Research

Key Topics:

• Composition of microbial surface communities depending on the environmental conditions
• Relevance of microbial surface communities in global processes and nutrient cycling (C-, N-cycle, dust transport, albedo)
• Identification of microbial mechanisms and processes (C- and N-cycling mechanisms, microbial bioaerosol emissions, desert varnish, weathering processes)
• Effects of atmospheric processes and climate change on microorganisms and feedback mechanisms (global change effects on C- and N-cycle, atmospheric transport affecting distribution mechanisms and atmospheric processes)

Methods:
We employ a variety of techniques belonging to the fields of terrestrial plant ecology, soil biogeochemistry, molecular biology, remote sensing, and modeling, as e.g.:    

• Field mapping techniques
• Light and electron microscopy
• Microclimate measurements and substrate analyses
• Trace gas measurements (CO₂, N₂O, NO, HONO) in lab and field
• Molecular analyses (DNA and protein analysis including NGS, Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization)
• In-situ microsensor analyses
• Hyperspectral remote sensing imagery and field spectroscopy
• Global upscaling and modeling
• Data analysis using software solutions developed in-house. The code is regularly published on GitHub and can be accessed here and here.

Supervision:
We regularly supervise Bachelor, Master, and PhD theses on current research topics. Please contact us in the case of interest!