Research

General Areas / Fields of Research:

· Molecular Biology · Genomics · Molecular Genetics · Epigenetics · Parasitology · Zoonoses · One Health ·

 · Wildlife Science  · Animal Science · Veterinary Biomarker Research / Immunology (Protein Biomarkers / Cytokines) ·

Research Areas:

Mr. Siegert's research is situated at the interface of biology, health, and the environment
— a perspective that has shaped his scientific work across several interconnected fields.

Molecular Genetics & Genomics:

Molecular genetics and genomics represent Mr. Siegert's current primary research focus and, by his own account, his scientific home. His work in this area is rooted in the conviction that the genome — its structure, its variation, and its expression — holds answers to some of the most fundamental questions in biology and medicine. Working in the group of Prof. Dr. Bertram Brenig at the Institute of Veterinary Medicine, University of Göttingen, Mr. Siegert applies next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies and computational approaches to address questions in veterinary medicine and wildlife biology. His doctoral research is focused on bioinformatics and genomics, combining wet-laboratory methods with independent computational analysis.This work forms the methodological and conceptual foundation upon which Mr. Siegert's broader research programme is built.

Parasitology & Zoonotic Diseases

Before transitioning to molecular genetics, Mr. Siegert conducted research in parasitology and zoonotic diseases — fields he approached consistently through a One Health lens, recognising that the health of animals, humans, and ecosystems cannot be understood in isolation. His work in this area included both laboratory-based investigations and the development of quantitative models. Notably, Mr. Siegert developed a mathematical model describing the wind-borne dispersal of Echinococcus multilocularis eggs — a contribution with direct implications for understanding the transmission dynamics of this dangerous zoonotic parasite and the first of its kind in the published literature. This field remains an active reference point in Mr. Siegert's work, informing his understanding of host-pathogen dynamics and cross-species disease transmission in a molecular context.

Veterinary Biomarker Research & Immunology

In parallel to his parasitological work, Mr. Siegert contributed to research on molecular and immunological biomarkers in veterinary medicine — including investigations into cytokine profiles and novel diagnostic markers in domestic animals. This work reflects his broader interest in evidence-based, translational approaches to animal and human health. These contributions reflect a sustained interest in the molecular underpinnings of health and disease that continues to inform Mr. Siegert's current research directions.

Bioinformatics:

Bioinformatics forms an increasingly central pillar of Mr. Siegert's scientific practice. Introduced to the field through collaboration with his colleague Joel Fonseca-Nogueira, Mr. Siegert has since developed independent competencies in the computational analysis of biological sequence data — from raw sequencing output to biological interpretation. He regards bioinformatics not as a support tool only, but as a scientific discipline in its own right, one that is indispensable for modern genomic research. For Mr. Siegert, computational and wet-laboratory approaches are not alternatives but complements — two sides of the same scientific coin.

Epigenetics

Epigenetics represents a field of particular interest to Mr. Siegert — and one that he regards as a natural convergence point for his broader scientific trajectory. At the intersection of molecular genetics, genomics, environmental biology, and One Health, epigenetic research offers a framework in which questions about gene regulation, environmental influence, and disease susceptibility can be addressed in an integrative manner — across species, across disciplines, and across scales. In this sense, epigenetics represents not a departure from Mr. Siegert's previous research areas, but their logical synthesis.

Mr. Siegert is currently in the process of developing research projects and grant proposals in this area, with the aim of establishing epigenetics as a central pillar of his future research programme.

Taken together, these research areas are not isolated chapters but interconnected strands of a single scientific programme — one that seeks to understand living systems at the interface of biology, health, and the environment, from the molecular level to the ecosystem, and from the individual animal to human and environmental health. It is precisely this integrative perspective that defines Mr. Siegert's approach to science, and that he intends to develop further as the foundation of his future research group.

For special contributions in these fields see below:

 Areas of Research in Which Mr. Siegert has Made a Special Contribution ...

Parasitology / One Health - Echinococcus multilocularis

In the field of parasitology, Mr. Siegert was the first to mathematically determine the weight of an Echinococcus multilocularis egg and to publish a mathematical model for estimating the possible flight distances of such eggs regarding the transmission possibilities of this zoonotic parasite. The model is characterised by its high practical suitability.

a. Siegert, S., & Neumann, S. (2022). Wind-borne dispersion of Echinococcus multilocularis eggs – a flight model. Journal of Helminthology, 96, E45. doi:10.1017/S0022149X22000360 (open access)

Genetics / Genomics

... coming soon ...

The “Publications” page contains an updated list of publications in all of these areas and many more.