Material-Microbiome Interactions
Division 4.2
The research group operates at the interface between materials and the environment. We investigate the effects of various environmental conditions on materials and explore the interactions between materials and microbial communities. Microorganisms possess enormous functional potential and can be utilized in a variety of ways, e.g., for pollutant degradation, for the development of novel, sustainable materials, or as indicators of ecosystem processes and material effects.
A wide range of innovative technologies are used to characterize materials and microorganisms. Our work focuses on the following areas: biofilms on plastic surfaces and other anthropogenic materials, electron microscopic environmental analysis, and the development of environmentally relevant testing methods.
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Fields of expertise
- EM@BAM Competence Center
- Optical and electron microscopic investigations for the surface characterization of materials and biofilms
- Elemental analysis using EDS and TXRF
- Artificial aging of materials and samples, as well as durability testing in environmental simulation chambers
- Interactions between materials and microorganisms
- Characterization of microbial communities in terms of composition, function, and interactions
- Biofilms on plastic surfaces and other anthropogenic materials
- Working according to FAIR Data Principles, Participant in NFDI4Microbiota
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Main activities
- Surface imaging and elemental analysis using electron microscopy
- Sample preparation for electron microscopy
- Environmental simulation in climate test chambers
- Microbiological, molecular biological, and bioinformatic characterization of microbial communities and their metabolic functions
- Cultivation and physiological investigation of microorganisms
- Analyses of the effects of anthropogenic materials on microorganisms
- Development of reference datasets for the biotechnological utilization of biofilms on surfaces
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Range of services/technical equipment
- Scanning electron microscope with tungsten cathode
- EDS microanalysis system with silicon drift detector (SDD)
- EM CPD - Automated critical point dryer
- High-vacuum sputter coater for the conductive coating of samples
- Digital microscope, fluorescence microscope
- Environmental test chambers for simulating UV radiation, rain, humidity, and temperature
- TXRF (Total Reflection X-Ray Fluorescence Spectroscopy)
- Equipment for microbiological and molecular biological work
Processing, analysis, and visualization of high-throughput sequencing data - Experimental setups for investigating the effects of materials on aquatic microbial communities
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Publications of the division
In the database PUBLICA you will find publications by BAM employees.
Publications of the division Material-Microbiome Interactions in PUBLICA
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Dr. Sonja Oberbeckmann
