Master's thesis

Science needs genomes to understand biodiversity — and biodiversity must be understood to be protected. Reference genomes provide the most complete insight into the genetic foundation of life and are essential for conserving species under threat. Yet many plants, including rare and endangered taxa, still lack even basic genomic data. In this thesis project, you should identify a plant or plant group entirely missing from genomic databases, generate and assemble its plastid genome using genome skimming, and place it within the plant tree of life. You will contribute to filling crucial gaps in our genomic understanding of biodiversity, helping shape conservation priorities. The resulting data will be made publicly available as part of the — a pan-European effort to safeguard biodiversity through genomics. Ideal for students passionate about molecular biology, evolution, and conservation genomics. Spotted a gap? Tell us! Email your candidate species (name, where it occurs, why it’s missing from genomic databases), and we’ll help kick off sampling.

Withania somnifera (Ashwagandha) is a medicinal plant in the Solanaceae family, long valued in traditional Indian medicine for its adaptogenic properties. Its roots and leaves, rich in withanolides and other bioactive compounds, are widely marketed in Europe and Finland as herbal dietary supplements. However, recent studies suggest that some products may contain material from other species, mislabelled as W. somnifera. This thesis project aims to extract and sequence DNA from commercially available Ashwagandha supplements, assemble plastid barcodes or complete plastid genomes, and identify the plant species actually present. The results will help assess the authenticity and traceability of imported herbal products from the Middle East and South or Southeast Asia. The project combines molecular biology, bioinformatics, and consumer safety research—ideal for students interested in plant genomics, molecular authentication, and the interface of biodiversity and public health. Email us your interest to get started!

Invasive plants are reshaping Nordic ecosystems, yet their origins and invasion pathways often remain unclear. This project invites you to explore the genomic footprint of an invasive plant species in Finland. Using target-capture sequencing and comparative genomics, you will trace where Finnish populations originated and how they have spread across regions. By integrating global sequence data with local sampling, your study will illuminate the biogeographic and evolutionary history of an alien species of your choice and contribute insights into how genomic tools can inform biodiversity management and invasion control. Your first step is to select a target species from the Finnish invasive species list (), confirm that it lacks (plastid) genomic data, and propose a sampling plan. Know an alien (plant) worth studying? Email us your idea and let’s get started mapping its genomic journey into Finland.

Many Nordic plant groups remain genomic “blind spots.” Choose a poorly studied Nordic genus that lacks plastid genomes in GenBank. You will collect a small set of samples, extract DNA, and assemble plastid genomes using genome skimming. By placing your targets on the plant tree of life, you’ll generate first-of-its-kind genomic data for an overlooked Nordic lineage and clarify relationships, diversification, and biogeographic context. Your first task: identify a verifiable knowledge gap (a genus with no plastid genomes or barcodes in public databases), outline feasible sampling, trace down available herbarium specimens in or and propose a short plan. Know a candidate? Email us the genus name, evidence of the gap (database check), and where you can sample it—and we’ll get you started.

Explore the tangled taxonomy of the Solanum Acanthophora clade using phylogenomics. This Master’s project will generate and analyse genome-scale data to resolve species relationships, delimit taxa, and test origins of weediness across widespread relatives. You will sample focal species including the curious nipplefruit (S. mammosum) and the invasive tropical soda apple (S. viarum), integrate morphology and distribution records, and apply phylogenetic comparative methods to link trait evolution with colonizing success. Ideal for students keen to learn molecular lab work, sequencing, and bioinformatics. This project offers publishable results and practical relevance for invasion biology and taxonomy. Funding support and supervisory mentorship are available. Co-supervisor:

Explore the phylogenomics of the Solanum Lasiocarpa clade in a Master’s project focused on fruit-producing species such as S. quitoense (lulo), S. sessiliflorum (cocona), and their relatives. With existing silica-dried samples and herbarium access, you will generate genome-scale data (target capture or genome skimming), infer species relationships, delimit immediate relatives for the cultivated species, and test hypotheses about fruit-trait evolution and domestication potential. The project blends lab sequencing, bioinformatics, and herbarium-based morphology to complement genomic data. Ideal for students keen on systematics, crop origins, and applied conservation—supervisory support available. Co-supervisor:

The Solanum Basarthrum Clade offers an outstanding opportunity to test species limits and resolve relationships using phylogenomics in an agronomically important group of plants. This Master’s project will generate genomic data to test species-limits and current taxonomy, and to identify the closest wild relatives of pepino (Solanum muricatum), a fruit crop cultivated and used across the world. Using silica-dried samples and herbarium material, you will combine lab work, bioinformatics, and morphology to explore species boundaries, diversification, and crop origins. Ideal for students passionate about plant systematics, crop evolution, and hands-on genomic research. Help shape our understanding of pepino and its closest relatives! Co-supervisor:

Solanaceae display extraordinary ecological and morphological diversity, yet the evolution of their internal leaf structure remains poorly explored. This thesis project will integrate leaf anatomical data, phylogenies, and ecological information to uncover evolutionary trends across the family. By examining micromorphology, venation, tissue organization, and trait–environment relationships, you will test how leaf anatomy evolved in response to climate, habit, and habitat shifts. The work highlights the power of anatomical traits as an underused resource in evolutionary studies. Ideal for students interested in plant evolution, functional anatomy, microscopy, and comparative methods, this project offers discovery-driven research with broad relevance across botany and evolutionary biology. Supervisor:

Herbaria preserve not only plant genomes but also traces of associated microorganisms—pathogens, endophytes, decomposers, and handling or storage contaminants. This project will generate genome-skimming data from century-old herbarium specimens and apply metagenomic analyses to identify bacterial and fungal communities associated with preserved plants. By distinguishing original host-associated microbes from post-mortem colonizers, you will uncover ecological interactions, historical pathogen signatures, and contamination dynamics in curated collections. The Master thesis combines DNA extraction from archival material, bioinformatics, and microbial community analysis—ideal for students interested in plant–microbe interactions, museum genomics, and environmental DNA. Join us to explore hidden biodiversity in botanical collections!

This project aims to generate and analyse chloroplast genome (cpDNA) data from Aconitum populations across the Carpathians and Ukraine. Using next-generation sequencing of historical and fresh samples, you will reconstruct phylogenetic relationships, test species boundaries, and explore biogeographic patterns in these mountainous regions. The focus is on regional lineages where taxonomic clarity is lacking; sampling is accessible and suited for Ukrainian (and wider regional) students. The outcome will clarify evolutionary history and support conservation of native Aconitum diversity in Eastern Europe. Co-supervisor: Roman Volkov, Yuriy Fedkovych Chernivtsi National University, Ukraine

This project explores the scientific world before genetics transformed biology, focusing on Franz Diebl (1770–1859) and his research network during the pre-Mendelian era. You will trace intellectual connections, correspondence, specimen exchange, and knowledge circulation between botanists, breeders, and naturalists, using archival sources, digitized letters, publications, and early experimental records. The project combines history of science, network analysis, and botanical history to reveal how ideas on heredity, variation, and plant breeding spread before 1900. Ideal for students interested in the history of biology, scientific communication, and reconstructing forgotten research communities. Joint topic with the Moravian Museum – Mendelianum, Brno, Czechia. 

Johann Karl Nestler (1783–1842) was one of the earliest university lecturers to link plant breeding, heredity, and controlled crossing—decades before Mendel. This project reconstructs Nestler’s scientific network, knowledge exchange, and conceptual influence within Central European research circles. Drawing on archival sources, correspondence, early teaching materials, and historical breeding literature, you will trace how ideas about selection and inheritance circulated before genetics existed. The study may integrate digital network analysis and history-of-science methods. Ideal for students interested in the origins of genetics, agricultural science, and 19th-century scientific communities. Shape new perspectives on the roots of heredity research! Joint topic with the Moravian Museum – Mendelianum, Brno, Czechia. 

Christian Carl André (1763–1831) was a central yet under-studied architect of early scientific agriculture, connecting breeders, industrialists, and naturalists across Central Europe. This project traces André’s role in shaping pre-Mendelian concepts of heredity, artificial selection, and knowledge exchange through his journals, societies, and correspondence—especially the Brno Sheep Breeders’ network. Using digital humanities tools and archival research, you will reconstruct the flow of ideas, practices, and controversies (e.g., inbreeding debates) that laid foundations for modern breeding science. Ideal for students interested in history of science, agricultural innovation, and scientific communication networks. Joint topic with the Moravian Museum – Mendelianum, Brno, Czechia.