Current Research

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Current Research

Research -> Current Research

University of Hamburg:

The main focus of the research of Andreas is the morphology, taxonomy and phylogeny of horsehair worms. Apart from this he is very interested in the life cycle.

Andreas uses different microscopical techniques to receive information on the external and internal anatomy of nematomorphs. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) is an ideal tool to reliably document fine structures of the cuticle, which is a prerequisite for exact determination. Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) of thin slices allows detailed information of the internal anatomy. Information from serial sections allows the reconstructions of organs. Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy is used to document the architecture of structures previously labelled specifically by fluorescent markers. Currently the musculature and the nervous system of larvae and adults are investigated.

The establishment of high magnifying techniques such as SEM have made the recognition of fine cuticular structures more reliably than it was possible before. However, many species have to be reinvestigated, because their documentation is not sufficient enough. New species are constantly discovered, but also “old” species and even genera are recognized to be synonymous to already described ones. One aim of Andreas is, in collaboration with various colleagues, to provide reviews and keys for all nematomorph genera. In most cases, such reviews do not exist and the vast primary literature has to be considered if one wants to determine a specimen.

The recognition of species is made difficult by the fact that some characters such as body size, colour, but probably also some cuticular characters vary from specimen to specimen within one species. In such cases, molecular markers can help to distinguish specimens of almost similar looking species from differently looking specimens of one species. Such work is currently being done for a population of Central German horsehair worms which might represent two species.