The ethane-oxidizing Ca. Argoarchaeum ethanivorans (purple) and partner sulfate reducing bacteria (green) in the Ethane12 enrichment culture (CARD-FISH, double hybridization)
Dr. Florin Musat
Contact / Addess:
Phone +49 (0) 341 235 1005
Fax +49 (0) 341 235 450822
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstrasse 15
04318 Leipzig

Curriculum Vitae
Since April 2015 |
Senior Scientist Department of Isotope Biogeochemistry & ProVIS - Centre for Chemical Microscopy Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ |
2013-2015 |
Research Assistant Dept. of Isotope Biogeochemistry Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ Leipzig, Germany |
2007-2013 |
Scientist Dept. of Microbiology Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology Bremen, Germany |
2005-2007 |
Postdoctoral fellow Dept. of Microbiology Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology Bremen, Germany |
2001-2005 |
Doctoral candidate Dept. of Microbiology Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology Bremen, Germany |
2000-2001 |
Assistant lecturer Dept. of Genetics Faculty of Biology University of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania |
1997-2000 |
Research assistant Dept. of Genetics Faculty of Biology University of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania |
Education
2005 |
PhD (Dr. rer. nat.), Marine microbiology Dept. of Microbiology Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology & University of Bremen Bremen, Germany |
1999 |
Master of Science, Microbiology & microbial genetics Dept. of Genetics Faculty of Biology University of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania |
1997 |
Bachelor of Science, Biology Faculty of Biology University of Bucharest Bucharest, Romania |
Fields of Expertise
- microbiology
- microbial physiology and metabolism
- biochemistry
- molecular biology
- environmental microbiology
- genetics of microorganisms
Main Research Interests
- anaerobic microorganisms and processes
- fundamentals of anaerobic oxidation of hydrocarbons with sulfate, nitrate or metals as terminal electron acceptors
- oxidation of hydrocarbons under methanogenic conditions
- corrosion mediated by anaerobic microorganisms
- interspecies trophic interactions
Publications
2019
- Chen, S.C., Musat, N., Lechtenfeld, O.J., Paschke, H., Schmidt, M., Said, N., Popp, D., Calabrese, F., Stryhanyuk, H., Jaekel, U., Zhu, Y.G., Joye, S.B., Richnow, H.H., Widdel, F., and Musat, F. (2019). Anaerobic oxidation of ethane by archaea from a marine hydrocarbon seep. Nature 568, 108-111.
- Gilbert, A., Sherwood Lollar, B., Musat, F., Giunta, T., Chen, S., Kajimoto, Y., Yamada, K., Boreham, C.J., Yoshida, N., and Ueno, Y. (2019). Intramolecular isotopic evidence for bacterial oxidation of propane in subsurface natural gas reservoirs. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 116, 6653-6658.
- Widdel, F., and Musat, F. (2019). "Energetic and Other Quantitative Aspects of Microbial Hydrocarbon Utilization: An Introduction," in Aerobic Utilization of Hydrocarbons, Oils, and Lipids, ed. F. Rojo. (Cham: Springer International Publishing), 33-72. <Second edition>
- Widdel, F., and Musat, F. (2019). "Diversity and Common Principles in Enzymatic Activation of Hydrocarbons: An Introduction," in Aerobic Utilization of Hydrocarbons, Oils, and Lipids, ed. F. Rojo. (Cham: Springer International Publishing), 3-32. <Second edition>
- Vogt, C., Musat, F., and Richnow, H.-H. (2018). "Compound-Specific Isotope Analysis for Studying the Biological Degradation of Hydrocarbons," in Anaerobic Utilization of Hydrocarbons, Oils, and Lipids, ed. M. Boll. (Cham: Springer International Publishing), 1-38.
- Stryhanyuk, H., Calabrese, F., Kümmel, S., Musat, F., Richnow, H.H., and Musat, N. (2018). Calculation of Single Cell Assimilation Rates From SIP-NanoSIMS-Derived Isotope Ratios: A Comprehensive Approach. Frontiers in Microbiology 9.
- Rotaru, A.E., Calabrese, F., Stryhanyuk, H., Musat, F., Shrestha, P.M., Weber, H.S., Snoeyenbos-West, O.L.O., Hall, P.O.J., Richnow, H.H., Musat, N., and Thamdrup, B. (2018). Conductive particles enable syntrophic acetate oxidation between Geobacter and Methanosarcina from coastal sediments. mBio 9.
- Laso-Pérez, R., Krukenberg, V., Musat, F., and Wegener, G. (2018). Establishing anaerobic hydrocarbon-degrading enrichment cultures of microorganisms under strictly anoxic conditions. Nature Protocols 13, 1310-1330.
- Musat, F., and Musat, N. (2017). "Measuring the Impact of Hydrocarbons on Rates of Nitrogen Fixation," in Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols; Activities and Phenotypes, eds. T.J. McGenity, K.N. Timmis & B.N. Fernandez. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg), 81-97.
- Musat, F. (2017). "Introduction to Activities and Phenotypes," in Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology Protocols; Activities and Phenotypes, eds. T.J. Mcgenity, K.N. Timmis & B.N. Fernandez. Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg), 1-6.
- Laso-Pérez, R., Wegener, G., Knittel, K., Widdel, F., Harding, K.J., Krukenberg, V., Meier, D.V., Richter, M., Tegetmeyer, H.E., Riedel, D., Richnow, H.-H., Adrian, L., Reemtsma, T., Lechtenfeld, O.J., and Musat, F. (2016). Thermophilic archaea activate butane via alkyl-coenzyme M formation. Nature 539, 396-401.
- Vogt, C., Dorer, C., Musat, F., and Richnow, H.H. (2016). Multi-element isotope fractionation concepts to characterize the biodegradation of hydrocarbons - from enzymes to the environment. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 41, 90-98.
- Rabus, R., Boll, M., Heider, J., Meckenstock, R.U., Buckel, W., Einsle, O., Ermler, U., Golding, B.T., Gunsalus, R.P., Kroneck, P.M.H., Krüger, M., Lueders, T., Martins, B.M., Musat, F., Richnow, H.H., Schink, B., Seifert, J., Szaleniec, M., Treude, T., Ullmann, G.M., Vogt, C., Von Bergen, M., and Wilkes, H. (2016). Anaerobic microbial degradation of hydrocarbons: From enzymatic reactions to the environment. J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 26, 5-28.
- Musat, N., Musat, F., Weber, P.K., and Pett-Ridge, J. (2016). Tracking microbial interactions with NanoSIMS. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 41, 114-121.
- Musat, F., Vogt, C., and Richnow, H.H. (2016). Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation associated with the aerobic and anaerobic degradation of saturated and alkylated aromatic hydrocarbons. J. Mol. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 26, 211-226.
- Kümmel, S., Starke, R., Chen, G., Musat, F., Richnow, H.H., and Vogt, C. (2016). Hydrogen Isotope Fractionation As a Tool to Identify Aerobic and Anaerobic PAH Biodegradation. Environmental Science and Technology 50, 3091-3100.
- Musat, F. (2015). The anaerobic degradation of gaseous, nonmethane alkanes - From in situ processes to microorganisms. Computational and Structural Biotechnology Journal 13, 222-228.
- Jaekel, U., Zedelius, J., Wilkes, H., and Musat, F. (2015). Anaerobic degradation of cyclohexane by sulfate-reducing bacteria from hydrocarbon-contaminated marine sediments. Frontiers in Microbiology 6.
- Kleindienst, S., Herbst, F.-A., Stagars, M., Von Netzer, F., Von Bergen, M., Seifert, J., Peplies, J., Amann, R., Musat, F., Lueders, T., and Knittel, K. (2014). Diverse sulfate-reducing bacteria of the Desulfosarcina/Desulfococcus clade are the key alkane degraders at marine seeps. ISME Journal 8, 2029-2044.
- Jaekel, U., Vogt, C., Fischer, A., Richnow, H.-H., and Musat, F. (2014). Carbon and hydrogen stable isotope fractionation associated with the anaerobic degradation of propane and butane by marine sulfate-reducing bacteria. Environmental Microbiology 16, 130-140.
- Jaekel, U., Musat, N., Adam, B., Kuypers, M., Grundmann, O., and Musat, F. (2013). Anaerobic degradation of propane and butane by sulfate-reducing bacteria enriched from marine hydrocarbon cold seeps. ISME Journal 7, 885-895.
- Abed, R.M.M., Musat, N., Musat, F., and Mußmann, M. (2011). Structure of microbial communities and hydrocarbon-dependent sulfate reduction in the anoxic layer of a polluted microbial mat. Marine Pollution Bulletin 62, 539-546.
- Widdel, F., and Musat, F. (2010). "Diversity and common principles in enzymatic activation of hydrocarbons," in Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, ed. K.N. Timmis. Springer Berlin Heidelberg), 983-1009.
- Widdel, F., and Musat, F. (2010). "Energetic and Other Quantitative Aspects of Microbial Hydrocarbon Utilization," in Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, ed. K.N. Timmis. (Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer Berlin Heidelberg), 729-763.
- Musat, F., Wilkes, H., Behrends, A., Woebken, D., and Widdel, F. (2010). Microbial nitrate-dependent cyclohexane degradation coupled with anaerobic ammonium oxidation. ISME Journal 4, 1290-1301.
- Musat, F., Galushko, A., Jacob, J., Widdel, F., Kube, M., Reinhardt, R., Wilkes, H., Schink, B., and Rabus, R. (2009). Anaerobic degradation of naphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene by strains of marine sulfate-reducing bacteria. Environmental Microbiology 11, 209-219.
- Halm, H., Musat, N., Lam, P., Langlois, R., Musat, F., Peduzzi, S., Lavik, G., Schubert, C.J., Singha, B., Laroche, J., and Kuypers, M.M.M. (2009). Co-occurrence of denitrification and nitrogen fixation in a meromictic lake, Lake Cadagno (Switzerland). Environmental Microbiology 11, 1945-1958.
- Musat, F., and Widdel, F. (2008). Anaerobic degradation of benzene by a marine sulfate-reducing enrichment culture, and cell hybridization of the dominant phylotype. Environmental Microbiology 10, 10-19.
- Widdel, F., Musat, F., Knittel, K., and Galushko, A. (2007). "Anaerobic degradation of hydrocarbons with sulphate as electron acceptor," in Sulphate-reducing Bacteria: Environmental and Engineered Systems. (Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press), 265-303.
- Kniemeyer, O., Musat, F., Sievert, S.M., Knittel, K., Wilkes, H., Blumenberg, M., Michaelis, W., Classen, A., Bolm, C., Joye, S.B., and Widdel, F. (2007). Anaerobic oxidation of short-chain hydrocarbons by marine sulphate-reducing bacteria. Nature 449, 898-U810.
- Musat, F., Harder, J., and Widdel, F. (2006). Study of nitrogen fixation in microbial communities of oil-contaminated marine sediment microcosms. Environmental Microbiology 8, 1834-1843.
- Alain, K., Holler, T., Musat, F., Elvert, M., Treude, T., and Krüger, M. (2006). Microbiological investigation of methane- and hydrocarbon-discharging mud volcanoes in the Carpathian Mountains, Romania. Environmental Microbiology 8, 574-590.
- Musat, F., Widdel, F., Wieland, A., and Widdel, F. (2004). Marine sediment with surface contamination by oil in microcosms for microbiological studies. Ophelia 58, 217-222.