PhD Project

My PhD project is part of the ANGUS II project, which investigates the subsurface for energy storage. In the power-to-gas approach, gases such as hydrogen and methane are stored underground and only pumped up to produce power when needed. In this context, I research hydrogen oxidation by microorganisms, which would lower the effectiveness of the system.

I am interested in the enzyme responsible for hydrogen oxidation, which is called hydrogenase. This enzyme can catalyse the reversible reaction H₂ <-> 2e^- + 2H⁺ as means to gain energy. During this reaction an isotopic fractionation takes place, as the enzyme usually favours the light isotope. The H-ions generated in this process can exchange with water - leading to isotopically heavier water over time. This enrichment of water might be a  basis for monitoring the subsurface storage.

Publications

• Lasser, J., Bultema, L., Jahn, A., Löffler, M., Minneker, V., van Scherpenberg, C. (2021):
  Power abuse and anonymous accusations in academia – Perspectives from early career researchers and recommendations for improvement
  Beiträge zur Hochschulforschung 43 (1-2), 48 - 61
• Löffler, M., Kümmel, S., Vogt, C., Richnow, H.-H. (2019):
  H₂ kinetic isotope fractionation superimposed by equilibrium isotope fractionation during hydrogenase activity of D. vulgaris strain Miyazaki
  Front. Microbiol. 10 , art. 1545 10.3389/fmicb.2019.01545
• Löffler, M., Schrader, M., Lüders, K., Werban, U., Hornbruch, G., Dahmke, A., Vogt, C., Richnow, H.H. (2022):
  Stable hydrogen isotope fractionation of hydrogen in a field injection experiment: Simulation of a gaseous H₂ leakage
  ACS Earth Space Chem. 6 (3), 631 - 641 10.1021/acsearthspacechem.1c00254
• Löffler, M., Schwab, L., Dethlefsen, F., Lagmöller, L., Vogt, C., Richnow, H.-H. (2024):
  Anaerobic dihydrogen consumption of nutrient-limited aquifer sediment microbial communities examined by stable isotope analysis
  Isot. Environ. Health Stud. 60 (2), 103 - 121 10.1080/10256016.2024.2306146

Conferences

ASI2019 (presentation award, 2nd place)

Isotopes 2019

ASI2018 (award for best poster)

ISME17

Theses

M.Sc. thesis: “Natural and anthropogenic influences on the microbial community composition of the river Ammer (Tuebingen, Germany).” University of Tübingen, Germany (January 2017)

B.Sc. thesis: "Structural Analysis of the Contact between the Plattenkalk and the Phyllite-Quartzite Unit (Talea Ori, Crete)" Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (2014)