About me


dr. ralph menzel

I am a private lecturer at the Institute of Biology at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin currently teaching ecology and nematology in bachelor and master courses of study. As experienced expert in the fields of molecular biology, ecology, physiology, and toxicology using the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans as model organism, my research was/is focused on xenobiotic and natural product induced gene expression, the signal transduction networks and effectors of longevity as well as fat storage and the metabolism of C20 polyunsaturated fatty acids including derived signaling molecules, the eicosanoides. I am in particular interested in deciphering the diverse endogenous functions of different cytochrome P450 forms.

 

 

Moreover, I have long-standing experience in ecotoxicity evaluation, as biotests with a variety of organisms (e.g. nematodes and other invertebrates) including also non-traditional toxicity endpoints such as behavior, movement, feeding and life history trait analysis (life span and repro-duction). More recently, my research focuses on soil food web analyses using indirect biochemical methods, as dietary routing by following fatty acids in oligomeric trophic links, partly due to the involvement of stable isotopes.


Former and current projects include:

 

  • Dietary routing: The significance and routing of nematode born n-3 C20 PUFA in the soil web chain.
  • Cytochrome P450 driven metabolism of polyunsaturated fatty acids and the biological function of eicosanoids in C. elegans.
  • The involvement of cytochrome P450 in the metabolism of PCBs and how do P450s effect the fat storage in C. elegans?
  • Humic substances induced chemoattraction and gene expression pattern.
  • Influence of polyphenolic substances on aging and other fitness parameters.
  • Adverse effects of anthropogenic introduced chemical compounds (e.g. PCB) and induced global gene expression
    pattern measured by whole genomic DNA arrays.

Education and professional appointments


  • from 2021   Re-entry into the Ecology group at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • 2020             Advanced training in applied bioinformatics and biostatistics (CQ Beratung+Bildung GmbH)
  • 2015-2019   Dietary routing research, part of the Ecology group at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • 2007-2014   Scientific co-worker of the Freshwater & Stress Ecology group at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    • 2014              Habilitation in Zoology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
    • 2009              2-weeks working stay at the Huazhong Agricultural University in Wuhan, People's Republic of China
    • 2008-2009    9-months Underwood Fellowship at the King's College London, United Kingdom
  • 2003-2006   Ecotoxicological C. elegans research at the Leibniz-Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries, Berlin
  • 1999-2003   Research group leader at the Free University Berlin, Institute of Ecotoxicology & Biochemistry (Caenorhabditis elegans)
  • 1992-1998   Max Delbrück Centre of Molecular Medicine (Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Candida maltosa)
    • 1997, 1998   Two postdoc research fellowships at the Dep. of Biotechnology & Cellular Genetics, Tokyo University, Japan
    • 1997             Graduation in Cell Biology, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
  • 1991             Yeast research at the Central Institute of Molecular Biology (ZIM), Berlin
  • 1990             Diploma degree in Biology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald