Microbial Physiology
“Strict anaerobes are key to the natural geochemical cycles of carbon, nitrogen and sulphur. Exploiting the processes catalysed by these anaerobes, for example in the production of chemicals and fuels from waste streams, is our main research driver.”
The Microbial Physiology group studies the physiology of the anaerobic microorganisms and anaerobic microbial communities (natural or synthetic) that play an important role or have potential for application in sustainable circular economy approaches. This includes for example:
- isolation, characterisation and application of novel anaerobes with biotechnological application potential
- study of metabolic microbial interactions in natural systems (e.g. syntrophy in anaerobic digesters) and in constructed synthetic communities
- microbial conversions of one-carbon compounds (CO2, CO, formate, methanol, CH4) to added-value products
- anoxic respiration with sulfur compounds for metal recovery
- chemolithotrophic processes on solid surfaces.
In-depth insight into the metabolic pathways is obtained by combining cultivation approaches with proteome and transcriptome analyses.
Projects
One-carbon (C1) Metabolism
One-carbon (C1) Metabolism aims to study the metabolic pathways of the microbes and microbial communities that convert C1 molecules – such as carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, methane and methanol – and their application to produce high-value chemical building blocks.
Microbial Interactions
Microbial Interations aims to unravel new microbial interaction mechanisms (and new syntrohic microbes) and understand their functioning in relation to the environment.
Sulphur Cycle
Sulphur Cycle studies the ecology, physiology and the technological application of anaerobes involved in the reductive sulphur cycle.
Deep-surface Microbiology
Little is known about the microbiology of the deep subsurface.