Molecular Parasitology is the common goal of our researchers is to uncover and understand the complex interrelationships between viral, bacterial or metazoan parasitic pathogens and their respective vertebrate and invertebrate hosts. The combination of traditional taxonomical approaches and systematics, and the use of molecular techniques as routine diagnostic tools enables a fast and accurate species identification and the evaluation of the mechanisms that shape the complex interactions in parasite-host-systems.

Our S1-certified laboratory is designed as an application-oriented facility providing a modern infrastructure to autonomously carry out any molecular analyses required by the researchers and students in the working groups at the IPZ. In addition to the training and education of students and young scientists in the fields of molecular biology, our basic research profits from our long standing collaboration with leading scientists and is primarily focused on food- and water-borne parasites and vectors with major significance for animal and human health.

Ongoing projects include:

-  Species identification of human pathogenic parasites from several commercially important
   aquatic organisms.

- The development of new molecular reference methods for rapid species delimitation.

- Cryptic diversity and population genetics/dynamics of marine parasitic nematodes.

- Micro/macroevolutionary processes of marine/limnic parasitic nematodes of invertebrates
  and   vertebrates.

- Vector competence and species identification of arthropods.