General
Name & Title
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Harald Gruber-Vodicka
Institution
Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, Zoological Institute, Kiel, Germany
Research Focus
Intracellular symbioses in basal marine invertebrates that are associated with specific and selected sets of bacterial partners
Prof. Dr. rer. nat. Harald Gruber-Vodicka
Institution
Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, Zoological Institute, Kiel, Germany
Research Focus
Intracellular symbioses in basal marine invertebrates that are associated with specific and selected sets of bacterial partners
Positions
02/2023 - now
Heisenbergprofessor (W2, permanent)
Marine Symbioses Group
Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, Zoological Institute, Kiel, Germany
08/2014 - 01/2023
Project Leader
Evolution and function of host-symbiont interactions
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany, Department of Symbiosis
Heisenbergprofessor (W2, permanent)
Marine Symbioses Group
Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, Zoological Institute, Kiel, Germany
08/2014 - 01/2023
Project Leader
Evolution and function of host-symbiont interactions
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany, Department of Symbiosis
Academic Experience & Education
08/2012 - 07/2014
Position: Marie Curie Post Doctoral Fellow
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany, Department of Symbiosis
Funding: IEF
Project: CARISYM
Post Doc advisor: Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier
04/2012 - 07/2012
Position: Post Doc Researcher
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
PI: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Herndl
01/2008 - 12/2011
Position: Research Assistant
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Project: ASF PSMBIO P20394
PI: Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
03/2006 - 03/2012
Position: Ph.D. Zoology / Biology
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Examination date: 03/26/2012
01/2008 - 12/2011
Position: Employment for PhD work
Thesis title: ‘Specificity and transmission in two shallow water thiotrophic symbioses’
Grade: 1.0
10/1996 - 11/2005
Position: Magister rer. nat. Zoology / Biology
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Thesis title: ‘Sulfur accumulation in a catenulid platyhelminth with microbial endosymbionts’
Position: Marie Curie Post Doctoral Fellow
Institution: Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Bremen, Germany, Department of Symbiosis
Funding: IEF
Project: CARISYM
Post Doc advisor: Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier
04/2012 - 07/2012
Position: Post Doc Researcher
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
PI: Prof. Dr. Gerhard Herndl
01/2008 - 12/2011
Position: Research Assistant
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Project: ASF PSMBIO P20394
PI: Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
03/2006 - 03/2012
Position: Ph.D. Zoology / Biology
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Examination date: 03/26/2012
01/2008 - 12/2011
Position: Employment for PhD work
Thesis title: ‘Specificity and transmission in two shallow water thiotrophic symbioses’
Grade: 1.0
10/1996 - 11/2005
Position: Magister rer. nat. Zoology / Biology
Institution: University of Vienna, Austria, Dept. of Marine Biology
Thesis title: ‘Sulfur accumulation in a catenulid platyhelminth with microbial endosymbionts’
Publications
For a comprehensive list of my publications, please visit my Google Scholar profile.
Total Publications according to Google Scholar: 48
Citations according to Google Scholar: 2403
h-index according to Google Scholar: 28 (06/2025)
Citations according to Google Scholar: 2403
h-index according to Google Scholar: 28 (06/2025)
Talks & Lectures
2024
‘Who leads the genomic waltz, beneficial intracellular bacteria or their simple animal hosts?‘ Invited talk at Gönomix, University of Göttingen
2023
‘Symbiosis as a driver for Placozoan Evolution.’ Invited talk at the public online seminar series ERATO, organized by Takema Fukatsu
2022
‘Physiology and evolution of intracellular symbioses in marine invertebrates.’ Invited talk at the University Osnabrück Biological Colloquium
‘Symbiosis as a driver for metazoan evolution’ Invited talk at the Jaques Monod conference on Origin of metazoans, Roscoff, France
2021
‘Resolving Countless or Very Long Repeats in Symbiont Genomes from Low Nanogram Metagenomic Samples.’ Invited talk, SMRT Leiden 2021
‘Intracellular symbioses in basal metazoans.’ Invited talk at the Biological Colloquium, University Kiel
2020
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
2019
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
2017
‘phyloFlash - Metagenomics, the full cycle rRNA approach and a new age of discovery.’ Invited talk YOUMARES-8 Kiel
‘Trichoplax H2 symbiosis’ – Invited talk at the University of Vienna, Dep. Ecogenomics & Systems Biology
2016
‘Cand. Riegeria genome evolution‘ – Invited talk at the Universitat de les Illes Baleares, Palma Mallorca
‘Who leads the genomic waltz, beneficial intracellular bacteria or their simple animal hosts?‘ Invited talk at Gönomix, University of Göttingen
2023
‘Symbiosis as a driver for Placozoan Evolution.’ Invited talk at the public online seminar series ERATO, organized by Takema Fukatsu
2022
‘Physiology and evolution of intracellular symbioses in marine invertebrates.’ Invited talk at the University Osnabrück Biological Colloquium
‘Symbiosis as a driver for metazoan evolution’ Invited talk at the Jaques Monod conference on Origin of metazoans, Roscoff, France
2021
‘Resolving Countless or Very Long Repeats in Symbiont Genomes from Low Nanogram Metagenomic Samples.’ Invited talk, SMRT Leiden 2021
‘Intracellular symbioses in basal metazoans.’ Invited talk at the Biological Colloquium, University Kiel
2020
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk, Max Planck Institute for Biophysical Chemistry
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk, Max Planck Institute for Developmental Biology
2019
‘Intracellular symbionts in marine invertebrates - new faces, new places, new roles.’ Invited talk at Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn, Naples, Italy
2017
‘phyloFlash - Metagenomics, the full cycle rRNA approach and a new age of discovery.’ Invited talk YOUMARES-8 Kiel
‘Trichoplax H2 symbiosis’ – Invited talk at the University of Vienna, Dep. Ecogenomics & Systems Biology
2016
‘Cand. Riegeria genome evolution‘ – Invited talk at the Universitat de les Illes Baleares, Palma Mallorca
Academic Self Organization
2024 - now
Speaker of the CAU international Master School for Marine Sciences (iMSMS) a CAU-wide platform promoting ocean literacy
2019 - 2022
Young faculty representative on the steering committee of the International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology
2019
Contribution to the successful application ‘MarMic 2.0’ for the next 6-year funding period
Speaker of the CAU international Master School for Marine Sciences (iMSMS) a CAU-wide platform promoting ocean literacy
2019 - 2022
Young faculty representative on the steering committee of the International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology
2019
Contribution to the successful application ‘MarMic 2.0’ for the next 6-year funding period
Teaching
For a full list of my current courses, see the information pages of the University of Kiel here.
Summer Term 2023 - now
full faculty member (9 term hours) of the Biology and zoology faculty at the University Kiel, Germany
Introduction to Marine Biology (CAU biol-105) BSc obligatory course, 4 ECTS, every summer term. Lead lecturer and course organiser
2016 - 2022
International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology (MarMic) faculty
lead lecturer for annual two weeks lectures and practical on 'NGS based analysis of symbiont eco-physiology'
co-lecturer Scientific figure and illustration course using Adobe Illustrator
2006 - 2012
teaching assistant at the Dept. of Marine Biology with Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
co-lecturer for the 2-term ‘Advanced Marine Biology course’ with field practical
student tutor for ‘Central California marine biological excursion’
full faculty member (9 term hours) of the Biology and zoology faculty at the University Kiel, Germany
Introduction to Marine Biology (CAU biol-105) BSc obligatory course, 4 ECTS, every summer term. Lead lecturer and course organiser
2016 - 2022
International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology (MarMic) faculty
lead lecturer for annual two weeks lectures and practical on 'NGS based analysis of symbiont eco-physiology'
co-lecturer Scientific figure and illustration course using Adobe Illustrator
2006 - 2012
teaching assistant at the Dept. of Marine Biology with Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
co-lecturer for the 2-term ‘Advanced Marine Biology course’ with field practical
student tutor for ‘Central California marine biological excursion’
Workshops
2017
‘De‐novo assembly and quality assessment of bacterial genomes.’ Invited lecture in ‘Analysis of bacterial genome sequences for molecular epidemiology – a hands-on practical workshop’ DSMZ Braunschweig
2014
‘The island of Elba – a thiotrophic symbiosis hotspot’ and ‘Big data from little holobionts’ – invited lectures at the Symbiomics ITN workshop Elba
‘De‐novo assembly and quality assessment of bacterial genomes.’ Invited lecture in ‘Analysis of bacterial genome sequences for molecular epidemiology – a hands-on practical workshop’ DSMZ Braunschweig
2014
‘The island of Elba – a thiotrophic symbiosis hotspot’ and ‘Big data from little holobionts’ – invited lectures at the Symbiomics ITN workshop Elba
Fellowships, Awards & Funding
2019
Teaching excellence award for two weeks practical ‘NGS based analysis of symbiont eco-physiology’
2012
Marie-Curie Intra-European Fellowship PIEF-GA-2011-301027 CARISYM´
2010
Best PhD student presentation - "Alphaproteobacteria as coevolved thiotrophic symbionts in marine catenulid flatworms" Science Day, Vienna Ecology Centre, University of Vienna, Austria
2007
co-authored ASF Project PSMBIO P20394, PI Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
Teaching excellence award for two weeks practical ‘NGS based analysis of symbiont eco-physiology’
2012
Marie-Curie Intra-European Fellowship PIEF-GA-2011-301027 CARISYM´
2010
Best PhD student presentation - "Alphaproteobacteria as coevolved thiotrophic symbionts in marine catenulid flatworms" Science Day, Vienna Ecology Centre, University of Vienna, Austria
2007
co-authored ASF Project PSMBIO P20394, PI Prof. Dr. Jörg Ott
Student Supervision & Mentoring
Supervised MSc and PhD students independently supervised under the Promotionsrecht of Prof. Dr. Dubilier
Tina Enders
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 07/2022, Thesis title: ‘Distribution and physiology of Alphaproteobacterialiving in symbiosis with marine gutless oligochaetes'
Anna Mankovski
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 11/2021, Thesis title: ‘From genomes to communities-Evolution of symbionts associated with globallydistributed marine invertebrates'
Malin Tietjen
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 01/2021, Thesis title: ‘Physiology and ecology of deep-sea Bathymodiolus symbioses'
Artur B. Zaduryan
Marmic MSc, defended MSc 03/2020, Thesis title ‘Investigating the phylogeny and occurrence of gutless oligochaetes associated Chlamydiae’
Marius Poulain
Université Paris Sud, defended MSc 06/2019, Thesis title ‘Functional and comparative genomic analyses of the Delta4 proteobacterial symbionts of gutless oligochaetes’ (Co –supervised with Anna Mankowski).
Oliver Jäckle
MarMic MSc and PhD, defended PhD 12/2018, Thesis title: ‘Evolution and physiology of the Paracatenula symbiosis’
Brandon K. B. Seah
MarMic MSc and PhD, defended PhD 10/2017, Thesis title: ‘The bacterial ectosymbionts of the ciliate Kentrophoros’
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 07/2022, Thesis title: ‘Distribution and physiology of Alphaproteobacterialiving in symbiosis with marine gutless oligochaetes'
Anna Mankovski
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 11/2021, Thesis title: ‘From genomes to communities-Evolution of symbionts associated with globallydistributed marine invertebrates'
Malin Tietjen
MarMic PhD, defended PhD 01/2021, Thesis title: ‘Physiology and ecology of deep-sea Bathymodiolus symbioses'
Artur B. Zaduryan
Marmic MSc, defended MSc 03/2020, Thesis title ‘Investigating the phylogeny and occurrence of gutless oligochaetes associated Chlamydiae’
Marius Poulain
Université Paris Sud, defended MSc 06/2019, Thesis title ‘Functional and comparative genomic analyses of the Delta4 proteobacterial symbionts of gutless oligochaetes’ (Co –supervised with Anna Mankowski).
Oliver Jäckle
MarMic MSc and PhD, defended PhD 12/2018, Thesis title: ‘Evolution and physiology of the Paracatenula symbiosis’
Brandon K. B. Seah
MarMic MSc and PhD, defended PhD 10/2017, Thesis title: ‘The bacterial ectosymbionts of the ciliate Kentrophoros’
Current PhD students at the CAU
Igor Duarte
PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q3/2026
Henry Berndt
PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q1/2027
PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q3/2026
Henry Berndt
PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q1/2027
Current PhD students co-supervised with Prof. Dr. Dubilier, MPI Bremen
Jero Cifuentes
MarMic PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q4/202
MarMic PhD candidate, prospective defense date Q4/202
Mentoring
Judith Zimmermann
Symbiosis Dept. MPI-MM
Emmo Hamann
Microbial Fitness Group, MPI-MM
Emil Ruff , Petra Pjevac and Dimitri Meier
Molecular Ecology Dept. MPI-MM
Viola Krukenberg
HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology
Cameron Callbeck
Biogeochemistry Dept. MPI-MM
Symbiosis Dept. MPI-MM
Emmo Hamann
Microbial Fitness Group, MPI-MM
Emil Ruff , Petra Pjevac and Dimitri Meier
Molecular Ecology Dept. MPI-MM
Viola Krukenberg
HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology
Cameron Callbeck
Biogeochemistry Dept. MPI-MM
Software
phyloFlash
A pipeline to rapidly reconstruct the SSU rRNAs and explore phylogenetic composition of an illumina (meta)genomic dataset.
A pipeline to rapidly reconstruct the SSU rRNAs and explore phylogenetic composition of an illumina (meta)genomic dataset.
Professional Services
- Reviewer activities for funding agencies (NSF, DFG, DAAD) and scientific journals (Nature Communications, ISMEJ, mSystems, Environmental Microbiology, Frontiers in Microbiology, PeerJ, Cell and Tissue Research)
- Editor for Symbiosis Journal – specialty marine symbioses
- Editor for Symbiosis Journal – specialty marine symbioses
Outreach to the General Public
2019
Magazine ECO – Contribution to ‘Seagrasses and Their Sediments - A Sweet Story’
2019
Blog post – ‘Behind the paper’ – Trichoplax Symbiosis
2013
Radio broadcast Radio Bremen Zebra 4 – Science for kids age 8 – 14 ‘Marine Symbioses’
2011 - now
Wikipedia page curations
Magazine ECO – Contribution to ‘Seagrasses and Their Sediments - A Sweet Story’
2019
Blog post – ‘Behind the paper’ – Trichoplax Symbiosis
2013
Radio broadcast Radio Bremen Zebra 4 – Science for kids age 8 – 14 ‘Marine Symbioses’
2011 - now
Wikipedia page curations
