Microbiology of Anaerobic Systems

Research Topics

Anaerobic microorganisms, among them the oldest life-forms on Earth, display the most manifold metabolic pathways and lifestyles that have been ever invented by evolution, such as various mechanisms for energy conservation, carbon fixation, elemental cycling, fermentative conversion of organic matter and syntrophic interactions, enabling life on the thermodynamic edge. Anaerobic microbial communities play essential roles in biogeochemical cycles, natural attenuation of contaminated sites and various biotechnological processes, such as wastewater treatment, anaerobic digestion of organic waste and fermentative formation of valuable products.

The MicAS group studies the microbial ecology and physiology of anaerobic microbial communities in natural and engineered environments in order to identify microbial key players and their functions and to elucidate carbon and energy flows as well as microbial interactions. We aim at the biotechnological application of anaerobic microbiota, a deeper understanding of their functions in microbial ecosystem services, and novel insights into the ecophysiology of not yet cultured microbes (microbial dark matter).

In engineered systems such as anaerobic biorectors we develop microbiological strategies to optimize the production of biogas and other fermentation products by open mixed cultures (reactor microbiomes). The main objectives are i) to identify microbial parameters for process control and ii) to exploit novel feedstocks and microbial resources for the production of chemical building blocks and biofuels from renewable resources.

In environmental systems, we aim at the identification of microbial key players in biogeochemical cycles and contaminant degradation as well as the elucidation of the ecophysiological role of not yet cultured microbes.

Current research topics:

• Biomethanation of hydrogen from excess electricity (Power-to-Gas)
  
• Anaerobic biorefineries for the production of medium-chain carboxylates (lactate-based chain elongation, syngas-aided fermentation of biomass in open mixed cultures)
  
• Fate of antibiotics and antibiotics resistance genes in agricultural biogas plants
  
• Metagenome-based analysis of metabolic networks in anaerobic consortia
• Microbial resource mining in anaerobic bioreactors (isolation of novel strains with interesting fermentation pathways)
  
• Anaerobic bioreactors inspired by the gut system of wood-feeding insect larvae for improved valorization of lignocellulosic feedstock
  
• Degradation of micropollutants in wastewater treatment (acesulfame as model compound)
  

Head

Dr. Sabine Kleinsteuber

Current Projects

Helmholtz research program "Changing Earth - Sustaining Our Future" - Topic 7: Sustainable bioeconomy - harnessing the potential of nature

PhD college FATE - Fate and effects of antibiotics from sources to sinks: Bridging the scale from molecular level processes to large-scale observations in engineered and natural systems

ERANet-LAC: Valorisation of agricultural residues via anaerobic digestion: from biogas to carboxylates (carboxAiD), BMBF FKZ 01DN19108

ERACoBioTech: Synthetic landfill microbiomes for enhanced anaerobic digestion to biogas (SYNBIOGAS), SAB FKZ 100386143

Completed Projects

INNO INDIGO IPP3 S&T Biobased Energy: Development of efficient biomass conversion routes for biofuel production and utilisation (CONVER-B), BMBF FKZ 01DQ17016

IBÖM02: Biobased caproic and caprylic acid – Production, separation, marketing strategy (CapAcidy), BMBF FKZ 031B0389B

Monitoring of biogas plants by analysing stable isotope ratios (ISOTOP-BIOGAS), FNR FKZ 22013013

Sustainable bioeconomy in Brazil: Bioenergy from biogas using various types of waste substrates from the Brazilian bioethanol industry (iNoPa)

Trace element supply by energy crops - optimised process biology in agricultural biogas plants (NiCo), FNR FKZ 22019214

External collaboration partners

Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum (DBFZ) / Biochemical Conversion Department / Biorefineries Department

Isodetect

Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences / Department of Engineering

Leipzig University / Institute of Organic Chemistry

Georg-August-University Göttingen, Geoscientific Centre, Dept. Sedimentology and Environmental Geology

IWAR Institute of TU Darmstadt / Material Flow Management and Resource Economy

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) / Institute for Pulsed Power and Microwave Technology

Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) / Chair of Technical Biology 

University of Konstanz, Department of Biology

University of Ulm, Institute of Microbiology and Biotechnology

University of Eastern Finnland, School of Forest Sciences

Jadavpur University, Chemical Engineering Department

Department of Microbiology, Eötvös Loránd University of Science, Budapest

Inter Baltic Biogas Arena (IBBA)

SLU Biogas Center

Microbial Physiology Group, Wageningen University

Department of Engineering, Aarhus University

Microbial Ecology Group, Istanbul Technical University/Environmental Engineering Dept., Bogazici University/Inst. Environmental Sciences

Landmark University, Dept. Biological Sciences

ESPOL Polytechnic University, Environmental and Chemical Sciences Dept.

Federal Institute of Goiás, Dept. Chemistry and Sustainable Process Technologies