Prof. Dr. Peter Biedermann

Curriculum Vitae

Since 02/2020
W3-Professor at the Institute of Forest Entomology and Forest Protection at the Albert-Ludwigs-University Freiburg
2024
Guest Professor at the Department of Agriculture, Food and Environment at the University of Catania, IT
Since 07/2017
Member of the Emmy Noether Research Group of the DFG at the Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg
2017
Guest scientist at the USDA-Agricultural Research Service in Beltsville/MD, USA
2015-2017
Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Jena
2014-2015
Advanced SNF Postdoctoral Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Jena
2012-2013
Guest scientist at the Department of Plant Sciences at Wageningen University, NL
2012-2013
Potential SNF postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology Jena
2012
Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH
2009
Guest researcher at the Department of Bacteriology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA
2008
Pre-doctorate: Roche Research Fellow at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH
2007
Guest scientist at the USDA Forest Service, Southern Research Station, Pineville/LA, USA
2003
Senior researcher at the Khan Khentey Reserve for the National University of Ulan Bator, Mongolia

Academic education

2009-2012
Doctoral studies in Ecology and Evolution at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH (“summa cum laude”)
2005-2007
Studies of Ecology and Evolution (M. Sc.) at the Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, CH (“summa cum laude”)
2001-2005
Studies of Ethology and Neurobiology (B. Sc.) at the Institute of Zoology, Karl-Franzens-University Graz, A

CV Peter Biedermann

Research

Peter is interested in social evolution and the evolution of mutualisms. In addition to the group’s projects, he is interested in the ecological drivers of insect-fungus interactions and Darwinian agriculture. The latter attempts to apply evolutionary processes to human agriculture and investigates what humans can learn from insect breeding for a more sustainable agriculture. His main models are fungus-managing ambrosia beetles.

Teaching

Bachelor of Science (Study programs: Environmental Sciences, Forest Sciences)

Biosphere (M = Mandatory module)
Ecological Entomological PA (Elective module)
Forest protection (M)
Flora & Fauna (M)
Recognize and identify native species (M)

Master of Science (Study programs: Environmental Sciences, Forest Science)

Forests & Global Change (M)
Frontiers in Forest Science (M)
Research Skills in Forest Sciences (M)
Wildlife management & forest protection(M)
Forest Entomology (M)

Selected publications

Flórez Patino LV, Biedermann PHW, Engl T, and Kaltenpoth M. 2015. ‘Defensive symbioses of animals with prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms’. Natural Product Reports 32:904-936. doi: 10.1039/C5NP00010F.
Kirkendall LR, Biedermann PHW, and Jordal BH. 2015. ‘Evolution and Diversity of Bark and Ambrosia Beetles’. Pp. 85–156 in Bark Beetles, edited by F. E. Vega and R. W. Hofstetter. San Diego: Academic Press. (book chapter)
Biedermann PHW, Müller J, Grégoire J, Gruppe A, Hagge J, Hammerbacher A, Hofstetter RW, Kandasamy D, Kolarik M, Kostovcik M, Krokene P, Sallé A, Six D, Turrini T, Vanderpool D, Wingfield MJ, and Bässler C. 2019. ‘Bark Beetle Population Dynamics in the Anthropocene: Challenges and Solutions’. Trends in Ecology & Evolution 34(10):914–24. doi: 10.1016/j.tree.2019.06.002.
Biedermann PHW., and Vega FE. 2020. ‘Ecology and Evolution of Insect–Fungus Mutualisms’. Annual Review of Entomology 65(1):431–55. doi: 10.1146/annurev-ento-011019-024910.
Biedermann PHW, and Taborsky M. 2011. ‘Larval Helpers and Age Polyethism in Ambrosia Beetles’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108(41):17064–69. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1107758108.
Mayers CG, McNew DL, Harrington TC, Roeper RA, Fraedrich SW, Biedermann PHW, Castrillo LA, and Reed SE. 2015. ‘Three genera in the Ceratocystidaceae are the respective symbionts of three independent lineages of ambrosia beetles with large, complex ycangia’. Fungal Biology 119(11):75-1092. doi: 10.1016/j.funbio.2015.08.002.
Biedermann PHW, Klepzig KD, and Taborsky M. 2009. ‘Fungus Cultivation by Ambrosia Beetles: Behavior and Laboratory Breeding Success in Three Xyleborine Species’. Environmental Entomology38(4):1096–1105. doi: 10.1603/022.038.0417.
Ranger CM, Biedermann PHW (shared first authorship), Phuntumart V, Beligala GU, Ghosh S, Palmquist DE, Mueller R, Barnett J, Schultz PB, Reding ME, and Benz JP. 2018. ‘Symbiont Selection via Alcohol Benefits Fungus Farming by Ambrosia Beetles’. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences115(17):4447–52. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1716852115.
Aylward F OSuen G, Biedermann PHW, Adams AS, Scott JJMalfatti SA, Glavina del Rio T, Tringe SG, Poulsen M, Raffa KF, Klepzig KD, and Currie CR. 2014. ‘Convergent Bacterial Microbiotas in the Fungal Agricultural Systems of Insects’. mBio 5(6). doi: 5:10.1128/mbio.02077-14.
Birkemoe T, Jacobsen RM, Sverdrup-Thygeson A, and Biedermann PHW. 2018. ‘Insect-Fungus Interactions in Dead Wood Systems’. Pp. 377–427 in Saproxylic Insects: Diversity, Ecology and Conservation, Zoological Monographs, edited by M. D. Ulyshen. Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing.

Honours and prizes

NATURE CONSERVATION PRIZE (2023)
City of Freiburg, DE
Prize for the “Exploratorium Lebendiges Wittental” project to promote biodiversity and the taxonomic identification skills of students.
STEP PRICE (2016)
Entomological Society of America, USA
Award for young scientists to participate in ICE 2016.
KLAUS TSCHIRA PRIZE (2013)
Klaus Tschira Foundation, DE
Prize for outstanding science communication.
SPONSORSHIP AWARD OF THE INGRID WEISS / HORST WIEHE FOUNDATION (2013)
German Society for General and Applied Entomology, DE
Award for outstanding scientific achievements.
SPONSORSHIP AWARD OF THE AUSTRIAN ENTOMOLOGICAL SOCIETY (2012)
Austrian Entomological Society, A
Award for scientific achievements in entomology.
DR. LUTZ ZWILLENBERG PRIZE (2012)
Prize for the best dissertation in the life sciences (biology and medicine) at the University of Bern.
PRIZE FOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN THE LIFE SCIENCES (2010)
Oxford University Press, UK
Award for scientific achievements.
HEINRICH KUTTER PRIZE (2009)
International Union for the Study of Social Insects
Award for the best presentation at the IUSSI conference.

Functions, offices and memberships

University self-administration

in the management team of the profile line “Forest Ecology Research” in the M.Sc. program Forest Sciences (with K. Heer and K. Blumenstein)
https://www.msc-forst.uni-freiburg.de/de/forest-ecology-research
Board Member of the Graduate School for “Environment, Society and Global Change”
https://www.gs.esgc.uni-freiburg.de/

Editorial activities

Editor for Quarterly Reviews of Biology (IF 4.9)
Editor for Fungal Ecology (IF: 3.2) – Section: Insect-Arthropod Interactions

Expert activities

DAAD (German Exchange Service)
NCN (National Science Center Poland)
GIF (German-Israeli Foundation for Scientific Research and Development)
GACR (Science Foundation of the Czech Republic)
Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, Germany
DFG (German Research Foundation)
Graduate School for Life Sciences, University of Würzburg, DE

Memberships

International Union of Forest Research Organizations (IUFRO)
German Zoological Society (DZG)
Austrian Entomological Society (ÖEG)
Nature and Biodiversity Conservation Union (NABU)
International Union for the Study of Social Insects (IUSSI)
German Society for General and Applied Entomology (DGaaE)