Microbial Biogeochemistry

 

The working group investigates the relevance of the microbiota for (a) climate, (b) soil carbon storage and (c) resilience of plants. Functions of the microbiota of agricultural landscapes elements are subject matters. Though, the research focusses on crop and grasslands. Cereal crops and selected trees species are experimental model plants. The WG employs gene markers (incl. qPCR), metagenomics, stabile isotope probing, RNA-based techniques and bioinformatics to assess functions and dynamics of the plant and soil microbiota. Soil enzyme measurements and gas analytics (GC ISQ MS; SIFT MS) are used to characterize microbial compound conversions and emissions of green house gases and volatiles. Experimental investigations are conducted at the individual plant scale (plot trials) and on ecosystem level (field trials, surveys). Moreover, the ecophysiology of methylotrophic and nitrate-reducing microorganisms (cultivation incl. anaerobe technique, genomics) is a research topic.