Doctoral Students
In the Aquatic Geomicrobiology Group at FSU Jena
Divyashri Baraniya
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49472Email: divyashri.baraniya@uni-jena.de,
dbaran@bgc-jena.mpg.de
Project:
- River BiogeochemistryEducation:
May 2011-Present: Doctoral student in the research group for Limnology at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena, supported by International Max Planck Research School for Biogeochemical Cycles, Jena2008 - 2011: Research Assistant at National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India
2007: Master in Biochemistry from School of Biochemsitry, Devi Ahilya University, Indore, India. Thesis title "Microbial Respiratory enzymes of Oxygen deficient waters of Arabian Sea", supervisor Dr. M.S. Shailaja, National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, India
Research Interests:
River Yenisei is the fifth longest river of the world and is the greatest river system that flows to the Arctic. During my PhD I will focus on the changes in microbial community composition and their role in biogeochemistry along the spring to the mouth of the river and the differences in the diversity of pelagic and particle attached microbes along the flow path. My special focus will be on microbes involved in nitrification, CO2 fixation and methane oxidation. For studying Molecular diversity I will use 16S rRNA-based cloning approaches. Specific groups will be studied using Catalyzed Amplified Reporter Deposition Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization (CARD-FISH).Felix Beulig
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49472Email: felix.beulig@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Subsurface Carbon CyclingEducation:
2010-Present: Doctoral student in the resarch group for Limnology at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Supported by the DFG. Theme: "Microbial Life Under Extreme CO2"2010: Master in BioGeoSciences: "Microbial Communities Involved in Iron Cycling at an Acid Mine Drainage-Affected Creek” Friedrich-Schiller-University of Jena, working group for Limnology/Aquatic Geomicrobiology (Supervisor Prof. Dr. Kirsten Küsel, Dr. Denise Akob)
Research Interests:
Mofettes are unique ecosystems, where continuous gas emanations may lead to soil CO2 concentrations of up to 100%. Organisms living at mofette sites have to adapt to these extreme environmental conditions. We study a mofette field that is located near Hartouŝov in the Cheb Basin, Eger Rift (Czech Republic). Here, different water levels lead to the presence of both dry mofettes (unsaturated soil) and wet mofettes (saturated soil). In order to assess the environmental impact of CO2 emissions in near-surface terrestrial environments my PhD project focuses on the geochemistry and functional diversity of microorganisms living at these sites.Maria Fabisch
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49463Email: maria.fabisch@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Cold War Geomicrobiology- Project title: Impact of heavy metals on microbial formation of iron-oxides
Education:
October 2008 - Present: Doctoral student in the resarch group for Limnology at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Supported by the Graduate research school, “Alteration and element mobility at the microbe-mineral interface“ (DFG).2008: Diploma in Biology at the Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Diploma thesis: “Interaction of LuxR-type transcription factors in Escherichia coli,“ University of Cologne, Institute for Genetics, working group for Bacterial Genetics (Supervisor Prof. Dr. Karin Schnetz).
Research Interests:
This PhD project focuses on studying iron oxidizing microorganisms abundant in small creeks located in the former uranium mining area near Ronneburg (eastern Thuringia, Germany). These acid mine impacted creeks are highly enriched in heavy metals including an accumulation of Fe(III) precipitates. The creek sediment pH ranges from acidic to neutral, providing an ideal study site for iron oxidizers inhabiting different pH environments. Microbial Fe(II) oxidation, as a part of the iron cycle, leads to the biogenic formation of Fe(III) minerals. Such microbially formed Fe(III) precipitates can contribute to the immobilization of dissolved heavy metals by co-precipitation. Thus, iron-oxidizing microbes could be useful for bioremediation in heavy metal contaminated environments. So far, we biogeochemically characterized various creek sediments, including chemical parameter and potential rates of iron oxidation and reduction, and isolated new, moderately acidophilic microbial strains. These will be used for further studies on iron oxidation in presence of heavy metals and the metal behavior.Anke Hädrich
Doctoral Student
Contact:
phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49464email: anke.haedrich@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Peatlands Geomicrobiology- Project title: Iron cycling in acidic fens
Education:
Oct 2008 - Present: Doctoral student at the Research Group for Limnology, Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Friedrich Schiller University Jena. This work is part of the research group 562 “Dynamics of soil processes under extreme meteorological boundary conditions" supported by the DFG.Oct 2008: Diploma in Biology: Friedrich Schiller University Jena. "Microbial mineralization processes in iron-rich fens subjected to water table manipulations." (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Kirsten Küsel)
Research Interests:
During my PhD I am interested in microorganisms that are oxidize or reduce Fe in the acidic fen Schlöppnerbrunnen (northern Bavaria, Germany). At low pH Fe(II) is more stable in the presence of oxygen compared to pH neutral conditions. This allows Fe(II)-oxidizers to outcompete oxic chemical oxidation. Water level changes in the fen soil lead to the formation of an oxic-anoxic interface in the upper 20 cm. Therefore cycling of Fe in close proximity of this interface seems possible. My aim is to isolate both Fe(II)-oxidizers and Fe(III)-reducers by applying a diverse range of cultivation techniques and to further illuminate their interactions. I also want to elucidate the pathways of acetate and the microbial populations that are involved in the oxidation of acetate in this fen using microcosm studies and molecular techniques. Additionally, I studied the pathways of acetate production and consumption in this fen using microcosm studies as well as by characterizing the porewater, also with stable isotope measurements. I investigated the microbial community involved in acetate oxidation using the pathway of acetogenesis by targeting the functional gene fhs (for the enzyme formyltetrahydrofolate synthetase).Tsing Bo Hu
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49472Email: hu.qing@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Cold War Geomicrobiology- Project title: Diversity and survival mechanisms of indigenous manganese(II)-oxidizing bacteria in an acidic geochemical barrier
Education:
2011-Present: Doctoral student in the resarch group for Limnology at the Friedrich Schiller University, Jena. Supported by the Graduate research school, “Alteration and element mobility at the microbe-mineral interface“ (DFG).2003 - 2011: Research Assistant at Chinese Academy of Sciences
2003: Master in microbiology from School of Biology, Inner Mongolia University, China, supported by Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Thesis title "Primarily Study of the BNYVV virus CP protein gene of sugar beet", supervisor Dr. T. M. Hu, School of Biology, Inner Mongolia University, China
Research Interests:
Past uranium mining in the area of Ronneburg, Germany lead to extensive contamination of groundwater. Natural attenuation is occurring in different regions of Ronneburg where acidic to neutral pH Mn-rich soil and sediment layers formed and accumulated heavy metals and uranium. As microbes are known to oxidized Mn(II), causing precipitation of Mn oxides, we hypothesis microbes are involved in the formation of these Mn-rich layers. In my research, I will investigate the microbial communities in the Mn-rich layers and investigate biogenic Mn oxide formation by isolates from Ronneburg. In addition, I would like to determine the role of manganese oxidizing bacteria in acidic environments and to determine their survival mechanisms on a genomic and enzymatic level.Shipeng Lu
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49464Email: shipeng.lu@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Acidic Iron CyclingEducation:
July 2008 - Present: Doctoral Student at the Research Group for Limnology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena. Research supported by the Graduate research school “Alteration and element mobility at the microbe-mineral interface“ (DFG).2007: M.S. in Environmental Microbial Biotechnology. Lab Division of Environmental, Biotechnology, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea. Thesis Title: “Microbial Community Analysis of Activated Sludge Performing Enhanced Biological Phosphorus Removal in a Sequencing Batch Reactor” (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Che Ok Jeon)
2003: B.S. School of Life Science. Soochow University, P.R.China. B. S. Thesis Title: “Effect of Nano TiO2 on Increasing Vigor of Naturally Aged Seeds and Improving Growth of Spinach” (Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Fashui Hong)
Research Interests:
The different solubilities of the Fe(III) minerals under acidic and neutral conditions, has led to the belief that functional microorganisms and their microbial dissimilatory iron reduction (MDIR) mechanisms are dissimilar. Since most cultivated Fe(III)-reducing prokaryotes are neutrophilic, MDIR mechanisms under acidic conditions remain largely unknown. I am currently working on MDIR related microorganisms from acidic coal mine lake sediments. I am using molecular methods such as 16S rRNA clone libraries to investigate the microbial communities of acidic lake sediments as well as cultivation-based techniques such as ‘overlay plates,’ which were applied to obtain potential MDIR microorganisms. I have isolated a number of iron-related bacteria and am investigating their MDIR capabilities as well as detailing the acidic MDIR mechanisms for these organisms.Sebastian Opitz
Doctoral Student
Contact:
Phone: +49 (0)3641 (9)49472Email: sebastian.opitz@uni-jena.de
Project:
- Nitrogen Cycling- Project title: Aerobic and anaerobic nitrogen transformation processes in shallow and deep aquifers - analysis of microbial communities and activities.
Education:
November 2010-Present: Doctoral Student at the Research Group for Limnology, Friedrich-Schiller-University Jena.July 2010 Diploma in Biology: "Einfluss der Wasserstoffkonzentration auf Dechlorierung und Genregulation; Untersuchung der Oxidoreduktasen von Dehalococcoides sp. Stamm CBDB1" (Influence of hydrogen concentration on reductive dechlorination and expression of oxidoreductase genes in Dehalococcoides species strain CBDB1), at the Division of General Microbiology, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Germany (supervisor Dr. habil Ute Lechner).
