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)
Scientists
PhD students
Flávio César Freire Baleeiro
Zhe Cheng
Rodrigo Amarante Colpo
Andreas Hardy Keller
Bin Liu
Washington Logroño
Emine Gözde Özbayram
Bruna Grosch Schroeder
Technicians
Elke Häusler
Ute Lohse
Students and research
assistants
Rita Bhattacherjee
Sebastian Schulz
Guest scientist
Myra Afzal
Bogdan Rusu
Apprentices
Friederike Koppius
Jana Raab
Alumni
Lisa-Marie Bangen
Dr. Fabian Bonk
Birke Brumme
Dr. Franziska Bühligen
Dr. Tarek M.M. Hamed Elzamel
Dr. Christin Koch
Dr. Athaydes Leite
Dr. Zuopeng Lv
Dr. Rico Lucas
Dr. Denny Popp
Dr. Katharina Porsch
Sebastian Röther
Dr. Babett Wintsche
Current Projects
Helmholtz Research Programme Terrestrial Environment: Chemicals in the Environment
Completed Projects
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)
External collaboration partners
Deutsches BiomasseForschungsZentrum (DBFZ) / Biochemical Conversion Department / Biorefineries Department
Nordhausen University of Applied Sciences / Department of Engineering
Leipzig University / Institute of Organic Chemistry
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)
Microbial Physiology Group, Wageningen University
Department of Engineering, Aarhus University
Landmark University, Dept. Biological Sciences
ESPOL Polytechnic University, Environmental and Chemical Sciences Dept.
Federal Institute of Goiás, Dept. Chemistry and Sustainable Process Technologies