Theses - Helmholtz-Centre for Environmental Research

Finished theses

PhD-theses

04/ 2023	Daniel Dzofou Ngoumelah Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Electrochemical activity and stability of Geobacter spp. dominated biofilm anodes in anaerobic digestion
01/ 2023	Katharina Röhring (neé Neubert) Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Fundamental investigation and process development of the Kolbe electrolysis of bio-based carboxylic acids for electrobiorefineries
12/ 2022	Shixiang Dai Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Microbial electrochemical removal of phenol and sulfate in anoxic environment
05/ 2022	Francesco Scarabotti Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Electrochemical and microscopic investigation of early-stage biofilm electrodes
01/ 2019	Richard Hegner Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Towards the coupling of electrochemical CO2 reduction with microbial biosynthesis
03/ 2018	Carolin Urban (neé Stang) Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Fundamental study and process description of a bioelectrorefinery based on the electrochemical upgrading of n-carboxylic acids derived from renewable resources
12/ 2017	Jörg Kretzschmar Dr. rer. nat., TU Dresden Characterisation of a microbial electrochemical sensor platform for anaerobic digestion process control
05/ 2017	Benjamin Korth Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University On the thermodynamics of electroactive microorganisms
12/ 2016	Carla Gimkiewicz Dr. rer. nat., Leipzig University Microbial electrosynthesis: Study of Gluconobacter oxydans for primary and electrochemical CO₂ reduction for secondary microbial electrochemical technologies

M.Sc.- & B.Sc.-theses

09/ 2026	Jonas Paul Hübner M.Sc. Chemistry, Leipzig University Developing a flow cell for continuous Kolbe electrolysis of bio-based extraction solutions
09/ 2026	Susanne Stenz M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Electrochemical Hydrogenation of Phenols from Depolymerized Lignin to Cyclohexane Derivates in a Novel Flow Reactor
09/ 2026	Bente Dana Wagner M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Alternative Anode Reactions in Dual-Chamber Electrobioreactors – Electrochemical Oxidation of Formate as a Sustainable Solution for Microbial Electrosynthesis
09/ 2025	Gustav Dönnges B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Anreicherung und Charakterisierung elektroaktiver Mikroorganismen aus der mitteldeutschen Tagebauseenlandschaft
11/ 2024	Luc Eibenstein M.Sc. Chemistry, Leipzig University Design, Construction, Implementation, and Characterization of a Microbial Fuel Cell for WaterTreatment in a Pond Environment
10/ 2024	Max Pohl M.Sc. Chemistry, Leipzig University Electrobiorefineries for producing aviation fuel from biomass: Process development of the Kolbe electrolysis
04/ 2024	Florian Fischer M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Spatially resolved activity analysis of Geobacter spp. biofilms with scanning electrochemical microscopy
04/ 2024	Daniel Fischer State Exam for teachers (Chemistry & Biology), Leipzig University Einfluss von Nahrungsergänzungsmittel auf das elektroaktive Darmmikrobiom von Mäusen
10/ 2023	Sarah Such B.Sc. Biotechnology, HS Zittau-Görlitz Mediator assisted cathodic microbial electrosysnthesis of R-phenylethanol from acetophenone using different recombinant E.coli strains
12/ 2021	Angie Wenedy B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Etablierung von synthrophen Aromaten-abbauenden Mischkulturen von Desulfosarcina cetonica und Geobacter spp. und nachfolgende Testung in bioelektrochemischen Reaktoren
11/ 2021	Max Hell M.Sc. Chemistry, Leipzig University Influence of selected process parameters on the Kolbe electrolysis of C4 to C8 carboxylic acids
10/ 2021	Inken Kaja Schwerin B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Microbial electrosynthesis of P450 BM3
09/ 2021	Anna Kauschinger B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Kultivierung eines modifizierten E.coli-Stammes zur Produktion und Charakterisierung von elektrisch leitfähigen Nanodrähten
09/ 2021	Leon Becklas B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Anwendung von Thermistorelektroden
09/ 2021	Oskar Zorc B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Kinetic analysis of potential-dependent pathways for extracellular electron transfer in electroactive biofilms
06/ 2021	Tilman Linke B.Sc. Biology, Leipzig University Evaluierung von Thermistorelektroden zur Messung elektrochemischer Wärmeeffekte mit elektroaktiven Biofilmen
05/ 2021	Mareike Meyer B.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Kinetische Analyse von elektroaktiven Mikroorganismen
10/ 2020	Rene Köhler M.Sc. Molekularbiologie/Bioinformatik, HS Mittweida Entwicklung von Thermistorelektroden für elektroaktive Mikroorganismen
09/ 2020	Rebecca Weiß B.Sc. Biology, Leipzig University Anreicherung elektroaktiver Mikroorganismen aus Darmmikrobiota
09/ 2019	Richard Hönig M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Erzeugung von Kohlenwasserstoffen aus Biomasse mittels kombinierter anaerober Fermentation, Extraktion und Kolbe-Elektrolyse
05/ 2019	Laura Schwab M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Current in the gut: baseline investigation on the interaction of electroactive intestinal bacteria
09/ 2018	Katharina Neubert M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Grundsatzuntersuchungen zur Skalierung sekundärer mikrobieller elektrochemischer Technologien auf Basis der kombinierten elektrochemischen CO2-Reduktion und mikrobieller Biosynthese
09/ 2018	Manuel Bartz M.Sc. Biochemistry, Leipzig University Die Grenzen des elektroaktiven Wachstums: Charakterisierung des Wachstumsverhaltens ausgewählter elektroaktiver Biofilme
09/ 2018	Tom Zschernitz B. Sc. Biotechnology, Anhalt University of Applied Sciences Charakterisierung und Entwicklung von Bioelektroreaktoren am Beispiel der Kultivierung von Escherichia coli
04/ 2018	Lars Michael Hartke M. Sc. Betriebswirtschaftslehre, Leipzig University Wirtschaftliche Beurteilung nachhaltiger Services am Beispiel der energetischen Nutzung von Abwässern mittel mikrobieller Brennstoffzellen
10/ 2017	Vanessa Riechert M. Sc. Biologie, Leipzig University Bioelectrosynthesis in microbiomes - Optimierung und Charakterisierung eines Mikrobiomes zur Anwendung in der Carboxylatplattform
09/ 2015	Mareike F. Gutensohn B.Sc. Biochemie, Leipzig University Mikrobielle elektrochemische Technologien auf Basis der CO₂-Reduktion: Grundsatzuntersuchungen zur Elektroden- und Prozessentwicklung
09/ 2015	Maria Lehmann B.Sc. Biologie, Leipzig University in Kooperation mit S. Kleinsteuber (UMB) und C. Vogt (ISOBIO) Laboruntersuchungen zum extrazellulären Elektronentransport in Grundwassersedimenten
09/ 2015	Verena Glashauser B.Sc. Biologie, Leipzig University Erfassung mikrobieller Dynamiken in biogasbildenden Gemeinschaften
07/ 2014	Dominika Popiel M.Sc. Biotechnology, Univ. of Lodz Electroactive biofilm of wastewater mixed culture – growth and features analysis (Elektroaktywny biofilm drobnoustrojów ściekowych – analiza wzrostu i właściwości)
09/ 2013	Frederik R. Frh. von Richthofen B.Sc. Biochemie, Leipzig University Mikrobielle Bioelektrotechnologie: E. coli als Universalhost für oxidative und reduktive Synthesen

News

Congratulations!
We are super proud and happy that Bente D. Wagner, Susanne Stenz and Jonas P. Hübner have done their M.Sc. with us!
Special thanks to Max and John who were great day-to-day supervisors!

Dreaming about METs?
Yes, Falk does and has put his visions jointly with numerous colleagues from the EU (and one from the USA) into TRENDS in Biotechnology

Portrait of Prof. F. Harnisch Link

Paniz and Benjamin have key roles in the PhD college SmartManure

First textbook on electrochemistry for (microbial) biotechnology:

Contact

Prof. Dr. Falk Harnisch
Department Microbial Biotechnology
Working Group Electrobiotechnology
falk.harnisch@ufz.de

Phone +49 341 6025-1337
Permoserstraße 15 | 04318 Leipzig | Germany

Publications 2026

2026 (17)

Al Sbei, S., Boto, S.T., Krüger, T., Papenfort, K., Westermann, M., Jost, A., Harnisch, F., Brakhage, A.A., Rosenbaum, M.A. (2026):
Microbial electrosynthesis reshapes energy metabolism and physiology in Clostridium ljungdahlii
Microb. Biotechnol. 19 (6), e70398
10.1111/1751-7915.70398
Chen, W., Fu, D., Korth, B., Worrich, A. (2026):
Predicting the degradation kinetics of pharmaceutical pollutants during electrochemical oxidation: A synergistic machine learning framework and mechanistic insights
J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 14 (5), art. 123958
10.1016/j.jece.2026.123958
Franz, A., Chávez Morejón, M., Prakash, A., Usta, C., Gürarslan, A., Pompe, T., Bühler, K., Harnisch, F., Karande, R. (2026):
Hybrid living materials hosting Pseudomonas biofilms for continuous biotransformation of cyclohexanol to adipic acid
Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 7 (10), art. 103545
10.1016/j.xcrp.2026.103545
Izadi, P., Antonopoulou, I., Rova, U., Christakopoulos, P., de Oliveira Maciel, A., Pant, D., Rawls, B., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Demonstration of electrochemical CO₂ conversion from industrial off-gas to formate and its extraction
Catal.Today 477 , art. 115911
10.1016/j.cattod.2026.115911
Izadi, P., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Integrating electrochemical and microbial processes for CO₂ conversion at scale
Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 51 , art. 101221
10.1016/j.coche.2025.101221
Izadi, P., Varhade, S., Schneider, C., Haus, P., Singh, C., Guruj, A., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Scaling up electrochemical CO₂ reduction to formate through comparative reactor analysis
Ind. Chem. Mater. 4 , 260 - 275
10.1039/D5IM00056D
Kas, A., Izadi, P., Lenz, C., Rohwerder, T., Krömer, J.O., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Exploring ectoine production from methanol, formate, and electrochemically produced formate by Methyloligella halotolerans
Eng. Life Sci. 26 (1), e70063
10.1002/elsc.70063
Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Microbial electrochemical technologies can support sustainable energy, waste treatment, and resource recovery
Commun. Sustain. 1 , art. 69
10.1038/s44458-026-00073-3
Lehneis, R., Harnisch, F., Izadi, P. (2026):
A simulation-based case study on integrating photovoltaic energy supply with electrochemical CO₂ reduction
Front. Energy Res. 14 , art. 1720659
10.3389/fenrg.2026.1720659
Pohl, M., Röhring, K., Chávez Morejón, M., Harnisch, F. (2026):
The concentration determines reaction efficiency of hetero-coupling of bio-based medium chain carboxylic acids by Kolbe electrolysis
ChemSusChem 19 (10), e70753
10.1002/cssc.70753
Pouresmaeil, S., Griebel, J., Prager, A., Harnisch, F., Kretzschmar, J. (2026):
Wood-derived sphere-like biochar granules as an electrode platform for future bed electrodes
ChemElectroChem 13 (14), e70268
10.1002/celc.70268
Pouresmaeil, S., Prager, A., Griebel, J., Harnisch, F., Kretzschmar, J. (2026):
Decoupling bulk composition and alloying effects in Ni-Mo materials for electrocatalytic hydrogen evolution at near-neutral pH
Front. Energy Res. 14 , art. 1939600
10.3389/fenrg.2026.1939600
Reinikovaite, V., Schmidt, M., Stirkė, A., Harnisch, F., Korth, B. (2026):
Graphite granules as microbial electrodes: Determining the relevant surface area
J. Environ. Chem. Eng. 14 (2), art. 121897
10.1016/j.jece.2026.121897
Saeidi, N., Chávez Morejón, M., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Experimental optimization and process modelling of the selective electrochemical hydrogenation of phenol to cyclohexanol using a non-noble metal catalyst
Chem. Eng. J. 537 , art. 176358
10.1016/j.cej.2026.176358
Schößow, Y., Harnisch, F., Korth, B. (2026):
Low-cost thermistor electrodes for numbering-up thermodynamic studies on electroactive biofilms
Electrochem. Commun. 188 , art. 108188
10.1016/j.elecom.2026.108188
Schröder, U., Harnisch, F., Heidrich, E., Ieropoulos, I.A., Logan, B.E., Nath, D., Pant, D., Patil, S.A., Puig, S., Ren, J., Rossi, R., Rotaru, A.-E., ter Heijne, A. (2026):
Waste to value: microbial electrochemical technologies for sustainable water, material, and energy cycles
Frontiers in Science 4 , art. 1688727
10.3389/fsci.2026.1688727
Seibert, L., Chávez Morejón, M., Harnisch, F., Karande, R. (2026):
Biofunneling hydrogenated phenols into adipic acid using recombinant Pseudomonas taiwanensis VLB120
Cell Rep. Phys. Sci. 7 (2), art. 103069
10.1016/j.xcrp.2025.103069