Areas of expertise: Taxonomy, systematic, evolution, and ecology of ciliates (Protista, Ciliophora) from various habitats (Arctic and Antarctic sea ice; soil; plankton of freshwaters, brackish waters, and marine waters).
Methods: Various silver-stains and further histological stains, light microscopy, electron microscopy (SEM, TEM) and the preparation methods, cladistic analyses.
Keywords: Protists; Ciliophora; biodiversity; morphology; ultrastructure; gene sequence analysis; soil biology; biology and ecology of marine, brackish water, and freshwater habitats; Arctic and Antarctic sea ice  
Board of reviewers: European Journal of Protistology, Elsevier GmbH, Germany, Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology, Wiley-Blackwell, MA, USA
Ad hoc reviewer: Acta Protozoologica, Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Brukenthal Acta Musei, Chinese Journal of Oceanology and Limnology, Current Zoology, International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology, Interna­tionale Revue der gesamten Hydrobiologie, Journal of marine biological Association of the United Kingdom, Journal of natural History, Marine Biodiversity Records, Marine Biology, Pakistan Journal of Zoology, Polar Biology, Protist, Systematics and Biodiversity, Zootaxa.
Associated editor: European Register of Marine Species (ERMS), World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS), Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology
Memberships in scientific societies: German Society for Protozoology, International Soci­ety of Protistologists, Network of Biological Systematics (NOBIS) Austria, International Research Coordination Network for Biodiversity of Cili­ates
Special skills: Monitoring of marine plankton and its quality management, Saprobiologic investigations, Lectures and courses in marine and freshwater biology, Course for the identification of animals 
Hobbies: Diving, Underwater Rugby
Activities: Participation in the development of a user-friendly guide to marine plankton ciliates (http://www.liv.ac.uk/ciliate/)