Kiel University

Dr. Mehdi Rashtbari is a soil microbial ecologist specializing in the functional dynamics of soil microbiomes in agroecosystems. His research focuses on integrating molecular, biochemical, and physiological approaches to understand how agricultural practices influence microbial-driven carbon and nitrogen cycling processes. He has extensive expertise in enzyme kinetics (including Vmax and Km determination), soil respiration and calorimetry, in situ rhizosphere analyses, and shotgun metagenomics for functional gene profiling.

Research on literature, culture and languages in Scandinavia 

Caecilie Weissert is Professor of Art History at Kiel University, where she focuses on the visual culture of the early modern period, from the 15th to the 19th century. Her research investigates how artworks were reinterpreted, adapted, and circulated across different media and historical contexts. Her current work examines how early museum collections were disseminated through printed albums. A key area of research interests include maritime art history, early modern Dutch and Northern European art, and the intersections of art and aesthetic experience.

Research on the ancient city Carissa Aurelia in Southern Spain and its microregion:

The focus of our research lies on the evolution of vertebrates. Fishes, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals have evolved over millions of years to survive challenging conditions. This lead to a tremendous number of different species (biodiversity), but also resulted in a wide morphological variety (disparity). Physically different habitats, such as the transition from a life in water to a life on land, imposed manifold pressures on the organisms. These dramatic differences of the respective environment require adaptations in the structure and function of the organismal body.