In previous works, we showed that 12 different TEs were horizontally transferred in the fruit flies in the last 200 years. Such invasions could have a dramatic impact on the evolutionary trajectories of species. This raises the important question on whether other species also show such a high rate of invasions. We are investigating this question in many diverse species, by inferring recent TE invasions based on ancient DNA. This is a collaborative effort with the ancient DNA laboratory of Ron Pinhasi the Natural History Museum Vienna and several other natural history collections. 

We want to understand the forces shaping the TE composition of populations. Many factors may have an influence such as positive or negative selection, the host defence, the extent of horizontal transfer and environmental conditions. We are thus characterizing the TE landscape of natural populations to identify factors that have shaped it. Furthermore, we study the spread of TEs in experimental populations and use massive computer simulations to test if we can reproduce the observed invasion dynamics. 

Quantitative traits, such as size differences among humans, underly most of the variation important in agriculture, ecology and medicine. Understanding the genetic basis of these traits will thus be crucial for many important goals, such as improving crop yield and custom tailoring medical treatment to patients. Unlike Mendelian traits, for which the genetic basis can be readily identified, unravelling the genetic basis of quantitative traits remains a challenge, some even argue the major challenge for biology in the 21th century. We are thus exploring novel promising approaches for finding the genetic basis of quantitative traits, such as Evolve and Resequencing studies (E&R) and AI-assisted genome wide association studies (GWAS). 

Harmful breeding practices (‘Qualzucht’) are a major threat to animal welfare especially in dogs, cats and horses. Consequently, an increasing proportion of veterinary interventions are required to mitigate the resulting health problems. We will investigate recent trends in health problems associated with these breeding practices by mining medical databases. This information will be vital for tracing developments in the genomic health of companion animals in Austria. This work is a close collaboration with the Wallner group from Vetmeduni.