Current exhibition: “Diversity of Biodiversity”

Enlarge

The exhibition “Diversity of Biodiversity” shows how diverse the topic of biodiversity is within the Faculty of Biology. With aesthetic exhibits, vivid graphics, and easy-to-understand texts, the exhibition makes science accessible to everyone.

The spectrum of work ranges from the future of olive oil to the puberty of butterflies to the question of how the evolutionary history of humans can be traced using monkey urine.

Enlarge

At the same time, it becomes clear how closely research is linked to social and ethical issues. The projects on display also address invisible care work and neglected tasks, sustainable scientific work, and how diversity can promote efficiency.

Visitors are also invited to explore their own views on the topic on display and to participate in the LMU's science dialogue.

Prof. Dr. Annika Guse

Enlarge

Professor of Molecular Cell Biology

Diversity is beauty

This are anemones. Anemones live where others go on holiday – in the shallow waters of coral reefs. At first glance, this shouldn't really be possible, as there is little food here for them. However, there is plenty of light. And single-celled algae. These algae enter an intracellular symbiosis with the anemone, using photosynthesis to convert the available light into sugars, fats and amino acids.

The algae thus provide the anemone with exactly everything it needs to survive. In return, the anemone provides them with nutrients and protection. Environmental stresses, such as rising sea temperatures or pollution, disrupt this delicate balance and can ultimately force the partners apart, depriving both of the very foundations of life. They can ́t live, if living is without one another.

Corals employ a similar strategy to anemones. They build their calcareous skeletons into reefs using algae. These underwater metropolises are true hotspots for biodiversity. They provide a habitat for countless species, buffer the impact of hurricanes and supply important substances for medicine and life above water.

Prof. Dr. Joachim Haug

Enlarge

Lichtenberg-Professor for Zoomorphology

Form of Existence: Larval Stage

Larvae lie dormant in amber. Look how beautiful! Admittedly, a lively buzzing bee or a butterfly dancing upon a summer breeze may seem even more beautiful, but first of all, every insect is just a larva that has grown into an adult. Secondly, their fleeting role as charming springtime messengers on colourful meadows makes up only a small fraction of their life cycle.

Like countless other insects, they spend the greater part of their existence in darkness as larvae. Here, they move in completely different realms and according to completely different needs. Yet research so often concentrates mainly on the needs of adult male insects. This perspective is outdated.

It fails to honour the full richness of the insect world in all its stages of development. We could protect biodiversity far better if we understood the needs of larvae in their environments, even if these are less visible or attractive to us.

Prof. Dr. Silke Robatzek

Enlarge

Professor for Molecular Plant-Microbe Interactions

The taste of good olive oil is indispensable in today’s cuisine. But what do we do when the very trees that give us this beloved oil fall ill? Currently, the invasive bacterium Xylella fastidiosa is sweeping through entire olive groves, leaving them largely defenceless – conventional pesticides are ineffective. To keep the trees alive as olive producers, new, sustainable protection strategies are urgently needed. Researchers are therefore investigating where the plant's immune system shows weaknesses.

The aim is to take specific countermeasures against these vulnerabilities by developing biological methods to bolster the tree’s natural defences. This approach, known as “internal plant protection”, could not only rescue the olive tree (and thus our salad dressing) but also serve as a blueprint for defending other crops.

This is because Xylella fastidiosa infects numerous crops worldwide, it has a taste for our favourite foods, too. At the heart of this research lies more than a single tree: it is about safeguarding our food supply and securing the future of agricultural businesses.

Prof. Dr. Herwig Stibor

Enlarge

Professor of Aquatic Ecology

Lose none

These vials contain various types of phytoplankton. Phytoplankton float freely in both saltwater and freshwater, but remain almost invisible to the human eye. In fact, much of the diversity of life is invisible to us, yet it is extremely important: phytoplankton, for example, are responsible for half of the world's oxygen production. Oxygen is produced through photosynthesis, which requires light. In order to enable photosynthesis to take place underwater and in areas of low light, phytoplankton have different pigments.

The combination of these pigments allows the entire light spectrum to be utilised. Therefore, the diversity of colours reflects the diversity of organisms involved, highlighting how diverse a community must be in order to function well. A loss of diversity at this level is invisible at first, but has a significant impact on the performance of phytoplankton, and with it, on life on earth in general.

This is because less colourful means less efficient, which in turn means less oxygen production. The bottom line is: without the invisible diversity of phytoplankton, we would first run out of air, and then, very quickly, out of time.

PD Carolin Haug

Enlarge

PD for Zoology and Palaeontology

Diversity needs Backups

Here you can see an earwig and an antlion. Although the two insects are only distantly related, they share remarkably similar gripping tools. Admittedly, these tools are located on different parts of their bodies, but that does not really matter. What matters is that they can perform very similar functions with them. What the antlion does with its mouthparts, the earwig does with its rear end, which means that different species can perform similar tasks within an ecosystem. The two are, in a sense, a natural backup for each other's functions.

For the preservation of an ecosystem, it is therefore less important who does what than that the task can be done at all. Think of it like a shared flat: it doesn't really matter who lives there to keep it clean. It's just important that someone in the flat can take out the rubbish.

Problems arise – whether in a household or an ecosystem – when this function disappears and there is no one left to perform it. Environmental protection is therefore not only about protecting species, but also and above all about protecting functions and functional connections.

Dr. Johanna Geuder

Enlarge

Research Assistant, Postdoctoral Researcher in the field of Anthropology and Human Genomics

How did we get here?

Coffee is referred to as 'black gold', while salt is considered 'white gold'. For this research project, monkey urine is ‘liquid gold’. The cells from the urine provide important insights into primate genetics, allowing us to trace the course of human development. The research shows, among other things, that cultural and environmental influences have shaped evolution far more profoundly than previously assumed.

Evolution is not linear, it is not a march of progress. It is not the strongest species that survive, but those that have adapted best to changing conditions. Research focusing on our origins as primates can correct scientific misconceptions and make theories verifiable. This enables us to understand where we are today, and as a result, to gain a better understanding of current human dis eases.

The striking genetic similarities – the human genome differs by only 1.2% from that of a chimpanzee – are crucial in this regard. Collecting monkey urine enables researchers to work non-invasively without laying a finger on them.

Prof. Dr. Marc Gottschling

Enlarge

Professor of Systematic Botany

Who are you, and what is your name?

These drawings of various single-celled organisms were created shortly after 1830. Admittedly, they are a little older. However, the recording of the biodiversity of single-celled organisms began some time ago. Despite generations of diligent research, it is estimated that there are still more than 10 million undiscovered species in the microcosm. But why should we bother?

Quite simply, because single-celled organisms form the basis of all more complex life. Without them, nothing on this planet would function. Which is why we should keep a close eye on them. This is just as Mr Ehrenberg (and his colleagues) realised almost 200 years ago, even though they did not have modern microscopes for their research. And precisely because our technology is far more advanced today, careful observation remains essential. After all, today's research builds on yesterday's, and tomorrow's research will build on today's.

As it is impossible to record the diversity of single- celled organisms within a single scientific lifetime due to their sheer quantity, it is important to work together in a consistent and accurate manner. The more precisely a species is described, the easier it is to characterise its various functions and associated roles in the ecosystem, and thus to protect it.