Biology

Katrin Kellner

Title: Associate Professor
Department: Biology
Building: HPR 104
Email: kkellner@uttyler.edu
Phone: 903.566.7009

Degrees

Postdoc, The University of Texas at Austin, 2010-2013, Evolution of Host-symbiont relationships & Microbial Ecology
Postdoc, University of Regensburg, Germany, 2009-2010, Infectious Diseases & Chemical Ecology
Doctor of Natural Sciences (German Ph.D. equivalent), University of Regensburg, Germany, 2005-2009, Evolution, Genetics & Behavior
Diploma of Biology (German Master's equivalent), University of Regensburg, Germany, 2001-2005, Zoology, Genetics, Botany
Vordiplom (German Bachelor equivalent), University of Regensburg, Germany, 1999-2005, Biology, Chemistry, Physics

Biography

Teaching Experience

Genetics Lecture and Lab

Graduate Seminars in Molecular Ecology

General Biology I Lecture and Lab

General Biology II Lecture

Entomology Lab

Workshops in Microbial Ecology, Next generation sequencing methods and Bioinformatics, Animal Behavior, Molecular Ecology and Evolution, Conservation Genetics

Research Interests

My research examines the evolutionary biology of complex systems with an emphasis on ant societies. Ants are well-suited model systems because their societies range from small aggregations of distantly related individuals to colonies composed of perfect clones. The dominance of ants in low to mid latitudes was undoubtedly facilitated by the symbioses ants form with bacteria and fungi.

Themes of my research include population genetics and phylogenetics, microbial ecology, behavioral genetics, mating systems, chemical ecology and communication, , disease management and the evolutionary biology of microbial symbioses.

Much of my recent research has investigated the evolutionary genetics and intergenomic epistasis of range expansion of mutualisms, where I am interested in how fungus farming ants can become adapted to colder climates.

Another current project is investigating how harvester ants (Pogonomyrmex) use symbiotic bacteria in their seed deposits.

Other projects are in collaboration with other faculty members in the field of conservation genetics, where I am lending my expertise as Molecular Ecologist to help DNA barcode endangered freshwater mussels, cray fish and other species without harming the individuals. I am also currently establishing the usage eDNA analyses coupled with ddPCR to aid in the detection of rare species from environmental samples like soil and water.

My research is funded by the National Science Foundation, the Texas Army National Guard, and Texas Ecolabs.

To find out more about me and my research, please see

My publication list at Google Scholar and Research Gate.

My Research page http://www.antsymbiosis.com/

Interested students are encouraged to contact me!