Research

Vision:

The Gaia-Group focuses on a broad understanding of living systems and biogeochemical processes with emphasis on the interactions amongst microbes and the Earth System, investigating the interface between chemistry, biology and geology.

Research Areas

Bioremediation and biomass production:

Since the Industrial Revolution, humanity has been degrading ecosystem services with partially irreversible effects that are closely linked to the health and functioning of the biosphere. A frequently encountered impact in aquatic systems is the accumulation of excess load of nutrients and contaminants from urban and industrial effluents. The mitigation and remediation of affected ecosystems are crucial to ensuring biodiversity, sanitation and, consequently, human health for the centuries to come. Photosynthetic microalgae have enormous potential to fix nutrients, carbon dioxide and dissolved contaminants into biomass within short time frames, which applied on a large scale can slow, stop and eventually reverse these environmental threats. This research line targets to develop and apply field and laboratory photobioreactors to generate targeted specific biomass from functional phytoplankton groups in natural coastal settings, aiming (1) to produce raw material of economic value and (2) to regionally mitigate the overload of aquatic nutrients, carbon dioxide and pollutants (e.g., heavy metals).

Microalgae cultivation:

Marine microalgae represent an untapped resource due to their high biodiversity and productivity of bioactive compounds. One essential bottleneck in assessing this resource is the capacity to culture specific algae under laboratory conditions (e.g. dinoflagellates). Here, we seek to develop new modes to culture marine microalgae to harness their biotechnological potential (e.g. bioluminescence, toxins, lipids, pigments, etc.).

Coevolution of phytoplankton and seawater chemistry:

Ocean calcium and magnesium concentrations have changed remarkably throughout the Phanerozoic eon (past 541 Myr). These changes are partly accompanied by fluctuations in the geological succession of phytoplankton groups with high abundance of calcifying phytoplankton during the Cretaceous (145 to 66 Ma), known for massive deposition of biogenic calcareous material produced in the pelagic ocean. Here, we explore the evolutionary success of planktonic organisms to changes in seawater major ion concentrations (e.g., Ca, Mg,) and pH over geological time scales to gain a better understanding of the coevolution of seawater and phytoplankton community composition within the Earth System.

Environmental change and organismal physiology:

Marine organisms are facing an increasingly fluctuating environment due to anthropogenic activities (e.g., pollution, climate change, ocean acidification, etc,). These multiple drivers act on different regional and temporal scales, creating a high permutation of possible environmental scenarios and outcomes. Here, we investigate the physiological response of marine organisms to environmental drivers to gain a mechanistic understanding to help predicting the possible alterations in future ecosystem structure and function.

Biomineralization:

Marine organisms have developed different strategies for biomineralization (e.g., internal vs. external precipitation) throughout evolutionary history, starting with unicellular carbonate precipitation in marine microbes. The elemental and isotopic composition of biogenic calicum carbonate provide opportunities to develop paleoceoanographic proxies as tools to reconstruct past oceanographic conditions and to investigate the underlying physiological mechanisms of biomineralization. This research line aims to improve our understanding of marine biomineralization mechanisms and the associated evolutionary history by investigating the geochemical signature of calcium carbonates from modern and fossil organisms.

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