At the Section for Genetics, Ecology, and Evolution, we conduct research to understand the development of life and how living organisms adapt to their environment – also known as evolutionary biology. For example, we study how organisms adapt to temperature changes, the evolution of mating systems in different species, and host-parasite interactions. Our research in this field contributes to a deeper understanding of how genetic and plastic mechanisms, in interaction with population history parameters, enable or constrain adaptation to natural and human-induced environmental changes. It also provides insights into evolutionary interactions among animals, plants, and pathogens. In close connection with our evolutionary research, we investigate the ecological niches of species and their interactions within terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems. We collect data through both laboratory and field experiments and apply as well as develop methods within, among others, population genetics, genomics, and network analysis. One of our newest tools is environmental DNA (eDNA), which we use in biodiversity research and nature monitoring – and increasingly also to address ecological and evolutionary questions.

Our researchers are involved in the following research areas: