Address

J-Prof. Dr. Frank Kauff
Molecular Phylogenetics
FB Biologie, 13/276
TU Kaiserslautern
Postfach 3049
67653 Kaiserslautern

Tel. +49 (0)631 205-2562
Fax +49 (0)631 205-2998
email: fkauff_at_biologie.uni-kl.de
skype: frank.kauff

Education / Positions held

  • since 12/2006 Juniorprofessor in Molecular Phylogenetics, Dept. of Biology, at University of Kaiserslautern, Germany
  • 08/2002 - 11/2006 Research Associate at Duke University, USA
  • 2002 Dr. rer. nat (Ph.D.) at University of Kaiserslautern, Germany (chair: Prof. Dr. Burkhard Büdel)
  • 1996 Diploma (MS), at University of Kaiserslautern, Germany (chair: Prof. Dr. Herbert Huber)

Selected Publications

  • Geml J, Kauff F, Brochmann C, Lutzoni F, Laurson GA, Redhead SA, Taylor DL (2012) Frequent circumarctic and rare transequatorial dispersals in the lichenised agaric genus Lichenomphalia (Hygrophoraceae, Basidiomycota). Fungal Biol DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.funbio.2011.12.009
  • Jebaraj CS, Kauff F, Stoeck T(in press) Molecular diversity of fungi from marine oxygen-deficient environments (ODEs). In: Whalley A. and Sarma V.V.R. (eds) Biology of Marine Fungi – revisited
  • Schmull M, Miadlikowska J, Pelzer M, Stocker-Worgötter E, Hofstetter V, Fraker E, Hodgkinson BP, Reeb V, Kukwa M, Lumbsch HT, Kauff F, Lutzoni F (2011) Phylogenetic affiliations of members of the heterogeneous lichen-forming fungi Lecidea sensu Zahlbruckner (Lecanoromycetes, Ascomycota). Mycologia 103: 983-1003
  • Hestmark G, Miadlikowska J, Kauff F, Fraker E, Molnar K, Lutzoni F (2011) Single origin and subsequent diversification of central Andean endemic Umbilicaria species. Mycologia 103: 45-56
  • Crespo A, Kauff F, Divakar PK, Del Prado R, Pérez-Ortega S, Amo de Paz G, Ferencova Z, Blanco O, Roca-Valiente B , Núñez-Zapata J, Cubas P, Argüello A, Elix JA, Esslinger TL, Hawksworth DL, Millanes A, Molina C, Wedin M, Ahti T, Aptroot A, Barreno E, Bungartz F, Calvelo S, Candan M, Cole M, Ertz D, Goffinet B, Lindblom L, Lücking R, Lutzoni J, Mattsson JE, Messuti MI, Miadlikowska J, Piercey-Normore M, Rico VJ, Sipman HJM, Schmitt I, Spribille T, Thell A, Thor G, Upreti DK, Lumbsch HT (2010) Phylogenetic generic classification of parmelioid lichens (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota) based on molecular, morphological and chemical evidence. Taxon 59: 1735-1753
  • Geml J, Kauff F, Brochmann C, Taylor DL (2010) Surviving climate changes: high genetic diversity and transoceanic gene flow in two arctic-alpine lichens, Flavocetraria cucullata and F. nivalis (Parmeliaceae, Ascomycota). J Biogeography 37: 1529–1542
  • Longen S, Bien M, Bihlmaier K, Kloeppel C, Kauff F, Hammermeister M, Westermann B, Herrmann J, Riemer J (2009) Systematic analysis of the twin Cx9C protein family. J Mol Biol 393: 356-368
  • Cock P, Antao T, Chang J, Chapman B, Cox CJ, Dalke A, Friedberg I, Hamelryck T, Kauff F, Wilczynski B, DeHoon M (2009) Biopython: freely available Python tools for computational molecular biology and bioinformatics. Bioinformatics 25: 1422-1423
  • Funes S, Hasona A, Bauerschmitt H, Grubbauer C, Kauff F, Collins R, Crowley P, Palmer S, Brady LJ, Herrmann J (2009) Independent gene duplications of the YidC/Oxa/Alb3 family enabled a specialized co-translational function. Proc Natl Acad Sciences 106: 6656-6661
  • Schoch CL, Sung GH, Lopez-Giraldez F, Townsend JP, Miadlikowska J, Hofstetter V, Robbertse B, Matheny BP, Kauff F, Wang Z, Gueidan C, Andrie RM, Trippe K, Ciufetti L, Wynns A, Fraker E, Hodkinson B, Bonito G, Yahr R, Groenewald JZ, Arzanlou M, De Hoog GS, Crous P, Hewitt D, Pfister DH, Peterson K, Gryzenhout M, Wingfield MJ, Aptroot A, Suh SO, Blackwell M, Hillis DM, Griffith GW, Castlebury LA, Rossman AY, Lumbsch HT, Lücking R, Büdel B, Rauhut A, Diederich P, Ertz D, Geiser DM, Hosaka K, Inderbitzin P, Kohlmeyer J, Volkmann-Kohlmeyer B, Mostert L, O'Donnel K, Sipman H, Rogers JD, Shoemaker RA, Sugiyama J, Summerbell RC, Untereiner W, Johnston P, Stenroos S, Zuccaro A, Dyer P, Crittenden P, Cole MS, Hansen K, Trappe JM, Lutzoni F, Spatafora JW (2009) The Ascomycota Tree of Life: A phylum wide phylogeny clarifies the origin and evolution of fundamental reproductive and ecological traits. Syst Biol 58: 224-239
  • Arnold AE, Miadlikowska J, Higgins KL, Sarvate S, Gugger P, Way A, Hofstetter V, Kauff F, Lutzoni F (2008) A phylogenetic estimation of trophic transition networks for ascomycetous fungi: Are lichens cradles of symbiotrophic fungal diversification? Syst Biol 58(3):283-297
  • Hermann JM, Kauff F, Neuhaus HE (2008) Thiol oxidation in bacteria, mitochondria and chloroplasts: Common principles but three unrelated machineries? BBA - Mol Cell Res 1793: 71-77
  • Buyck B, Hofstetter B, Eberhardt U, Verbeken A, Kauff F (2008) Walking the thin line between Russula and Lactarius: the dilemma of Russula subsect. Ochricompactae. Fungal Diversity 28: 15-40 (PDF).
  • Kauff F, Cox CJ, Lutzoni F. 2007. WASABI: An automated sequence processing system for multi-gene phylogenies. Syst. Biol. 56(3): 523-531
  • Hofstetter V, Miadlikowska J, Kauff F, Lutzoni F (2006) Phylogenetic comparison of protein-coding versus ribosomal RNA-coding sequence data: A case study of the Lecanoromycetes (Ascomycota). Mol Phylogen Evol 44(1): 412-416
  • Miadlikowska J, Kauff F, Hofstetter V, Fraker E, Grube M, Hafellner J, Reeb V, Hodkinson BP, Kukwa M, Lücking R, Hestmark G, Garcia-Otalora M, Rauhut A, Büdel B, Scheidegger C, Timdal E, Stenroos S, Brodo I, Perlmutter GB, Ertz D, Diederich P, Lendemer JC, Tripp E, Yahr R, May P, Gueidan C, Spatafora JW, Schoch C, Arnold AE, Robertson C, Lutzoni F (2006) New insights into classification and evolution of the Lecanoromycetes (Pezizomycotina, Ascomycota) from phylogenetic analyses of three ribosomal RNA- and two protein-coding genes. Mycologia 98(6): 1088-1103
  • Geiser DM, Gueidan C, Schoch C, Hofstetter V, Fraker E, Untereiner WA, Miadlikowska J, Lutzoni F, Kauff F, Aptroot A (2006) Eurotiomycetes: Eurotiomycetidae + Chaetothyriomycetidae. Mycologia 98(6): 1053-1064
  • James TY, Kauff F, Schoch C, Matheny PB, Hofstetter V, Cox CJ, Celio G, Gueidan C, Fraker E, Miadlikowska J, Lumbsch T, Rauhut A, Reeb V, Arnold AE, Amtoft A, Stajich JE, Hosaka K, Sung G-H, Johnson D, O’Rourke B, Binder M, Curtis JM, Slot JC, Wang Z, Wilson AW, Schüßler A, Longcore JE, O’Donnell K, Mozley-Standridge K, Porter D, Letcher PM, Powell MJ, Taylor JW, White MM, Griffith GW, Davies DR, Sugiyama J, Rossman AY, Rogers JD, Pfister DH, Hewitt D, Hansen K, Hambleton S, Shoemaker RA, Kohlmeyer J, Volkmann-Kohlmeyer B, Spotts RA, Serdani M, Crous PW, Hughes KW, Matsuura K, Langer E, Langer G, Untereiner WA, Lücking R, Büdel B, Geiser DM, Aptroot A, Buck WR, Cole MS, Diederich P, Printzen C, Schmitt I, Schultz M, Yahr R, Zavarzin A, Hibbett DS, Lutzoni F, McLaughlin DJ, Spatafora JW, Vilgalys R (2006) Reconstructing the early evolution of the fungi using a six gene phylogeny. Nature 443: 818-822 (PDF)
  • Kauff F, Büdel B (2005) Ascoma ontogeny and apothecial anatomy in the Gyalectaceae (Ostropales, Ascomycota) support the reestablishment of the Coenogoniaceae. Bryologist 108(2): 272-281
  • Lutzoni F, Kauff F, Cox CJ, McLaughlin D, Celio G, Dentinger B, Padamsee M, Hibbett D, James TY, Baloch E, Grube M, Reeb V, Hofstetter V, Schoch C, Arnold AE, Miadlikowska J, Spatafora J, Johnson D, Hambleton S, Crockett M, Shoemaker R, Sung GH, Lücking R, Lumbsch T, O’Donnell K, Binder M, Diederich P, Ertz D, Gueidan C, Hall B, Hansen K, Harris RC, Hosaka K, Lim YW, Liu Y, Matheny B, Nishida H, Pfister D, Rogers J, Rossman A, Schmitt I, Sipman H, Stone J, Sugiyama J, Yahr R, Vilgalys R (2004). Assembling the fungal tree of life: progress, classification, and evolution of subcellular traits. Amer J Bot 91: 1446-1480
  • Kauff F, Lutzoni F (2002) Phylogeny of the Gyalectales and Ostropales (Ascomycota, Fungi): among and within order relationships based on nuclear ribosomal RNA small and large subunits. Mol Phylogen Evol 25: 138-156

Review Articles

  • Büdel B, Kauff F (in press) Prokaryotic Algae, Bluegreen Algae. In: Frey W (Ed) Syllabus of plant families. 1, Blue-green algae, Myxomycetes, and Fungi. 13th ed, Gebr. Borntraeger, Stuttgart.
  • Kauff F, Büdel B (2011) Phylogeny of Cyanobacteria: An Overview. Prog Bot 72:209-224

Selected Abstracts

  • Kauff F, Cox CJ, Lutzoni F. 2008. A recursive alignment algorithm using a profile alignment with information about alignable and non-alignable regions. Systematics 2008, Göttingen
  • Kauff F, Cox CJ, Lutzoni F, 2004. Bioinformatics of AFTOL (Assembling the Fungal Tree of Life). Evolution 2004, Fort Collins, USA.
  • Cox CJ, Kauff F, 2004. Of Snakes and mushrooms: The use of (Bio)Python in the AFTOL project. Inoculum 55(4).
  • Kauff F, Cox, C. J., Lutzoni F, 2004. A data management framework for the AFTOL project. International Association for Lichenology 5, Tartu, Estonia.
  • Hofstetter V, Miadlikowska J, Gueidan C, Reeb V, Arnold AE, Kauff F, Cox CJ, Yahr R, Lutzoni F, 2004. What do protein-coding genes (ATP6, EF1-alpha and RNA polymerase II) bring to molecular systematics of lichens? International Association for Lichenology 5, Tartu, Estonia.
  • Kauff F, Büdel B, Lutzoni F, 2003. Ascoma ontogeny and apothecial anatomy in the Gyalectaceae (Ostropales, Ascomycetes) and the restoration of the Coenogoniaceae. Inoculum 54(3):29.
  • Hofstetter V, Kauff F, Vilgalys R, 2003. Phylogeny of the Lyophylleae (Agaricales, Basidiomycetes): Systematic vs. ecological transitions in Basidiomycota. Inoculum 54(3):25.
  • Kauff F, Lutzoni F, Büdel B, 2002. Phylogeny of Ostropales and Gyalectales - evidence from molecular and ontogenetical data. 7th International Mycological Congress 7, Oslo, Norway.

Other publications

Grants / Awards

  • 2006 – Tuckerman Award 2005, The Bryologist
  • 2005 – Deep Hypha Travel Award, Mycological Society of America / NSF
  • 2001 – Visiting Scholarship Grant of the Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, USA
  • 2000 – Visiting Lichenologist Program, Michigan State University Herbarium, East Lansing (MI), USA
  • 1997 – Dissertation fellowship "Landesgraduiertenförderung Rheinland-Pfalz", Germany