Benjamin Korth
Contact
Dr. Benjamin Korth
Scientist
Department of Microbial Biotechnology
Electrobiotechnology
Team leader Thermodynamics of electroactive microorganisms
Speaker Platform Project ElectroBiorefineries and Biosyntheses
Member Scientific and Technical Council
Helmholtz Centre for
Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Phone +49 341 6025-2173
benjamin.korth@ufz.de
Research interests
My research focus comprises electroactive microorganisms, extracellular electron transfer, and related natural and biotechnological processes. I’m especially interested in the respective thermodynamic and kinetic fundamentals influencing or even governing these processes. By applying bio(electro)calorimetric, modeling, and further electrochemical approaches, I aim to decipher the principles of energy harvest of electrogenic and electrotrophic microorganisms. Only with a comprehensive knowledge about the energy fluxes during extracellular electron transfer, an improvement of energy efficiency of microbial electrochemical technologies and a reasonable engineering thereof is possible.
Since 2020
Team leader "Thermodynamics of electroactive microorganisms"
Sep-Dec 2018
Research stay at the University of Girona,
Laboratory of Chemical and Environmental Engineering (LEQUIA), Prof. Sebastià Puig Broch
Since 2017
Scientist at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ,
Department of Environmental Microbiology
Research Group Electrobiotechnology
Nov 2013
Research stay at the Technical University of Delft,
Department of Biotechnology, Dr. Cristian Picioreanu
2013 − 2017
PhD student at Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ,
Department of Environmental Microbiology
Research Group Microbial Bioelectrocatalysis & Bioelectrotechnology
2017 PhD in Biochemistry (summa cum laude)
2007 − 2012
Studies in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (Diploma)
at the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena
Diploma thesis at the Institute for Biochemistry I,
University Hospital of the Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena,
Title: "Analysis of Actin and Membrane Dynamics Modulators in Danio rerio".
Index:
You could use our publication index for further requests.
2025 (1)
- Schößow, Y., Meyer, M., Zorc, O., Haus, P., Korth, B. (2025):
Investigation of acetate uptake kinetics of mature Geobacter sulfurreducens biofilms in continuous bioelectrochemical systems reveals unexpected challenges
Bioelectrochemistry 165 , art. 108978 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2025.108978
2024 (4)
- Ceballos-Escalera, A., Pous, N., Korth, B., Harnisch, F., Balaguer, M.D., Puig, S. (2024):
Ex-situ electrochemical characterisation of fixed-bed denitrification biocathodes: A promising strategy to improve bioelectrochemical denitrification
Chemosphere 347 , art. 140699 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2023.140699 - Dai, S., Harnisch, F., Chávez Morejón, M., Keller, N.S., Korth, B., Vogt, C. (2024):
Microbial electricity-driven anaerobic phenol degradation in bioelectrochemical systems
Environ. Sci. Ecotechnol. 17 , art. 100307 10.1016/j.ese.2023.100307 - Reiner, J.E., Korth, B., Edel, M. (2024):
Oxygen in the mix: Is oxic microbial electrosynthesis a potential alternative for biomass production?
ChemElectroChem 11 (20), e202400397 10.1002/celc.202400397 - Valero, A., Petrash, D.A., Kuchenbuch, A., Korth, B. (2024):
Enriching electroactive microorganisms from ferruginous lake waters – Mind the sulfate reducers!
Bioelectrochemistry 157 , art. 108661 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2024.108661
2023 (2)
- Dai, S., Harnisch, F., Bin-Hudari, M.S., Keller, N.-S., Vogt, C., Korth, B. (2023):
Improving the performance of bioelectrochemical sulfate removal by applying flow mode
Microb. Biotechnol. 16 (3), 595 - 604 10.1111/1751-7915.14157 - Korth, B., Pereira, J., Sleutels, T., Harnisch, F., ter Heijne, A. (2023):
Comparing theoretical and practical biomass yields calls for revisiting thermodynamic growth models for electroactive microorganisms
Water Res. 242 , art. 120279 10.1016/j.watres.2023.120279
2022 (2)
- Dai, S., Korth, B., Schwab, L., Aulenta, F., Vogt, C., Harnisch, F. (2022):
Deciphering the fate of sulfate in one- and two-chamber bioelectrochemical systems
Electrochim. Acta 408 , art. 139942 10.1016/j.electacta.2022.139942 - Korth, B., Pous, N., Hönig, R., Haus, P., Borim Corrêa, F., Nunes da Rocha, U., Puig, S., Harnisch, F. (2022):
Electrochemical and microbial dissection of electrified biotrickling filters
Front. Microbiol. 13 , art. 869474 10.3389/fmicb.2022.869474
2021 (6)
- Ceballos-Escalera, A., Pous, N., Chiluiza-Ramos, P., Korth, B., Harnisch, F., Bañeras, L., Balaguer, M.D., Puig, S. (2021):
Electro-bioremediation of nitrate and arsenite polluted groundwater
Water Res. 190 , art. 116748 10.1016/j.watres.2020.116748 - Dai, S., Korth, B., Vogt, C., Harnisch, F. (2021):
Microbial electrochemical oxidation of anaerobic digestion effluent from treating HTC process water
Front. Chem. Eng. 3 , art. 652445 10.3389/fceng.2021.652445 - Harnisch, F., Korth, B. (2021):
First settlers persist
Joule 5 (6), 1316 - 1319 10.1016/j.joule.2021.05.022 - Korth, B., Heber, C., Normant-Saremba, M., Maskow, T., Harnisch, F. (2021):
Precious data from tiny samples: Revealing the correlation between energy content and the chemical oxygen demand of municipal wastewater using micro-bomb combustion calorimetry
Front. Energy Res. 9 , art. 705800 10.3389/fenrg.2021.705800 - Pous, N., Korth, B., Osset-Álvarez, M., Balaguer, M.D., Harnisch, F., Puig, S. (2021):
Electrifying biotrickling filters for the treatment of aquaponics wastewater
Bioresour. Technol. 319 , art. 124221 10.1016/j.biortech.2020.124221 - Rodrigo Quejigo, J., Korth, B., Kuchenbuch, A., Harnisch, F. (2021):
Redox potential heterogeneity in fixed bed electrodes leads to microbial stratification and inhomogeneous performance
ChemSusChem 14 (4), 1155 - 1165 10.1002/cssc.202002611
2020 (3)
- Korth, B., Kretzschmar, J., Bartz, M., Kuchenbuch, A., Harnisch, F. (2020):
Determining incremental coulombic efficiency and physiological parameters of early stage Geobacter spp. enrichment biofilms
PLOS One 15 (6), e0234077 10.1371/journal.pone.0234077 - Korth, B., Kuchenbuch, A., Harnisch, F. (2020):
Cover profile: Availability of hydrogen shapes the microbial abundance in biofilm anodes based on Geobacter enrichment
ChemElectroChem 7 (18), 3683 - 3683 10.1002/celc.202001006 - Korth, B., Kuchenbuch, A., Harnisch, F. (2020):
Availability of hydrogen shapes the microbial abundance in biofilm anodes based on Geobacter enrichment
ChemElectroChem 7 (18), 3720 - 3724 10.1002/celc.202000731
2019 (3)
- Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2019):
Corrigendum: Spotlight on the energy harvest of electroactive microorganisms: The impact of the applied anode potential
Front. Microbiol. 10 , art. 2744 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02744 - Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2019):
Spotlight on the energy harvest of electroactive microorganisms: The impact of the applied anode potential
Front. Microbiol. 10 , art. 1352 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01352 - Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2019):
Modeling microbial electrosynthesis
In: Harnisch, F., Holtmann, D. (eds.)
Bioelectrosynthesis
Adv. Biochem. Eng. Biotechnol. 167
Springer Nature, p. 273 - 325 10.1007/10_2017_35
2018 (1)
- Koch, C., Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2018):
Microbial ecology-based engineering of Microbial Electrochemical Technologies
Microb. Biotechnol. 11 (1), 22 - 38 10.1111/1751-7915.12802
2017 (3)
- Korth, B., Maskow, T., Günther, S., Harnisch, F. (2017):
Estimating the energy content of wastewater using combustion calorimetry and different drying processes
Front. Energy Res. 5 , art. 23 10.3389/fenrg.2017.00023 - Korth, B., Maskow, T., Harnisch, F. (2017):
Bioelektrokalorimetrie — der mikrobielle elektrochemische Peltier-Effekt [Bioelectrocalorimetry - The microbial electrochemical Peltier effect]
Biospektrum 23 (2), 220 - 222 10.1007/s12268-017-0787-3 - Rosa, L.F.M., Koch, C., Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2017):
Electron harvest and treatment of amendment free municipal wastewater using microbial anodes: A case study
J. Power Sources 356 , 319 - 323 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2017.03.095
2016 (1)
- Korth, B., Maskow, T., Picioreanu, C., Harnisch, F. (2016):
The microbial electrochemical Peltier heat: an energetic burden and engineering chance for primary microbial electrochemical technologies
Energy Environ. Sci. 9 (8), 2539 - 2544 10.1039/c6ee01428c
2015 (1)
- Korth, B., Rosa, L.F.M., Harnisch, F., Picioreanu, C. (2015):
A framework for modeling electroactive microbial biofilms performing direct electron transfer
Bioelectrochemistry 106 , 194 - 206 10.1016/j.bioelechem.2015.03.010
University of Leipzig
- M.Sc. Biochemistry, 1. Semester
Module Elektrobiotechnologie (11-BCH-0723)
Seminar Energetik mikrobieller Systeme (2 SWS)
Practical course (4 SWS)
- B.Sc. Biochemistry, 2. Semester
Module Physikal. u. biophysikalische Chemie (11-BCH-0206)
Seminar Physikal. u. Biophysikalische Chemie (2 SWS)
- Academic course Pharmacy, 2. Fachsemester
Module Grundlagen der Physikalischen Chemie (11-PHA-0203)
Seminar Physikalische Chemie (1 SWS)
BISON - A Biohybrid Solar Energy Collector
06/2024 - 06/2026
BENEFIT - Lab-scale bioelectrochemical fixed bed reactor for advanced on-site treatment of hospital wastewater
11/2024 - 04/2025
- Interactive exhibit Electrobiotechnology as a building block for the bioeconomy
- Science Slam (in German)
Doktorand Seltsam, oder wie ich lernte mit Elektrochemie zu leben
- 1st place Humboldt-Science-Slam in Altenburg (2019)
- Presentation at Jack Pop's Circus of Science (2019)
- Host of Night of the Microbes at ISME17 in Leipzig (2018, together with Federica Calabrese)
- 1st place ScienceSlam hosted by "Frankesche Stiftungen & HALternativ e.v." in Halle/Saale (2017)
- 1st place Science Slam at the doctoral candidates day in Leipzig (2017)
- 1st place 5. Leipziger Science Slam (2016)
- 1st place Microbe Slam at the annual meeting of VAAM in Jena (2016)
- Helmholtz-PhD award 2017, Research Area "Energy"
- Best Oral Presentation Award EU-ISMET 2016
- Abstract Award & Best Oral Presentation Award ISMET 2015
Students are always welcome to join the group and encouraged to apply for an internship/bachelor/master thesis in the research field of microbiology and electrobiotechnology. Topics can always be developed and adjusted to fit your personal needs. Just send an email to
benjamin.korth@ufz.de
Currently we offer following theses