Dr. Stefan Fischer
Head of Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility (TSM)
Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen
Center for Applied Geosciences
Geomicrobiology
Schnarrenbergstrasse 94-96
D-72076 Tübingen
Germany
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Short CV
since 2020
Head of the Tübingen Structural Microscopy Core Facility (TSM)
Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
2014-2020
Assistant Professor, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen
Department of Evolutionary Biology of Invertebrates
2013-2014
PostDoc, Dalhousie University Halifax (Canada)
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University Halifax
2013-2014
PostDoc, Dalhousie University Halifax (Canada)
Department of Psychology and Neuroscience, Dalhousie University Halifax
2009-2012
PhD, Jacobs University Bremen
“Structural and functional changes of insect eyes in cases of miniaturization”
2009
Teamleader Ichthyology group, IFAÖ Neu Broderstorf
2008
Research assistant, IFAÖ Neu Broderstorf
2007
Graduation, University Rostock
Research Interests
Current projects
- Development of advanced chemical and cryogenic fixation methodologies for challenging sample material
- Development of correlative workflows using multiple imaging techniques on the same sample (combining μCT, Focused Ion Beam, light and transmission electron microscopy)
- Miniaturization of visual systems in insects
- Evolution of eye types in insects with special focus on Lepidoptera and Amphiesmenoptera
- Biomimetic application of corneal structures on solar cells
Methodological expertise
Light microscopy (LM)
Scanning electron microscopy (SEM)
Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)
Serial sectioning transmission electron microscopy (ssTEM)
Ultramicrotomy, including serial-sectioning and resectioning techniques
3D reconstruction (ssTEM, FIB, LM, MicroCT data)
microwave assisted chemical as well as cryogenic fixation sample preparation methods
MicroCT
Software expertise
Due to the time and labour intensive work of segmenting larger TEM Data sets, I developed a strong interest in automatization, scripting and building time efficient workflow pipelines for my work in the last years. For that purpose mainly open source software (Fiji, ICY, MIB,Ilastik, Blender, R…) is used.
Publications
Chen, Q., Sasikala-Appukuttan, A.K., Husain, Z., Shrivastava, A., Spain, M., Sendler, E. D. , Daines, B., Fischer, S., Chen, R., Cook, T.A., Friedrich, M. (2022) Global gene expression analysis reveals complex cuticle organization of the Tribolium compound eye. Genome Biology and Evolution. Accepted.
Bronner, R., Thompson, K., Dreher, C., Runge, E., Voggenreiter, E., Shuster, J., Wan, B., Joshi, P., Fischer, S., Duda, J.P., Kappler, A., Mansor, M. (2022) Fe-S metabolisms of Geobacter species drive mineral formation and phosphate mobilization. Geochemical Perspectives Letters. Accepted.
Patzner, M.S., Kainz, N., Lundin, E., Barczok, M., Smith, C., Herndon, E., Kinsman-Costello, L., Fischer, S., Straub, D., Kleindienst, S., Kappler, A., Bryce, C. (2022) Seasonal fluctuations in iron cycling in thawing permafrost peatlands. Environmental Science and Technology https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.1c06937
ThomasArrigo, L.K., Notini, L., Shuster, J., Nydegger, T., Vontobel, S., Fischer, S., Kappler, A., Kretzschmar, R. (2021) Mineral characterization and composition of Fe-rich flocs from wetlands of Iceland: Implications for Fe, C and trace element export. Science of the Total Environment https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.151567
Danalache, M., Beutler K.R., Rolauffs, B., Wolfgart, J.M., Bonnaire, F.C., Fischer, S., Greving, I., Hofmann, U.K. (2021): Exploration of changes in spatial chondrocyte organisation in human osteoarthritic cartilage by means of 3D imaging. Scientific reports (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-021-89582-w)
Csader, M., Mayer, K., Betz, O., Fischer, S., Eggs, B. (2021): The ovipositor of the braconid wasp Habrobracon hebetor: structural and functional aspects. Journal of Hymenoptera Research 10.3897/jhr.83.64018).
Fischer, S., Laue, M., Müller, C.H.G., Meinertzhagen, I.A., Pohl, H.(2021): Ultrastructural 3D reconstruction of the smallest known insect photoreceptors: the stemmata of a first instar larva of Strepsiptera (Hexapoda). Arthropod Structure and Development (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2021.101055).
Mohr T., Fischer S. (2020) Ultrastructural evidence for the origin of the sub-retinal pigment shield in the compound eye of Drosophila melanogaster. J. Morph. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.21143
Mohr T., Meinertzhagen I.A., Fischer S. (2019) Novel type of sub‐retinal pigment shield in the miniaturized compound eye of Trichogramma evanescens. J Comp Neurol https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24745
Fischer S., Lu Z., Meinertzhagen I.A. (2019) Three-dimensional ultrastructural organization of the ommatidium of the minute parasitoid wasp Trichogramma evanescens. Arthropod Structure and Development 48:35-48. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2018.12.003
Qarony W., Hossain M.I., Dewan R., Fischer S., Meyer- Rochow V.B., Salleo A., Knipp D., Tsang Y.H. (2018) Approaching perfect light incoupling in perovskite and silicon thin film solar cells by moth eye surface textures. Advanced Thory and Simulations 1 (8) 1800030. https://doi.org/10.1002/adts.201800030
Fischer S., Lu Z., Meinertzhagen I.A. (2017) From two to three dimensions: The importance of the third dimension for evaluating the limits to neuronal miniaturization in insects. J Comp Neurol. (526 (4):653-662). https://doi.org/10.1002/cne.24358
Makarova A., Polilov A., Fischer S. (2015) Comparative morphological analysis of compound eye miniaturization in minute Hymenoptera. Arthropod Structure & Development 44(1):21-32. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.asd.2014.11.001
Kristensen N.P., Rota J., Fischer S. (2014) Notable plesiomorphies and notable specializations: Head structure of the primitive “tongue moth” Acanthopteroctetes unifascia (Lepidoptera: Acanthopteroctetidae). Journal of Morphology 275(2):153-72. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20205
Fischer S., Meyer-Rochow V.B., Müller C.H.G. (2013) Compound Eye Miniaturization in Lepidoptera: a comparative morphological analysis. Acta Zoologica https://doi.org/10.1111/azo.12041
Fischer S., Meyer-Rochow V.B., Müller C.H.G. (2012) Challenging limits: Ultrastructure and size-related functional constraints of the compound eye of Stigmella microtheriella (Lepidoptera: Nepticulidae). Journal of Morphology 273 (9): 1064-1078. https://doi.org/10.1002/jmor.20045
Fischer S., Müller C.H.G., Meyer-Rochow V.B. (2012) Neither apposition nor superposition: the compound eyes of the chestnut leafminer Cameraria ohridella. Zoomorphology 131: 37-55. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00435-011-0141-0
Fischer S., Müller C.H.G., Meyer-Rochow V.B. (2011) How small can small be: The compound eye of the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood, 1833) (Hymenoptera, Hexapoda), an insect of 0.3 to 0.4 mm total body size. Visual Neuroscience 28: 295–308. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0952523810000192
Talks
2021/09 Meeting of the german zoological association (digital)
Small eyes, large data: visual systems of tiniest insects in 3D ultrastructural resolution
2019/11 Symposium of the Network for Electron Microscopy Tübingen (NET)
The challenge of upscaling 3D microscopy while preserving ultrastructural detail and time efficiency
2019/09 Visionarium (XVIII) meeting in Tvärminne (Finnland)
Spatial and functional constraints of compound eye miniaturization
2019/03 Department of Integrative Zoology, University Vienna (Austria)
Three-dimensional investigation of miniaturized insect visual systems
2019/01 Institute of Evolution and Ecology seminar, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen (Germany)
Small eyes and tiny brains: Miniaturization of visual systems in insects
2017/11 Symposium of the Network for Electron Microscopy Tuebingen (NET)
Serial section TEM image stack analysis pipelines using license free open source software
2017/09 Meeting of the german zoological association in Bielefeld (Germany)
From 2D to 3D: evaluating the limits to neuronal miniaturization in insects on ultrastructural level using 3D image information
2015/07 Zoological Colloquium at Zoologisches Institut und Museum, Ernst-Moritz- Arndt-Universität Greifswald (Germany)
Miniaturisierungseffekte bei Arthropodenaugen (Miniaturization effects within compound eyes of arthropods)
2015/05 Symposium of the electron microscopy network Tübingen (NET)
3D reconstruction on ultrastructural level using ssTEM and TrakEM2
2015/04 Zoological Colloquium at Institut für Spezielle Zoologie und Evolutionsbiologie mit Phyletischem Museum, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena (Germany)
Miniaturization of the visual system in Hymenoptera
2014/12 Institute of Evolution and Ecology, Eberhard Karls University Tübingen (Germany)
EvE Seminar talk: Why size matters: Consequences of insect body size miniaturization
2014/08 International Congress on Invertebrate Morphology (ICIM3) in Berlin (Germany)
First 3D reconstruction on EM level of a complete ommatidium of a miniaturized parasitic wasp
2013/08 International Conference on Invertebrate Vision in Bäckaskog (Sweden)
The challenge of being small: Miniaturization of the lepidopteran compound eye
2011/10 Visionarium X in Tvärminne (Finland)
Neither apposition nor superposition: Ultrastructural design of compound eyes in moths of small body size
2011/09 Meeting of the german zoological association in Saarbrücken (Germany)
Compound eyes with features of both apposition and superposition optics in moths of small body size
2010/10 Visionarium IX in Tvärminne (Finland)
Structural and functional changes of insect eyes in cases of miniaturization
2009/10 Microlepidoptera-Meeting in Mainz (Germany)
Miniaturisierung von Superpositionsaugen bei Nachtfaltern
Poster
2019/09 Visionarium XVIII meeting in Tvärminne (Finland)
3D reconstruction of the smallest known insect photoreceptors: the stemmata of the first instar larvae of Stylops ovinae (Insecta, Strepsiptera)
2019/09 Meeting of the german zoological association in Jena
Rapid evaluation of ultrastructural features in epoxy resin embedded samples, using serial- and re-sectioning techniques
2019/08 International conference on invertebrate vision (ICIV) in Bäckaskog
3D reconstruction of the smallest known insect photoreceptors: the stemmata of the first instar larvae of Stylops ovinae (Insecta, Strepsiptera)
2018/09 Meeting of the german zoological association in Greifswald
3D reconstruction of the smallest known insect photoreceptors: the stemmata of the first instar larvae of Stylops ovinae (Insecta, Strepsiptera)
2017/10 Graduiertenforum der Fachgruppe Morphologie, Stuttgart
T. Mohr, S. Fischer: Larger numbers, less effort: time efficient analysis pipeline for measuring the volumes of pigment granules in insect eyes
2010/10 Visionarium IX in Tvärminne (Finland)
Compound eyes in insects of small size: Ultrastructure of the eyes of the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood 1833)
2010/09 Meeting of the german zoological association in Hamburg (Germany)
Compound eyes in insects of small size: Ultrastructure of eyes of the parasitoid wasp Trichogramma evanescens (Westwood 1833)
Memberships
German Zoological Association (DZG)
International Society for Invertebrate Morphology (ISIM)
DGE Deutsche Gesellschaft für Elektronenmikroskopie (German society for electron microscopy)