Welcome!
Science is all about asking questions – and finding answers. My main research interest lies in exploring the links between the architecture, composition and material properties of biomineralized hard tissues over various length scales. It is highly interdisciplinary work at the edge of biology and materials science. Natural biomineralized tissues such as skeletons and teeth had often time to evolve over the course of millions of years, bearing interesting structure-function relationships. Beside the developmental and the mechanical aspect of 'bio-tools', my work also aims at informing our understanding of the ecology and evolution of the animals that 'use' and rely on the functionality of these materials.
Question: What is a skeleton? – There is no easy definition, taking into account the various design strategies in composition and architecture of skeletons across the animal kingdom. At B CUBE - Center for Molecular Bioengineering, Technische Universität Dresden, I'm studying the structure-function relationships in phosphatic, calcitic and glass skeletal architectures. This includes the study of skeletons from sharks and rays, sea urchins and glass sponges by means of crystallographic characterization techniques and high-resolution tomography imaging and analyses (e.g. EBSD, srCT, parametric 3D modelling). In the Biomaterials department at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, I further investigate the development, ultrastructure and mechanics of these tissues using several biological tissue and material characterisation techniques (e.g. microCT, EDX, BSE, tensile and compression tests, NanoIndentation and Raman). I’m also a former fellow of the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin, and worked in the department of Marine Invertebrates on the brooding, development, shell anatomy and phylogeny of brachiopods and monoplacophorans using histological techniques, SEM, microCT and DNA sequencing.
Degrees
Doctor rerum naturalium
PhD Biology/Zoology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany.
Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces, Dept. Biomaterials, Golm, Germany.
Multi-scale, correlative structural and material characterization of the tiled skeletons of sharks and rays.
Master of Science
M.Sc. Organismal Biology and Evolution, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany.
Museum of Natural History, Dept. Marine Invertebrates, Berlin, Germany.3D reconstruction of brachiopod shells using non-invasive micro-computed tomography.
Bachelor of Science
B.Sc. Biology, Humboldt-University Berlin, Germany.
Museum of Natural History, Dept. Marine Invertebrates, Berlin, Germany.
A study of brooding in Thecideoidea (Brachiopoda).
Museum of Natural History, Dept. Marine Invertebrates, Berlin, Germany.
A study of brooding in Thecideoidea (Brachiopoda).
Professional training: mediadesign
Mediadesign for digital and print media, Chamber of commerce and
industry of Berlin, Germany.
Frenzel Grafikdesign, Berlin, Germany.
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