The Fish group led by Prof. Heike Schmidt-Posthaus focuses on the health of wild and farmed fish and crustaceans.
The Wildlife group co-lead by Dr. Mirjam Pewsner and Dr. Simone Pisano works on the health of wild animals, amphibians, and reptiles.
The Epigenetics&Evolution (EpiEvo) group led by Prof. Irene Adrian-Kalchhauser investigates the epigenetic and molecular long-term effects of age, stress, and disease in fish and wildlife, as well as microbiomes in aquaculture.
All three groups are committed to the development and improvement of methods for diagnostics and fieldwork.
Publications
PLOS One
Recommendations for an effective wildlife health monitoring programme in line with One Health.
Journal of Invertebrate Pathology
The study highlights the distribution, dynamics, and challenges in managing this disease that threatens native crayfish populations in the "water tower of Europe."
Journal of Wildlife Diseases
Three juvenile free-ranging gray wolves in Switzerland were found with osteochondrosis manifesta in the shoulders, marking the first such report in wild wolves.
Environmental DNA
The study compares qPCR and ddPCR methods for detecting environmental DNA of the parasite Tetracapsuloides bryosalmonae and identifies an optimal protocol for reliable monitoring in aquatic systems.
International Journal for Parasitology
Severe juvenile Alpine swift die-offs in Switzerland since 2022 can be linked to novel Trypanosoma parasites.
Journal of Fish Diseases
The study uses 18S rRNA metagenomics to analyze the amoeba community involved in nodular gill disease in Swiss rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).
Laboratory Animals
A user-friendly assessment tool for the standardised evaluation of experimental fish: an important step for the 3Rs.
