Dr. Susanne Dunker Dr. Susanne Dunker     Dr. Susanne Dunker

Contact


Department for Physiological Diversity
German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)
Puschstraße 4
04103 Leipzig
Germany

Phone: +49 341 9733170
E-mail: susanne.dunker@ufz.de



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Research interests

Water quality: My research interests are strongly influenced by the time of my diploma thesis, where I dealt with a hypertrophic lake in Leipzig. In this lake cyanobacterial blooms and a massive fish kill with 11 tons of dead fish occurred. I am fascinated by the fact that although a lake contains extensive nutrients, during the phase of cyanobacterial blooms, diversity of other phytoplankton species is very low. I want to gain insights into which factors make it possible that diversity is suppressed and reversed, under which circumstances diversity can be supported.

Phytoplankton organisms are ideal candidates to study diversity due to their fast growth. These organisms are microscopic small but have an enormous impact on the water quality and ecology. Their ability to convert light energy to biomass via photosynthesis determines the extent of primary production. Phytoplankton species can be distinguished due to their different pigmentation patterns by the means of flow cytometry. Imaging flow cytometry delivers the following cellular traits: cell volume, dry weight and chl a-content per cell and also the variability of these traits within a population. It is also possible to examine multi-species experiments with a fast species identification.

Air quality and pollination: Pollen are a fascinating biological material; small in size, but highly protected against different external environmental factors (heat, various chemicals, UV-light) to guarantee a proper maintenance of a whole set of genetic information. Pollen diversity is linked to several ecosystem services, like air quality and pollination success.

We will consider air quality as being impaired by allergic pollen (wind distributed pollen) and their health consequences of combined biological and physical impacts of human activities manifested through changes in plant species pollen abundance and particulate matter resulting in air pollution. Second, pollination is impaired by insect death and changes in plant-pollinator interactions (insect distributed pollen). To understand the relationships between pollen abundance, particulate matter, incidence of allergy symptoms as well as plant-pollinator interactions, we propose to develop and integrate new methods in particle analysis, machine learning, monitoring and sensing, and to develop a larger joint project with societal engagement.



Flow cytometric discrimination of four phytoplankton species.
01/2019 - present Working group leader and Deputy Department Head at UFZ, Department Physiological Diversity
10/2022 Invited research stay at IOCAG Universidad Gran Canaria (Host Prof. Javier Arístegui)
04/2015 - 12/2018 Researcher at UFZ (Helmholtz centre for environmental research)/ iDiv (German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research) Leipzig, Germany
10/2013 - 03/2015 Post-Doc at the University of Leipzig (“Plant Physiology”), Germany
12/2008 - 07/2013 PhD thesis at the University of Leipzig, Germany
Institute of Biology, Department: “Plant Physiology”
Title: “Dynamic of phytoplankton under hypertrophic conditions”
Supervisor: Prof. Dr. C. Wilhelm
10/2003 - 10/2008 Study of Biology (University of Leipzig, Germany)

Index:

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2025 (6)

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2024 (5)

  • Kabisch, N., Hornick, T., Bumberger, J., Krämer, R., Legg, R., Masztalerz, O., Bastl, M., Simon, J.C., Treudler, R., Dunker, S. (2024):
    Monitoring and perception of allergenic pollen in urban park environments
    Landsc. Urban Plan. 250 , art. 105133 10.1016/j.landurbplan.2024.105133
  • Liu, Y., Dunker, S., Durka, W., Dominik, C., Heuschele, J.M., Honchar, H., Hoffmann, P., Musche, M., Paxton, R.J., Settele, J., Schweiger, O. (2024):
    Eco-evolutionary processes shaping floral nectar sugar composition
    Sci. Rep. 14 , art. 13856 10.1038/s41598-024-64755-5
  • Mahecha, M.D., Bastos, A., Bohn, F.J., Eisenhauer, N., Feilhauer, H., Hickler, T., Kalesse-Los, H., Migliavacca, M., Otto, F.E.L., Peng, J., Sippel, S., Tegen, I., Weigelt, A., Wendisch, M., Wirth, C., Al-Halbouni, D., Deneke, H.M., Doktor, D., Dunker, S., Duveiller, G., Ehrlich, A., Foth, A., García-García, A., Guerra, C.A., Guimarães- Steinicke, C., Hartmann, H., Henning, S., Herrmann, H., Hu, P., Ji, C., Kattenborn, T., Kolleck, N., Kretschmer, M., Kühn, I., Luttkus, M.L., Maahn, M., Mönks, M., Mora, K., Pöhlker, M., Reichstein, M., Rüger, N., Sánchez-Parra, B., Schäfer, M., Stratmann, F., Tesche, M., Wehner, B., Wieneke, S., Winkler, A.J., Wolf, S., Zaehle, S., Zscheischler, J., Quaas, J. (2024):
    Biodiversity and climate extremes: known interactions and research gaps
    Earth Future 12 (6), e2023EF003963 10.1029/2023EF003963
  • Moore, J., Kunis, S., Grüning, B., Blank-Burian, M., Mallm, J.-P., Stöter, T., Zuschratter, W., Figge, M.T., Kreshuk, A., Tischer, C., Haase, R., Zobel, T., Bauer, P., Svensson, C.-M., Gerst, R., Hanne, J., Schmidt, C., Becker, M.M., Bocklitz, T., Bumberger, J., Chalopin, C., Chen, J., Czodrowski, P., Dickscheid, T., Fortmann-Grote, C., Huisken, J., Lohmann, J., Schauss, A., Baumann, M., Beretta, C., Burel, J.-M., Heuveline, V., Kuner, R., Landwehr, M., Leibfried, A., Nitschke, R., Mittal, D., von Suchodoletz, H., Valencia-Schneider, M., Zentis, P., Brilhaus, D., Hartley, M., Hülsmann, B., Dunker, S., Keppler, A., Mathur, A., Meesters, C., Möbius, W., Nahnsen, S., Pfander, C., Rehwald, S., Serrano-Solano, B., Vilardell Scholten, L., Vogl, R., Becks, L., Ferrando-May, E., Weidtkamp-Peters, S. (2024):
    NFDI4BIOIMAGE - National Research Data Infrastructure for Microscopy and Bioimage Analysis
    Zenodo
    115 pp. 10.5281/zenodo.13168693
  • Virtanen, R., Harpole, W.S., Dunker, S., Eskelinen, A. (2024):
    Multiple global change factors cause declines of a temperate bryophyte
    Plant Ecol. Divers. 17 (1-2), 35 - 46 10.1080/17550874.2024.2330659
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2023 (3)

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2022 (5)

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2021 (4)

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2020 (2)

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2019 (2)

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2018 (3)

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2017 (2)

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2016 (1)

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2019 UFZ Technology Transfer Award
2022 UFZ Sustainability Challenge Award

  • SEMINAIRE BIOCHRONOS DU DEPARTEMENT PAST (ISEM Montpellier), 10.10.2024, "“Automated pollen recognition via Multispectral Imaging Flow Cytometry and Deep learning"
  • Graduate school (RTG R3) of the University of Konstanz, 16.01.2023, "Phytoplankton high throughput assessment via multispectral imaging flow cytometry and deep learning"

  • iDiv Senior Scientist Inauguration lecture, 09.12.2022, Title: „Biodiversity monitoring across time and space, complexity levels and disciplines”
  • 5. Leipziger Allergiegespräch of the Comprehensive Allergy Center, 17.09.2022, Title: “Da liegt was in der Luft: Bioaerosolmonitoring und gesundheitliche Aspekte“
  • Ringvorlesung Studium generale der HTWK und des Leipziger Naturkundemuseums, 18.05.2022, Title: “Mehr als Bienen und Blümchen - die intimsten Details, die Pollen uns verraten können”
  • Statuskolloquium Luftqualität des Sächsischen Landesamts für Umwelt, Landwirtschaft und Geologie (LfULG), 30.09. 2021, Title: “Feinstaub oder Bioaerosole als Überträger von SARS-CoV-2? – Eine Fallstudie aus Leipzig / Sachsen“
  • Leipziger Meteorologisches Kolloquium, 29.04.2021, Title: “New methods for bioaerosol analysis and interconnection of environmental sensor data”
  • Center for Computational and Theoretical Biology, 20.01.2021, Title: “Pollen identification with Multispectral imaging flow cytometry & Deep learning”
  • Fraunhofer-Institut für Zelltherapie und Immunologie (IZI) Nachhaltigkeitswoche, 05.03.2020, Title: „Wie lässt sich Plastik im Labor vermeiden“
  • Luminex User Meeting & Workshop München, 10.10.2019, Title: “Imaging cytometry and deep learning for air and water quality assessment”
  • Limnologen-Stammtisch Leipzig, 17.04.2018, Title: "Advanced image flow cytometry as a new tool in phytoplankton research"
  • Hydrobiologisches Seminar TU Dresden, 16.11. 2017, Title: “High throughput-analysis of phytoplankton by imaging flow cytometry/ Cyanobacteria dominance reinforced by climate change?”
  • Limnologische Station Iffeldorf, TU München, 07.11.2012, Title: “Phytoplankton dynamic under hypertrophic conditions“

Articles

  • Dunker, S. (2014): The Cell Biology of Cyanobacteria, E. Flores, A. Herrero (Eds.). Caister Academic Press, Norfolk, UK (2014), Book review on: 308 pp., GBP 159.00, USD 319.00, ISBN: 978-1-908230-38-6, Journal of Plant Physiology, Vol. 171 (16): 1453
  • Lentendu, G., Hübschmann T., Müller S., Dunker S., Buscot F., Wilhelm C. (2013) Recovery of soil unicellular eukaryotes: an efficiency and activity analysis on the single cell level. Journal of Microbiological Methods, Vol. 95 (3):463-469
  • Dunker, S., Jakob, T., Wilhelm, C. (2013) Contrasting effects on the growth of two green algae (Oocystis marssonii, Scenedesmus obliquus) during cocultivation with Microcystis aeruginosa revealed by flow cytometry. Freshwater Biology, Vol. 58: 1573-1587
  • Wagner, H., Dunker, S., Liu, Z., Wilhelm, C. (2013) Subcommunity FTIR to determine physiological cell states. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 24 (1): 88-94

Oral Presentations

       Invited oral presentations

  • Limnological Stammtisch Leipzig, 17 April 2018 (organized by Dr. Ingrid Carmienke: "Advanced image flow cytometry as a new tool in phytoplankton research")

  • Hydrobiological seminar TU Dresden, 16  November 2017 (Working group Prof. Dr. T. Berendonk: High throughput-analysis of phytoplankton by imaging flow cytometry/ Cyanobacteria dominance reinforced by climate change?)

  • Limnological station Iffeldorf TU München, 07 November 2012 (Working group Prof. Dr. Melzer: Phytoplankton dynamic under hypertrophic conditions)
Conferences

  • Dunker, S. (2010) „Flow cytometry for phytoplankton analysis with taxonomic resolution“, Meeting of the German Society for Cytometry, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S. (2012) “The influence of interspecific effects on phytoplankton primary production”, Meeting of Plant Physiologists of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, Jena
  • Dunker, S. (2012) “Interspecific effects on growth and primary production in mixed culture of the green algae O. marssonii and the cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa”, Meeting of the Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society, Wuppertal
  • Dunker, S.; Jakob, T.; Nadrowski, K., Wilhelm, C. (2013) „Distinctive habitat preferences for major phytoplankton groups in a hypertrophic lake“, Meeting of the German Society for Limnology, Potsdam
  • Dunker, S. (2015) "Phenotypic plasticity and community dynamics of phytoplankton organisms", Meeting of the German Society for Cytometry, Berlin
  • Dunker, S. (2016) "Flow cytometry as a powerful tool in biodiversity research", iDiv conference, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S. (2017) "Image-based flow cytometry as missing link in phytoplankton biodiversity research", DynaTrait conference, Hannover
  • Dunker, S., Harpole, S. (2017) "Microscale diversity of the eukaryotic domain - Morphological and physiological traits in the size range of 1-100 µm ", iDiv conference, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S. (2018) "Advanced imaging flow cytometry as a new tool in phytoplankton research", Meeting of the Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society, Berchtesgaden
  • Dunker, S., Wäldchen, J., Boho, D., Mäder, P., Harpole, W.S. (2018) "Who am I and if yes, how many? A new way of phytoplankton species identification by combination of image cytometry and deep learning", Meeting of the German Society for Cytometry, Jena
  • Dunker, S. (2018) "Tiny, but mighty - Innovative monitoring strategies for pollen and phytoplankton diversity", iDiv conference, Leipzig

Poster

  • Dunker, S., Wilhelm, C. (2009) “Co-cultivation of algae and effects on their growth and physiology”, Meeting of the German Botanical Society Leipzig
  • Dunker, S., Liu, Z., Nadrowski, K., Wilhelm, C. (2011) „Taxonomisch aufgelöste Biomassemodellierung von Phytoplankton“, Meeting of the German Society for Limnology, Freising
  • Dunker, S., Wilhelm, C. (2011) “Comparative study of mono-culture and mixed culture of the green algae Oocystis marssonii and the cyanobacterium Microcystis aeruginosa”, Meeting of the German Botanical Society, Berlin
  • Dunker, S., Jakob, T. Wilhelm, C. (2014) „Quantification of co-cultivation effects on phytoplankton species“, Meeting of the Phycology Section of the German Botanical Society, Stralsund
  • Dunker, S. (2015) "Flow cytometry for high-throughput analysis of phytoplankton", iDiv conference, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S., Harpole, S. (2017) "Microscale diversity of the eukaryotic domain - Morphological and physiological traits in the size range of 1-100 µm ", iDiv conference, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S., Harpole, W.S., Wilhelm, C. (2017) "Image-based flow cytometry for high throughput analysis of phytoplankton", ASLO - Aquatic Sciences Meeting, Honolulu
  • Dunker, S., Althammer, J., Pohnert, U., Neu, T., Jakob, T., Wilhelm, C., Harpole, W. S. (2018) "Fateful meetings of unicellular green algae and the cyanobacterium M. aeruginosa", ISME conference/ International Symposium on Microbial Ecology, Leipzig
  • Dunker, S., Boho, D., Wäldchen, J., Bumberger, J., Mäder, P., Harpole, W.S. (2018) "Improved environmental monitoring of air and water quality by combination of high-throughput imaging flow cytometry and deep learning", International Conference on Ecological Informatics, Jena

PhD thesis

  • Dunker, S. (2013) Phytoplankton dynamic under hypertrophic conditions, University of Leipzig, Department of Plant Physiology

Diploma thesis

  • Dunker, S. (2008) “Estimation of Chl a-specific absorption coefficient of phytoplankton on taxon level”, University of Leipzig, Institute of Biology, Department of Plant Physiology

Dunker 2019: „VORRICHTUNG ZUR AUTOMATISCHEN SPEZIESANALYSE UND VERFAHREN ZU DESSEN DURCHFÜHRUNG“ WO 2019/068352 A 1

EP / US

Reviewer activities

  • Algal Research
  • Aquatic Ecology
  • Aquatic Microbial Ecology
  • Citizen Science Theory Practice
  • Current Microbiology
  • Critical Reviews in Biotechnology
  • Cytometry Part A
  • Czech Science Foundation
  • Ecological Modelling
  • Ecology
  • Ecology and Evolution
  • Ecotoxicology
  • Environmental Engineering Science
  • Freshwater Biology
  • Journal of Applied Phycology
  • Journal of Applied Ecology
  • Journal of Plant Physiology
  • LIMNOLOGY and OCEANOGRAPHY
  • Methods in Ecology and Evolution
  • Nature - Scientific Reports
  • NSF
  • Science of the Total Environment (STOTEN)
  • Themenhefte Allergologie
  • WATER
  • Water research

Memberships

  • Since 2021: Full member of the German Centre for integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
  • 2020: Membership of the International Society for Advancement of Cytometry (ISAC)
  • Since 2015: Member of German Society for Cytometry (DGfZ)
  • Since 2013: Member of the Sektion Phykologie der Deutschen Botanischen Gesellschaft (DBG)
  • Since 2012: Member of German Society for Limnology (DGL)

Participation in commissions

  • Since 2021: Member of the commission of the German VDI/DIN mirror committee (CEN/TC 264/WG 39) „Automatisierte Erfassung allergierelevanter luftgetragener Pollen“
  • 2021-2022: Participation in the commission on scientific misconduct appointed by UFZ management
  • Since 2017: Participation in the UFZ Environmental committee commission for CO2-compensation
  • Since 2015: Engagement in the Environmental Committee of UFZ as Leader of working committee: Reduction of plastic in laboratories with activities such as: Information stand UFZ summer party, Participation in Let`sCleanUpEurope, Participation in Long Night of Sciences (in Halle 2017)  


R&D project Monitoring Karl-Heine Kanal - PI: Susanne Dunker, Customer Stadt Leipzig, Amt für Stadtgrün und Gewässer

PollenNet - Phenology-based pollen prediction and EEG-based allergic response assessment using AI PollenNet - PIs: Prof. Dr. Patrick Mäder, Prof. Dr. Jörg Schumacher, Prof. Dr. Jens Haueisen, Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Sattler, Prof. Dr. Martin Haardt, Dr. Jana Wäldchen, Prof. Dr. Jan-C. Simon, Dr. Susanne Dunker

OrthoDiv - Cryptic diversity and evolution in Orthoptera: A continent-wide perspective - PIs: Holger Schielzeth, Claudia Fricke, Susanne Dunker, Octavio M. Palacios Gimenez (iDiv Flexpool project)

ProtistQuant - Hidden key players in trophic interactions: combining metabarcoding and multispectral imaging flow cytometry for quantitification of protists - PIs: Martina Herrmann, Susanne Dunker, Martin Schlegel, Anna Maria Fiore-Donno, Antonis Chatzinotas (iDiv Flexpool project)

R&D project PlanktAI - Phytoplankton identification using AI  NaturaIncognita - PIs: Dr. Jana Wäldchen, Dr. Ladislav Hrodac, Dr. Susanne Dunker, Customer MPI-BGC

SedimentAI - Automated particle detection in Sediments using imaging flow-cytometry and Artificial Intelligence (SedimentAI). PIs: Dr. Susanne Dunker, Prof. Dr. Ulrike Herzschuh, Dr. Thomas Hornick, Dr. Kathleen Stoof-Leichsenring, Prof. Dr. Bogdan Franczyk, Prof. Dr. Patrick Mäder (funded by HelmholtzAI grant)

R&D Project Pollen Phenotyping in HYFLOR, PI: Steven Dreissig, Susanne Dunker, Customer KWS Lochow GmbH

PhenObs - PhenObs is a global network of botanical gardens bringing together researchers, students and citizen scientists to learn more about the impacts of climate change on the phenology of herbaceous plant species Phenobs

HistColNet
- Historical collections: a window into the impacts of decades of anthropogenic change on plant-pollinator interactions - PIs: Dr. Demetra Rakosy, Dr. Susanne Dunker, Dr. Thomas Hornick (funded by the iDiv Flexpool DFG grant)

iNutriPol - Assessing the impact of the nutritional value of pollen diversity for soil food webs - PI: Dr. Thomas Hornick, Co-PIs: Dr. Simone Cesarz, Dr. Susanne Dunker, PD Dr. Mika Tarkka, Prof. Dr. Severin Sasso, Dr. Ronny Richter (funded by the iDiv Flexpool DFG grant)

iNTERACT - impacts of laNdscape structure, floral resources and land-use intensity on the healTh of bEneficial aRthropods in AgroeCosysTems - PI: Dr. Christophe Dominik, Co-PIs: Dr. Oliver Schweiger, Dr. Tesfaye Wubet, Dr. Susanne Dunker, Prof. Dr. Robert Paxton, Prof. Dr. Severin Sasso, Dr. Panagiotis Theodorou (funded by the iDiv Flexpool DFG grant)

Nutribee - Interaktion von abiotischen Stressoren und Nahrungslimitierung auf Bienengesundheit und Entwicklung von Jungvölkern im Freiland NutriBee - PI Dr. Silvio Erler, Projektpartner: Julius Kühn-Institut (JKI), Institut für Bienenkunde, Nds. Landesamt für Verbraucherschutz und Lebensmittelsicherheit, Institut für Bienenkunde und Imkerei (IBI), Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Freie Universität Berlin, Technische Universität Ilmenau, Universität Hohenheim (funded by the BMEL/BÖLN)

iCyt - integrative Cytomics (iCyt) support unit iCyt SU platform - PI: Prof. Dr. Stan Harpole, Co-PIs: Dr. Susanne Dunker, Prof. Dr. Severin Sasso, Dr. Torsten Jakob, Prof. Dr. Patrick Mäder, Dr. Jan Bumberger (funded by the iDiv Flexpool DFG grant)

PolDiv - Automated high throughput pollen diversity monitoring to study the ecosystem services air quality regulation and pollination (wind and insect pollination) - PIs: Dr. Susanne Dunker, Prof. Dr. Stan Harpole, Dr. Jan Bumberger, Prof. Dr. Peter Dietrich, Dr. Anett Richter, Prof. Dr. Aletta Bonn, Prof. Dr. Regina Treudler, Prof. Dr. Tiffany Knight, Dr. Jana Wäldchen, Prof. Dr. Patrick Mäder (funded by the iDiv Flexpool DFG grant) -

ResBioDiv - A mechanistic test of resilience provisioning of biodiversity across environmental gradients - PIs: Prof. Dr. Stan Harpole, Prof. Dr. Antonis Chatzinotas (funded by UFZ-IP, Helmholtz Association grant)

 PolDiv - Automated high throughput pollen diversity monitoring of air quality and pollination as ecosystem services PolDiv

PolDiv logo

 Phytoplankton microcosms PhyCosms

Quantification of allelopathic growth effects in mono- and mixed cultures of microalgae (Bachelor thesis, Johanna Knechtel, 2017)

Biodiversity provisioning resilience along environmental gradients (PhD thesis, Peter Hofmann, 2016-...)