Gina Freyer

Masters Student

Contact:

Email: Gina.Freyer@uni-jena.de

Project:

- Cold War Geomicrobiology
- Project Title: Iron Oxidizing Thiomonas Strains Involved in Heavy Metal Immobilization

Education:

B.Sc Biogeowissenschaften 2009: “Biogeochemische Charakterisierung eines Baches im ehemaligen Uranabbaugebiet Ronneburg/Seelingstädt” (Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute for Ecology, FSU Jena)

Research Interests:

During my Bachelors Thesis I started working in the former uranium mining area of Ronneburg, Germany. This site is characterized by high concentrations of heavy metals and radionuclides. After biogeochemically characterizing the Gessen creek during my Bachelor Thesis I now focus on microaerobic iron oxidizing microorganisms which were enriched and isolated from the creek sediment. I am interested in their metabolic properties and heavy metal tolerances as well as the potential for heavy metal immobilization during Fe(II) oxidation what could play an important role for bioremediation.

Patricia Geesink

Masters Student

Contact:

Email: Patricia.Geesink@uni-jena.de

Project:

- Subsurface Carbon Cycling
- Project Title: Characterization of the eukaryotic life in limestone aquifers affected by a land use gradient.

Education:

B.Sc Biogeowissenschaften 2009: “The effect of land use on herbivory on beech saplings” (Biodiversity Exploratories, AG Multi-trophic Interactions FSU Jena)

Research Interests:

As the topic “biodiversity” was part of my Bachelor Thesis, I would now like to focus on microbial diversity, especially for microbial eukaryotes, in aquifers and within the AquaDiv@Jena project. The aim for my master thesis is to get an impression and better understanding about the relationships between the hydrogeochemistry of deep aquifers and the microbial communities within groundwater and solid phase. In addition, the effect of changing land use intensity on groundwater and its organisms is part of my research interest because of its great importance for drinking water.

Ulrike Litzba

Masters Student

Contact:

Email: ulrike.litzba@gmail.com

Project:

- Peatlands Geomicrobiology
- Project Title: Microbially formed Fe-minerals in the presence of humic acids

Education:

B.Sc Biogeowissenschaften 2009: “Diversity and activity of iron-oxidizers and iron-reducers at oxic-anoxic interfaces” (Aquatic Geomicrobiology, Institute for Ecology, FSU Jena)

Research Interests:

Peatland geomicrobiology is an important topic regarding the global carbon cycle which is influenced by chemical and microbial iron transformations. The iron cycle in peatlands was a topic of my Bachelor’s thesis and now I want to go on working on the cultivation of FeOB and FeRB under circumneutral conditions. The first part of my research includes the objective to establish a FeRB – FeOB Fe cycling consortia. The aim for my master’s thesis is to characterize microbially formed Fe(III)-oxides that may be altered in their crystal structure when produced in the presence of humic acids.