Prof. Dr. rer. nat. habil. Klaus Wimmers
Research interests
- inheritance and expression of traits related to productive adaptability and resilience in livestock
- Trait-associated variation at the molecular levels of the genotype-phenotype map
- Transcriptional response to exogenous stimuli and epigenetic basis of genotype-environment interaction
Curriculum Vitae
- since 2016: director of the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology & Professor "Animal Breeding and Genetics", Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Science, University Rostock
- 2008-2016: adjunct Professor, University of Bonn
- 2004-2016: head of Institute for Genome Biology of the Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN)
- 2002: habilitation in Animal Breeding and Genetics, University of Bonn
1996-2003: scientific coworker at the Institute of Animal science, University of Bonn - 1994: doctorate (Dr. rer. nat.)
- 1990-1996: research fellow at the Institute of Animal production, TU Berlin
- 1989: Study of veterinary science, FU Berlin
Teaching
- Lectures and seminars at the Faculty of Agriculture, University of Bonn and at the Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock
Publications
Reyer, H.; Mielenz, M.; Daş, G.; Metges, C. C.; Wimmers, K. (2025):
Microbial profiling of black soldier fly larvae reared on substrates supplemented with different mineral sources originating from phosphorus recycling technologies
Animal Microbiome 7: 14, 1-14
https://doi.org/10.1186/s42523-025-00380-5
Ponsuksili, S.; Hadlich, F.; Li, S.; Trakooljul, N.; Reyer, H.; Oster, M.; Abitew, Y. A.; Sommerfeld, V.; Rodehutscord, M.; Wimmers, K. (2025):
DNA methylation dynamics in the small intestine of egg-selected laying hens along egg production stages
Physiological Genomics 57 (3): 125-139
https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00063.2024
Muráni, E.; Trakooljul, N.; Hadlich, F.; Wimmers, K. (2025):
Transcriptional signature of a hypersensitive glucocorticoid receptor variant in the neuroendocrine system suggests enhanced vulnerability to brain disorders
Brain, Behavior and Immunity 124 (2): 335-346
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbi.2024.12.004
Ma, W.; Brenmoehl, J.; Trakooljul, N.; Wimmers, K.; Muráni, E. (2025):
Dexamethasone has profound influence on the energy metabolism of porcine blood leukocytes and prevents the LPS-induced glycolytic switch
Frontiers in Immunology 16: 1514061, 1-13
https://doi.org/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1514061
Sommerfeld, V.; Hanauska, A.; Huber, K.; Bennewitz, J.; Camarinha-Silva, A.; Feger, M.; Föller, M.; Oster, M.; Ponsuksili, S.; Schmucker, S.; Seifert, J.; Stefanski, V.; Wimmers, K.; Rodehutscord, M. (2024):
Effects of myo-inositol supplementation in the diet on myo-inositol concentrations in the intestine, blood, eggs, and excreta of laying hens
Poultry Science: 104545, 1-30
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104545
Sommerfeld, V.; Bennewitz, J.; Camarinha-Silva, A.; Feger, M.; Föller, M.; Huber, H.; Oster, M.; Ponsuksili, S.; Schmucker, S.; Seifert, J.; Stefanski, V.; Wimmers, K.; Rodehutscord, M. (2024):
Effects of feeding diets without mineral P supplement on intestinal phytate degradation, blood concentrations of Ca and P, and excretion of Ca and P in two laying hen strains before and after onset of laying activity
Poultry Science 103 (12): 104407, 1-12
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104407
Omotoso, A. O.; Reyer, H.; Oster, M.; Ponsuksili, S.; Metzler-Zebeli, B.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Hepatic Transcriptomics of Broilers with Low and High Feed Conversion in Response to Caloric Restriction
Metabolites 14: 625, 1-13
https://doi.org/10.3390/metabo14110625
Honerlagen, H.; Reyer, H.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Fundamental insights into the host genome - rumen microbiota - trait complex of cow-individual nitrogen (N) utilisation and N excretion
Züchtungskunde 96 (1), 34-42
Abitew, Y. A.; Reyer, H.; Hadlich, F.; Oster, M.; Trakooljul, N.; Sommerfeld, V.; Rodehutscord, M.; Wimmers, K.; Ponsuksili, S. (2024):
Transcriptional responses to diets without mineral phosphorus supplementation in the jejunum of two high-yielding laying hen strains
Poultry Science 103 (12): 104484, 1-11
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psj.2024.104484
Reyer, H.; Honerlagen, H.; Oster, M.; Ponsuksili, S.; Kuhla, B.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Multi-tissue gene expression profiling of cows with a genetic predisposition for low and high milk urea levels
Animal Biotechnology 35 (1): 2322542, 1-9
https://doi.org/10.1080/10495398.2024.2322542
Kalbfleisch, T. S.; McKay, S. D.; Murdoch, B. M.; Adelson, D. L.; Almansa-Villa, D.; Becker, G.; Beckett, L. M.; Benítez-Galeano, M. J.; Biase, F.; Casey, T.; Chuong, E.; Clark, E.; Clark, S.; Cockett, N.; Couldrey, C.; Davis, B. W.; Elsik, C. G.; Faraut, T.; Gao, Y.; Genet, C.; Grady, P.; Green, J.; Green, R.; Guan, D.; Hagen, D.; Hartley, G. A.; Heaton, M.; Hoyt, S. J.; Huang, W.; Jarvis, E.; Kalleberg, J.; Khatib, H.; Koepfi, K.-P.; Koltes, J.; Koren, S.; Kuehn, C.; Leeb, T.; Leonard, A.; Liu, G. E.; Low, W. Y.; McConnell, H.; McRae, K.; Miga, K.; Mousel, M.; Neibergs, H.; Olagunju, T.; Pennell, M.; Petry, B.; Pewsner, M.; Phillippy, A. M.; Pickett, B. D.; Pineda, P.; Potapova, T.; Rachagani, S.; Rhie, A.; Rijnkels, M.; Robic, A.; Osorio, N. R.; Safonova, Y.; Schettini, G.; Schnabel, R. D.; Natesh, N. S.; Stegemiller, N. R.; Storer, J.; Stothard, P.; Stull, C.; Tosser-Klopp, G.; Traglia, G. M.; Tuggle, C. K.; Tassell, C. P. Van; Watson, C.; Weikard, R.; Wimmers, K.; Xie, S.; Yang, L.; Smith, T. P. L.; O’Neil, R. J.; Rosen, B. D. (2024):
The Ruminant Telomere-to-Telomere (RT2T) Consortium
Nature genetics 56: 1566-1573
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41588-024-01835-2
Ponsuksili, S.; Siengdee, P.; Li, S.; Kriangwanich, W.; Oster, M.; Reyer, H.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Effect of metabolically divergent pig breeds and tissues on mesenchymal stem cell expression patterns during adipogenesis
BMC Genomics 25: 407, 1-15
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12864-024-10308-z
Li, S.; Siengdee, P.; Hadlich, F.; Trakooljul, N.; Oster, M.; Reyer, H.; Wimmers, K.; Ponsuksili, S. (2024):
Dynamics of DNA methylation during osteogenic differentiation of porcinesynovial membrane mesenchymal stem cells from two metabolically distinctbreeds
Epigenetics 19 (1): 2375011, 1-15
https://doi.org/10.1080/15592294.2024.2375011
Koch, F.; Reyer, H.; Görs, S.; Hansen, C.; Wimmers, K; Kuhla, B. (2024):
Heat stress and feeding effects on the mucosa-associated and digesta microbiome and their relationship to plasma and digesta fluid metabolites in the jejunum of dairy cows
Journal of Dairy Science 107: 5162-5177
https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2023-24242
Hasan, M.; Reyer, H.; Oster, M.; Trakooljul, N.; Ponsuksili, S.; Magowan, E.; Fischer, D.-C.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Exposure to artificial ultraviolet-B light mediates alterations on the hepatic transcriptome and vitamin D metabolism in pigs
J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol 236: 106428, 1-8
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106428
Reyer, H.; Abou-Soliman, I.; Schulze, M.; Henne, H.; Reinsch, N.; Schön, J.; Wimmers, K. (2024):
Genome-Wide Association Analysis of Semen Characteristics in Piétrain Boars
Genes 15 (3): 382, 1-12
https://doi.org/10.3390/genes15030382
Nossol, C.; Landgraf, P.; Oster, M.; Kahlert, S.; Barta-Böszörmenyi, A.; Kluess, J.; Wimmers, K.; Isermann, B.; Stork, O.; Dieterich, D. C.; Dänicke, S.; Rothkötter, H. J. (2024):
Deoxynivalenol triggers the expression of IL-8-related signaling cascades and decreases protein biosynthesis in primary monocyte-derived cells
Mycotoxin research 40 (2): 279-293
https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-024-00528-3
Omotoso, A. O.; Reyer, H.; Oster, M.; Maak, S.; Ponsuksili, S.; Wimmers, K. (2023):
Broiler physiological response to low phosphorus diets at different stages of production. Poultry Sci 102 (2): 102351, 1-38
Ponsuksili, S.; Hadlich, F.; Perdomo-Sabogal, A.; Reyer, H.; Oster, M.; Trakooljul, N.; Iqbal, M. A.; Schmucker, S.; Stefanski, V.; Roth, C.; Camarinha-Silva, A.; Huber, K.; Sommerfeld, V.; Rodehutscord, M.; Wimmers, K. (2023):
The dynamics of molecular, immune and physiological features of the host and
the gut microbiome, and their interactions before and after onset of laying in two
hen trains. Poultry Sci 102 (1): 102256, 1-14
Salilew-Wondim, D.; Tholen, E.; Held-Hoelker, E.; Shellander, K.; Blaschka, C.; Drillich, M.; Iwersen, M.; Suess, D.; Gebremedhn, S.; Tesfaye, D.; Parys, C.; Helmbrecht, A.; Guyader, J.; Miskel, D.; Trakooljul, N.; Wimmers, K.; Hoelker, M. (2023):
Endometrial DNA methylation signatures during the time of breeding in relation to the pregnancy outcome in postpartum dairy cows fed a control diet or supplemented with rumen-protected methionine
Frontiers in Genetics 14: 1267053, 1-22
https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2023.1267053