Matthias Wolf

Matthias Wolf is an Academic Director at the Department of Bioinformatics, Biocenter, University of Würzburg. He holds a Doctor rerum naturalium (summa cum laude) from Free University of Berlin (2002) and has been a faculty member since 2003, progressing through roles including C1 Assistant Professor (2003–2008), Lecturer (2008–2015), Senior Lecturer (2015–2024), and now Academic Director. His research focuses on phylogenetics, phycology, and RNA secondary structure analysis, particularly using ITS2 databases. He has over 85 peer-reviewed publications and an h-index of 46. Awards include being listed among the top 2% scientists in his field (2020) and recognition for 25 years of service in Berlin and Bavaria (2023).

Education highlights include a Diploma in Biology (1999) and PhD studies on molecular systematics of green algae (2002). He has held visiting roles at Research Center Jülich and contributed to expeditions aboard the research vessel METEOR. His grants include DFG funding for ITS2-based phylogenetic algorithms (2007–2011). He serves on editorial boards for BMC Ecology and Evolution and Biology, and is active in societies like GfBS and DBG.

Research interests emphasize using ITS2 sequence-structure data for phylogenetic reconstruction, species delineation, and molecular systematics. His work spans algae, protists, and fungi, with a focus on resolving evolutionary relationships and taxonomic ambiguities. Teaching responsibilities include courses in bioinformatics, phylogenetics, and computational tools for biology.

• Labs/Teams: Chair of Bioinformatics, ITS2 Database Project
• Grants: DFG MU 2831/1-1 (2007–2011)
• Advising: Supervised numerous PhD/Master’s students in microbial systematics and bioinformatics