Host-parasite coevolution

Parasites and their hosts are locked in an ongoing evolutionary arms race, often referred to as ‘Red Queen’ dynamics. Moreover, many parasites are not confined to a single host species but regularly jump from their original to a new host species. Our research combines mathematical models, computer simulations, surveys of natural infections and bioinformatics to better understand such coevolutionary dynamics both at the single- and multi-host levels. A particular focus has been on Wolbachia, an intracellular, maternally inherited bacterium infecting about 50% of arthropod species and manipulating the reproduction of its hosts in many fascinating ways.