Anne Mäkelä

Anne Mäkelä is a Lecturer in Evolutionary Biology at the University of Helsinki, affiliated with the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences and the Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Research Programme. She teaches courses such as BIO_103: Eliöiden monimuotoisuus, BIO_301: Tutkimuksen teon perusteet, and EEB_201: Laboratory Methods in Molecular Ecology.

Her research focuses on host-symbiont interactions, particularly coevolution between insects and their microbiota, with a strong emphasis on Wolbachia and other endosymbionts. She leads the Insect Symbiosis Ecology and Evolution (ISEE) research group and contributes to projects like The hidden value of Microbial Symbionts for Sustainable Agriculture (MiSSA) and Wild Animal Phenotyping Infrastructure.

Her recent publications analyze microbial diversity, Wolbachia strain dynamics, and genomic methods for symbiosis studies. Trends in her work include leveraging genomic data to uncover symbiotic relationships, studying the impact of symbionts on host ecology, and exploring applications in sustainable agriculture.

Scientific Awards:

• Best conference partaker (2022)
• Funding for Conference Organizing (CoE in Biological Interactions, 2016)
• Ella & Georg Enrnrooth Foundation Grant (2016)
• Knut och Alice Wallenbergs stiftelse for Contact Outside Europe (2019)
• LUOVA Funding for Conference Organizing (2016)

She coordinates the LUOVA doctoral program, supervises MSc and doctoral theses, and organizes outreach initiatives like the Viikki Sustainability Day. Her work also involves international collaborations and participation in conferences, workshops, and seminars.