Biology generates massive amounts of data. The assembly of the first human genome took decades; in 2024 it is possible to sequence a thousand human genomes in a day on a single sequencing machine, generating more than 50 terabytes of data in 24 hours (for the more experienced reader, that’s about 36 million floppy disks). Somebody needs to make sense of all that data!
We humans cannot do that manually, and this is where Philipp’s work comes in. He works at the intersection of biology, big data, and machine learning, building and applying complex algorithms and machine learning models to find the biology in terabytes and petabytes of data. He currently works on the genomics of environmental DNA, establishing trust in fish sightings derived from marine environmental DNA.
Originally hailing from Germany, Philipp has a PhD from the University of Queensland, then spent six years in a postdoctoral position, an inaugural Forrest Fellowship, and a DECRA fellowship at UWA, before he decided to leave academia to apply his skills for the Minderoo Foundation in the OceanOmics division.
In his free time, Philipp runs after his two sons (5 and 7) as they try to climb the highest walls, race down the steepest hills, and swim the deepest pools in their childhood-long quest to learn the names of everybody working in the Perth Children’s Hospital Emergency Room.
