Evolutionary ecophysiological study of the synergism between UV stress and heavy metals

I study the ecological and evolutionary implications of oxidative stress in the water flea Daphnia magna. The project concentrates on UV radiation as model pro-oxidant. I focus on (i) the physiological-mechanistic underpinnings, (ii) the micro-evolutionary changes of vulnerability to UV radiation, (iii) synergistic effects of UV radiation and metal pollution and (iv) resulting eco-evolutionary dynamics with regard to vulnerability to predation. Therefore different approaches are combined: physiological assays of defense mechanisms, resurrection ecology, experimental evolution and predation experiments.