Dr. Kevin Karbstein

CV

• 10/2022 – present: Research assistant (PostDoc) at Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry,  Department of Biogeochemical Integration (Bio.AI group J. Wäldchen), Jena, Germany – in collaboration with the TU Ilmenau, Data-intensive Systems and Visualization Group (dAI.SY) (P. Mäder), Germany
• 10/2021 – 09/2022: Research assistant (PostDoc) at the Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Science, Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium) (group E. Hörandl), Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany.
• 12/2017 – 10/2021: PhD student at the Albrecht-von-Haller-Institute for Plant Science, Department of Systematics, Biodiversity and Evolution of Plants (with Herbarium) (group E. Hörandl), Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany. PhD-thesis (DFG, SPP 1991 TaxonOmics): "The biodiversity of apomictic polyploid plants: the Ranunculus auricomus complex." Final grade: "summa cum laude".
• 10/2014 – 09/2017: Master of Science in Evolution, Ecology and Systematics, Institute of Systematic Botany with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden (group C. Römermann & F. Hellwig), Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany.
• 10/2015 – 03/2016: Research Internship at Forest Research Center FFK Gotha (Germany)
• 03/2014, 05/2015, 07/2015: Field Practical Courses in Canary Islands (Spain), Provence (France), and Alps (Austria)
• 08 – 09/2015: Spanish and Environmental Education School Academia Pradoventura, Prado del Rey (Spain)
• 10/2011 – 09/2014: Bachelor of Science Biology, Institute of Systematic Botany with Herbarium Haussknecht and Botanical Garden (group F. Hellwig), Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena, Germany.

Publications (* = shared authorships)

1. Kösters L*, Karbstein K*. LazyModeler: An R package for automatic simplification, check, and visualization of regression models. under review in Journal of Open Source Software. https://github.com/openjournals/joss-reviews/issues/7865
   
2. Kösters L, Karbstein K, Hofmann M, Hodač L, Mäder P, Wäldchen J. Data Fusion for Integrative Species Identification using Deep Learning. under second review in Systematic Biology. BioRxiv, 2025; 1-47. https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.22.634270
3. Tarieiev A, Karbstein K, Gailing O. Phylogenetic and taxonomic insights into Betula: low-coverage whole genome sequencing and plastome analysis with focus on the rare Ukrainian endemic species Betula klokovii Zaverucha. BioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.01.15.632994
4. Hodač L, Karbstein K, Kösters L, Rzanny M, Wittich HC, Boho D, Šubrt D, Mäder P, Wäldchen J. Deep learning to capture leaf shape in plant images: Validation by geometric morphometrics. The Plant Journal, 2024; 120; 1343-1357. https://doi.org/10.1111/tpj.17053 
5. Tomasello S, Manzo E, Karbstein K. Comparative plastome assembly of the yellow ironweed (Verbesina alternifolia) using Nanopore and Illumina reads. Frontiers in Plant Science, 2024; 15; 1-10. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpls.2024.1429494
6. Karbstein K, Kösters L, Hodač L, Hofmann M, Hörandl E, Tomasello S, Wagner ND, Emerson BC, Albach DC, Scheu S, Bradler S, de Vries J, Irisarri I, Li H, Soltis P, Mäder P, Wäldchen J. Species delimitation 4.0: integrative taxonomy meets artificial intelligence. Trends in Ecology and Evolution, 2024; 39; 771-784. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tree.2023.11.002 
7. Bradican JP, Tomasello S, Boscutti F, Karbstein K, Hörandl E. Phylogenomics of southern European taxa in the Ranunculus auricomus species complex: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Plants, 2023; 12; 3664. https://doi.org/10.3390/plants12213664 
8. Karbstein K, Choudhary N, Xie T, Tomasello S, Wagner ND, Barke BH, Paetzold C, Bradican JP, Preick M, Himmelbach A, Stein N, Papantonis A, Irisarri I, de Vries J, Pucker B, Hörandl E. Assembling genomes of non-model plants: A case study with evolutionary insights from Ranunculus (Ranunculaceae). under review in The Plant Journal. BioRxiv; 2024; 1-52. https://doi.org/10.1101/2023.08.08.552429
9. Karbstein, K, Römermann, C, Hellwig, F, Prinz, K. Population size affected by environmental variability impacts genetics, traits, and plant performance in Trifolium montanum. Ecology and Evolution, 2023; 13; e10376. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10376
10. Hodač L^*, Karbstein K^*, Tomasello S, Wäldchen, J, Bradican, JP, Hörandl E. Geometric morphometric versus genomic patterns in a large polyploid plant species complex. Biology, 2023; 12; 418. https://doi.org/10.3390/biology12030418
11. Karbstein K, Tomasello S, Hodač L, Wagner N, Marincek P, Barke BH, Pätzold C, Hörandl E. Untying Gordian knots: Unraveling reticulate polyploid evolution by RRS genomic data using the large Ranunculus auricomus species complex. New Phytologist, 2022; 235; 2081-2098. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.18284; BioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2021.08.30.458250
12. Karbstein K. Untying Gordian knots - The evolution and biogeography of the large European apomictic polyploid Ranunculus auricomus plant complex. Dissertation, University of Göttingen, 2021; 1-475. http://hdl.handle.net/21.11130/00-1735-0000-0008-5946-6
13. Karbstein K, Tomasello S, Hodač L, Lorberg E, Daubert M, Hörandl E. Moving beyond assumptions: polyploidy and environmental effects explain a geographic parthenogenesis scenario in European plants. Molecular Ecology, 2021; 30; 2659-2675. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15919
14. Karbstein K, Gockel S, Frischbier N, Kahlert K, Konnert, M, Profft I. 'High-altitude spruces' in Central Europe - a summarizing contribution to phenotypic and (epi)genetic differentiation within Picea abies (L.) H.KARST. Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitschrift (AFJZ), 2021; 9/10; 197-211. https://doi.org/10.23765/afjz0002068
15. Strecker T, Jesch A, Bachmann D, Jüds M, Karbstein K, Ravenek J, Roscher, C, Weigelt A, Eisenhauer N, Scheu S. Incorporation of mineral nitrogen into the soil food web as affected by plant community composition. Ecology and Evolution, 2021; 11; 4295-4309. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7325 
16. Karbstein K, Rahmsdorf E, Tomasello S, Hodač L, Hörandl E. Breeding system of diploid sexuals within the Ranunculus auricomus complex and its role in a geographical parthenogenesis scenario. Ecology and Evolution, 2020; 10; 14435-14450. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.7073
17. Barke BH, Karbstein K, Daubert M, Hörandl E. The relation of meiotic behaviour to hybridity, polyploidy and apomixis in the Ranunculus auricomus complex (Ranunculaceae). BMC Plant Biology, 2020; 20; 523. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12870-020-02654-3
18. Karbstein K, Tomasello S, Hodač L, Dunkel FG, Daubert M, Hörandl E. Phylogenomics supported by geometric morphometrics reveals delimitation of sexual species within the polyploid apomictic Ranunculus auricomus complex (Ranunculaceae). Taxon, 2020; 69; 1191-1220. https://doi.org/10.1002/tax.12365; BioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.07.896902
19. Tomasello S, Karbstein K, Hodač L, Pätzold C, Hörandl E. Phylogenomics unravels Quarternary vicariance and allopatric speciation patterns in temperate-montane plant species: a case study on the Ranunculus auricomus species complex. Molecular Ecology, 2020; 29; 2031-2049. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.15458; BioRxiv: https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.01.06.895904 
20. Karbstein K, Prinz K, Hellwig F, Römermann C. Plant intraspecific functional trait variation is related to within-habitat heterogeneity and genetic diversity in Trifolium montanum L. Ecology and Evolution, 2020; 10; 5015-5033. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.6255 
21. Karbstein K, Tomasello S, Prinz K. Desert-like badlands and surrounding (semi-)dry grasslands of Central Germany promote small-scale phenotypic and genetic differentiation in Thymus praecox. Ecology and Evolution, 2019; 9; 14066–14084. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.5844 

National and international activities

- Reviews for scientific journals (latest first)

• New Phytologist, Critical Reviews in Plant Science, Taxon, Scientific Reports, Frontiers in Plant Sciences, Plos One, Biology, Botanical Journal of the Linnean Society, Journal of Biogeography, American Journal of Botany, Ecology and Evolution, etc.

- Conferences, Organized Workshops, and Guided Excursions

• 05-09/2024: Flora Incognita Workshops (MINT-EC/MasterScience Camp, BAG Schulgarten) at TU Ilmenau and University of Erfurt.  
• 09/2024: "International Conference of the German Society for Plant Sciences", Halle (Germany), talk (Genome assembly strategies with evolutionary implications in Ranunculaceae). https://botanik-tagung.de/fileadmin/media/botaniker/2024/docs/Botaniker_2024_Programmheft.pdf
• 07/2024: "XX International Botanical Congress Madrid 2024", Madrid (Spain), three talks (Integrative Taxonomy meets Artificial Intelligence, Data Fusion for Integrative Taxonomy, Phylogenomics and Geometric Morphometrics in apomictic Ranunculus auricomus) & poster (Testing strategies for efficient genome assemblies). https://ibcmadrid2024.com/?seccion=scientificArea&subSeccion=search 
• 06/2022-06/2024: Guided TBG Red List Species Excursions in Central Germany. 
• 08/2023: "Meeting of the Section Biodiversity & Evolutionary Biology DBG", Gießen (Germany), session chair (Artificial Intelligence in Evolutionary Research) & talk (Integrative Taxon-omics and Artificial Intelligence). https://www.uni-giessen.de/de/fbz/fb08/Inst/botanik/spezbot/dbgsektionstagung2023/orga
• 03/2023: "24th Conference of Society of Biological Systematics GfBS", Frankfurt a.M (Germany), talk Bernhardt-Rensch-Award (Ranunculus auricomus). https://www.gfbs-home.de/bernhard-rensch-preis
• 08/2022: "DBG Conference 2022", Bonn (Germany), talk (Ranunculus auricomus), financially supported by Universitätsbund Göttingen e.V. https://t3-1.conventus-hetzner.de/fileadmin/congress/media/botaniker2022/pdf/Botaniker_2022_Programm.pdf
• 07/2022: "BOTANY 2022", Anchorage, Alaska (USA), Online-Talk (Ranunculus auricomus). https://2022.botanyconference.org/engine/search/index.php?func=summary
• 04/2022: "RADseq for phylogenOMICS", Online-Workshop, Göttingen-Munich-Braunschweig (Germany), organization and talks. https://www.taxon-omics.com/news-events-bl/5-6-april-2022-rad-sequencing-for-phylogenomics
• 10/2021: "Untying Gordian knots - The evolution and biogeography of the large European apomictic polyploid Ranunculus auricomus plant complex", PhD Thesis Defense, Göttingen (Germany)
• 04/2021: "SPP II 1991 (DFG) TaxonOmics Kick-Off Meeting", online conference, talk (Ranunculus auricomus)
• 10/2019: "XVI OPTIMA Meeting", Athens (Greece), talk (Ranunculus auricomus). https://www.optima-bot.org/meetings/XVIAbstracts.pdf
• 09/2019: "TaxonOmics Workshop Bioinformatics for RADSeq data", Göttingen (Germany), organization, talks, and practical courses. https://taxon-omics.com/news-events-bl/28-29-sep-2019-workshop-radseq
• 06/2019: "3rd annual SPP 1991 (DFG) TaxonOmics Meeting", Munich (Germany), talk (Ranunculus auricomus).
• 02/2019: "The background and application of ddRAD", Mainz (Germany), talk and practical course. https://taxon-omics.com/news-events-bl/18-21-feb-2019-workshop-the-background-and-application-of-ddrad
• 08/2018: "II Joint Congress on Evolutionary Biology", Montpellier (France), poster presentation (Ranunculus auricomus). https://oral-and-poster-abstracts.europa-group.com/index/slide/abstract/1871
• 02/2018: "3rd Annual Meeting in Conservation Genetics", Vienna (Austria), talk (Trifolium montanum).
• 02/2017: "Schutz bedrohter Pflanzenarten in Mitteleuropa", Berlin (Germany), poster presentation (Thymus praecox).