Dr. Madlen Stange

HEAD of Junior Research Group "Minnow"

Junior Research Group (Minnow), Centre for Taxonomy and Morphology (ztm), Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb)

Tel: +49 228 9122-367

Fax: +49 228 9122-212

Mail: M.Stange [at] leibniz-lib.de

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Profile

Field of work

Current Research Focus

In my working group we deal with population genomics (whole genome analyses), ecology and morphology of freshwater fish, currently with a focus on minnows (Phoxinus spp.). To this end, we carry out standardised monitoring using point abundance fishing, record ecological parameters, collect fish and examine them morphologically (geometric morphometrics) and trophologically (stomach content analyses, stable isotopes). Finally, the results of the trophic and morphological investigations are combined with the results of the whole genome analyses in order to be able to make statements about species/population boundaries, ecological preferences of individual species and the influence of hybridisation through stocking measures. All genetic resources obtained are deposited in our biobank and the resulting data sets and analysis code are made available on open source databases.

I offer the following topics for master theses (as of May 2024):

Determination of growth rates in minnows based on scales
Histological work on gonadal development in minnows
Bioinformatics (knowledge of R and Unix, possibly HPC, is a prerequisite): Identification of structural variation in genomes of different minnow species

Research interests

Current research group members (non-PhDs)

Nils Sternberg, PhD student

Temitope Oriowo, PhD student

Alexander Keller, University of Bonn, Master thesis

Erika Cevallos Dupuis, Master thesis

Former working group members

Annabell Macphee, University of Glasgow, visiting master student, 2023-2024

Sebastian Scheumann, University of Cologne, Bachelor thesis, 2024

Fredrik Holz, University of Cologne, Bachelor thesis, 2023

Memberships

European Society of Evolutionary Biology (ESEB)

External websites and profiles

https://scholar.google.ch/citations?user=qLKKlMsAAAAJ&hl=de

https://twitter.com/MadStange

https://www.linkedin.com/in/madlenstange/

Projects

2021

Hybrid swarm evolution in minnows

In biodiversity research, little is known so far about how hybridizations of a native and a non-native species can lead to the evolution of an invasive hybrid. A group of researchers led by Dr Madlen Stange is now studying this aspect in a project at the Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig – Leibniz Institute for Animal Biodiversity (ZFMK). The group is investigating the spread of Phoxinus, an ecologically important schooling fish, in the River Sieg, a 155 km tributary of the River Rhine.

Unit:

Junior Research Group (Minnow), Centre for Taxonomy and Morphology (ztm), Centre for Molecular Biodiversity Research (zmb), Metabarcoding, Ichthyology, Directorate, Chair Systematic Zoology, Comparative Vertebrate Genomics

Project lead:

Dr. Madlen Stange

Funding:

Leibniz Association

Publications

Published in

2023

Oriowo T, Chrysostomakis I, Martin S, Kukowka S, Brown T, Winkler S, Myers EW, Böhne A and Stange M. (2023) A chromosome-level, haplotype-resolved genome assembly and annotation for the Eurasian minnow (Leuciscidae - Phoxinus phoxinus) provide evidence of haplotype diversity. bioRxiv 2023.11.30.569369. doi: 10.1101/2023.11.30.569369

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Links:

A chromosome-level, haplotype-resolved genome assembly and annotation for the Eurasian minnow (Leuciscidae - Phoxinus phoxinus)

2022

Bishop, C.E., Gahm K., Hendry, A.P., Jones, S.E., Stange, M., Solomon, C.T. (2022): Benthic–limnetic morphological variation in fishes: Dissolved organic carbon concentration produces unexpected patterns - Ecosphere (13): e3965. doi:10.1002/ecs2.3965

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Brüningk, S. C. , Klatt, J., Stange, M., Mari, A., Brunner, M., Roloff, T-C., et al. (2022): Determinants of SARS-CoV-2 transmission to guide vaccination strategy in an urban area. Virus Evolution 8(1): veac002. doi:10.1093/ve/veac002

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Kathrin Zürcher, Irene A Abela, Madlen Stange, Carole Dupont, Catrina Mugglin, Adrian Egli, Alexandra Trkola, Matthias Egger, Lukas Fenner, Alpha variant coronavirus outbreak in a nursing home despite high vaccination coverage: molecular, epidemiological and immunological studies, Clinical Infectious Diseases, 2022;, ciab1005, https://doi.org/10.1093/cid/ciab1005

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Nadeau, S. A., Vaughan, T. G., Beckmann, C., Topolsky, I., Chen, C., Hodcroft, E., Schär, T., Nissen, I., Santacroce, N., Burcklen, E., Ferreira, P., Jablonski, K. P., Posada-Céspedes, S., Capece, V., Seidel, S., Santamaria de Souza, N., Martinez-Gomez, J. M., Cheng, P., Bosshard, P. P., Levesque, M. P., Kufner, V., Schmutz, S., Zaheri, M., Huber, M., Trkola, A., Cordey, S., Laubscher, F., Gonçalves, A. R., Aeby, S., Pillonel, T., Jacot, D., Bertelli, C., Greub, G., Leuzinger, K., Stange, M., Mari, A., Roloff, T., Seth-Smith, H., Hirsch, H. H., Egli, A., Redondo, M., Kobel, O., Noppen, C., du Plessis, L., Beerenwinkel, N., Neher, R. A., Beisel, C., Stadler, T. Swiss Public Health Measures Associated with Reduced SARS-CoV-2 Transmission Using Genome Data. Science Translational Medicine 2022, eabn7979. https://doi.org/10.1126/scitranslmed.abn7979.

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2021

Wegner, F., Roloff, T., Huber, M., Cordey, S., Ramette, A., Gerth, Y., Bertelli, C., Stange, M., Seth-Smith, H., Mari, A., Leuzinger, K., Cerutti, L., Harshman, K., Xenarios, I., Le Mercier, P., Bittel, P., Neuenschwander, S., Opota, O., Fuchs, J., Panning, M., … Egli, A. (2021). External quality assessment of SARS-CoV-2-sequencing: An ESGMD-SSM pilot trial across 15 European laboratories. Journal of clinical microbiology, JCM0169821. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1128/JCM.01698-21

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Chen, C., Nadeau, S. A., Topolsky, I., Manceau, M., Huisman, J. S., Jablonski, K. P., Fuhrmann, L., ..., Stange, M., et. al. (2021): Quantification of the spread of SARS-CoV-2 variant B.1.1.7 in Switzerland. Epidemics, 37, 100480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.epidem.2021.100480

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Goncalves Cabecinhas, A.R., Roloff, T., Stange, M., Bertelli, C., Huber, M., Ramette, A., Chen, C., et. al. (2021): SARS-CoV-2 N501Y Introductions and Transmissions in Switzerland from Beginning of October 2020 to February 2021—Implementation of Swiss-Wide Diagnostic Screening and Whole Genome Sequencing. Microorganisms, 9, 677. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9040677

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Fox J, Jiménez M.A., Stange M. Natural history study of an understudied sea catfish species from Panama (Siluriformes: Ariidae). Neotrop Ichthyol. 2021; 19(4):e200105. https://doi.org/10.1590/1982-0224-2020-0105

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Mari, A., Roloff, T., Stange, M., Søgaard, K.K., Asllanaj, E., Tauriello, G., Alexander, et. al. (2021): A. Global Genomic Analysis of SARS-CoV-2 RNA Dependent RNA Polymerase Evolution and Antiviral Drug Resistance. Microorganisms, 9, 1094. https://doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms9051094

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Stange, M., Barrett, R.D.H. & Hendry, A.P. The importance of genomic variation for biodiversity, ecosystems and people. Nat Rev Genet 22, 89–105 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41576-020-00288-7

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Stange, M., Mari, A., Roloff, T., Seth-Smith, H. M. B., Schweitzer, M., Brunner, M., Leuzinger, K., et al. (2021) SARS-CoV-2 outbreak in a tri-national urban area is dominated by a B.1 lineage variant linked to a mass gathering event. PLOS Pathogens 17(3): e1009374. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.ppat.1009374

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2019

Heck, L., Sanchez-Villagra, M. R., Stange, M. (2019): Why the long face? Comparative shape analysis of miniature, pony, and other horse skulls reveals changes in ontogenetic growth. PeerJ 7:e7678 https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.7678

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2018

Heck, L., Wilson, L. A. B., Evin, A., Stange, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M. R. (2018): Shape variation and modularity of skull and teeth in domesticated horses and wild equids. Front Zool 15, 14. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12983-018-0258-9

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Stange, M., Aguirre-Fernández, G., Salzburger, W., Sánchez-Villagra, M.R. (2018): Study of morphological variation of northern Neotropical Ariidae reveals conservatism despite macrohabitat transitions. BMC Evol Biol 18, 38 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-018-1152-y

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Stange, M., Núñez-León, D., Sánchez-Villagra, M. R., Jensen, P., & Wilson, L. A. B. (2018): Morphological variation under domestication: how variable are chickens? Royal Society Open Science, 5(8), 180993. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.180993

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Stange, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M. R., Salzburger, W., & Matschiner, M. (2018): Bayesian Divergence-Time Estimation with Genome-Wide Single-Nucleotide Polymorphism Data of Sea Catfishes (Ariidae) Supports Miocene Closure of the Panamanian Isthmus, Systematic Biology, Volume 67, Issue 4, 681–699, https://doi.org/10.1093/sysbio/syy006

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2016

Stange, M., Aguirre-Fernández, G., Cooke, R.G., Barros, T., Salzburger, W. and Sánchez-Villagra, M.R. (2016), Evolution of opercle bone shape along a macrohabitat gradient: species identification using mtDNA and geometric morphometric analyses in neotropical sea catfishes (Ariidae). Ecol Evol, 6: 5817-5830. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.2334

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2015

Fuchs, M., Geiger, M., Stange, M., Sánchez-Villagra, M. R. (2015): Growth trajectories in the cave bear and its extant relatives: an examination of ontogenetic patterns in phylogeny. BMC Evol Biol 15, 239. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-015-0521-z

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2013

Mateus, C. S., Stange, M., Berner, D., Roesti, M., Quintella, B. R., Alves, M. J., Almeida, P. R., & Salzburger, W. (2013): Strong genome-wide divergence between sympatric European river and brook lampreys. Current Biology, 23(15), R649–R650. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.06.026

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Presentations

Talks

07/2024, Montréal, CA, Evolution

Unravelling genetic diversity of minnows (Phoxinus) in Germany: insights from historical records and whole-genome analyses with implications for conservation and taxonomy

06/2023, Ascona, CH, Biodiversity Convention – from science to implementation

“Stocking of Phoxinus spp. In North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany”.

11/2022, Vienna, AT, 18. Annual Meeting of German Ichthyological Society e.V. (GfI)

“Phoxinus spp. In North-Rhine Westphalia: what we know and don’t know”.

01/2020, Bonn, DE, Zoological Research Museum Alexander Koenig.

“Genetic and morphological diversity in vertebrates”. Invited talk.

12/2019, Montréal, CA, 10th Symposium of the Quebec Centre for Biodiversity Science/ 10e colloque annuel du CSBQ.

“Life history and feeding ecology in an understudied sea catfish species from Panama/ Traits d’histoire de vie et l'écologie de alimentation d'une espèce de poisson-chat de mer peu étudiée du Panama”.

09/2019, Montréal, CA, BESS Annual Retreat

“Phylogenetic Bayesian inference and geometric morphometrics in Neotropical Sea Catfishes: New species, support for Miocene closure of the Panamanian Isthmus, and Conservation of Skull shape”.

06/2018, Panama-City, PA, Naos seminar series, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

“Phylogenetic Bayesian Inference and Geometric Morphometrics in Neotropical Sea Catfishes: New Species, Support for Miocene Closure of the Panamanian Isthmus and Conservation of Skull Shape”.. Invited talk.

08/2017, Gothenburg, SE, BioSyst.EU

“Phylogenetic Bayesian inference and geometric morphometrics in Neotropical sea catfishes: new species, support for Miocene closure of the Panamanian isthmus, and conservation of skull shape”.

02/2017, Bern, CH, Biology17

“Bayesian divergence time estimation and skull shape evolution in sea catfishes (Ariidae)”. (Best Talk Award in the section Bioinformatics and Phylogenomics)

06/2016, Austin, TX, USA, Evolution 2016

“Morphological evolution in Neotropical Ariidae”.

10/2014, Panama-City, PA, CTPA seminar series, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute

“Evolution in Northern Neotropical Catfishes – A Molecular and Morphological Approach”. Invited talk.

Education

2017 Dr. sc. nat. in Evolutionary Biology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
2013 M. Sc. in Molecular Biology, University of Potsdam, Germany; with distinction
2010 B. Sc. in Life Sciences, University of Potsdam, Germany

Research Experience

since 07/2021 Junior group leader at ZMB
04/2020-06/2021 Bioinformatician at University Hospital Basel with Prof. Dr. med. et Dr. phil. Adrian Egli, Switzerland
10/2019–03/2020 Postdoctoral researcher with Profs. Andrew P. Hendry and Rowan D. Barrett at McGill University, Canada
04/2018–09/2019 Swiss National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellow with Profs. Andrew P. Hendry and Rowan D. Barrett at McGill University, Canada
02/2018-03/2018 Postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Walter Salzburger at Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland
06/2017–01/2018 Postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra at Palaentological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland
07-2013-12/2013 Research assistant with Prof. Marcelo Sánchez-Villagra at Palaentological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Switzerland
04/2012-10/2012 Internship at Zoological Institute, University of Basel, Switzerland
09/2007–03/2012 Student assistant with Dr. Sandra Schwarte and Prof. Ralph Tiedmann, at University of Potsdam, Germany

Funding

2021-2026 "Hybrid swarm evolution of native and invasive Phoxinus spp. to the
river Sieg, Germany" Junior Research Group funded by Leibniz Association
2018–2019 “The molecular basis of rapid marine-freshwater adaptation in catfish”. Early Postdoc.Mobility Fellowship funded by Swiss National Science Foundation (69,049 EUR)
2018 “The molecular basis of rapid marine-freshwater adaptation in sea catfish”. STRI Short Term Fellowship funded by Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (4,090 EUR)
2015–2016 “Evolution in Northern Neotropical Catfishes –Integrating Genomics and Morphometrics”. Forschungskredit funded by University of Zürich (50,765 EUR)
2013 “Population genomics of parallel adaptation in endemic and endangered Neotropical crater lake cichlid fishes”. ConGenOmics Exchange Visit Grant funded by European Science Foundation (3,500 EUR)
2012 PROMOS Scholarship by the German Academic Exchange Service (1,125
EUR) for a Master thesis abroad (Switzerland)

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Dr. Madlen Stange

Tabs

Field of work

Current Research Focus

I offer the following topics for master theses (as of May 2024):

Research interests

Current research group members (non-PhDs)

Former working group members

Memberships

External websites and profiles

2021

Hybrid swarm evolution in minnows

2023

2022

2021

2019

2018

2016

2015

2013

Talks

Education

Research Experience

Funding

Staff search