I am an associate professor in molecular geomicrobiology. My research overall focuses on understanding the ecology and evolution of microorganisms inhabiting the seabed as well as engineered systems like oil reservoirs. My expertise bridges the use of more basic molecular tools with omics and bioinformatics approaches which I integrate with microbial physiology and biogeochemical approaches.
Publications @ Google Scholar
Geomicrobiology
The microorganisms present the seabed constitute up to one third of global living biomass, they key players in the global carbon and sulfur cycles and thus affect both ocean and atmospheric chemistry and Earth´s climate. However, the subsurface seabed is among the least explored environments on our planet and the identities, evolution and lifestyles of the microorganism populating this vast microbial ecosystem remain poorly understood.
Active projects
The cellular ultrastructure of Asgard archaea - the ancestors of the eukaryotic cell
Funded by the Villum Foundation via a Villum Experiment grant (2021-2023).
Collaborators: Andreas Schramm, Natalie Elia, Thijs Ettema, Burak Avci
Microbial community assembly and evolution in the seabed
Funded by the Independent Research Fund Denmark - DFF-Research Project 1 (2020-2022)
Collaborators: Casper Thorup, Andreas Schramm, Thomas Bataillon
Bioactive self-healing cement
Micro crack formation in cements and concretes lead to loss of durability. Bioactive self-healing cements may help ameliorate this ubiquitous and severe problem. This technology relies on encapsulating endospores (dormant bacterial resting stages) into cement. If cracks occur water will penetrate and induce endospores to germinate and grow and by mineralization of organic carbon substrates produce carbonate in a pH neutral or alkaline reaction thereby causing CaCO3 to precipitate as lime-stone and heal cracks.
We aim to develop a bioactive selfhealing cement that function in the deep seabed that is under high hydrostatic pressure and temperature.
Funded by the Danish Hydrocarbon Research and Technology Centre (2021-2023).
Collaborators: Hans Røy, Jørgen Skibsted, Klaus Koren, Alberto Scoma
Teaching
I teach the following courses at Department of Biology
- Microbiology for Biologists
- Microbiology for Molecular Biologists
- Microbial Physiology and Identification
- Microbial Element Cycling and Population Ecology
