects of ecological factors. For example I studied the influence of fire events and past climatic oscillations on the demographic history, spatial genetic structure and local adaptations of natural tree populations.

Currently I am Post doc in a project studying the effects of Adelges nordmannianae, sap-sucking insects, on Abies nordmanniana. A symptom of the aphid attack is curled needles and previous studies showed that some trees are more susceptible than others. Using next generation sequencing we aim to identify candidate genes for tolerance/resistance. Furthermore, we also try to identify secondary metabolites that might be involved in the response to the insect attack.