Cruising the marine halomethane cycle: Microbiology, biochemistry and geochemistry of reference bacteria, new microbial players and underlying processes (MAHABIO)
Goals
- Investigate the biogeochemical chloromethane (CH₃Cl) cycle in marine environments.
- Identify microbial production and degradation pathways of CH₃Cl.
- Improve understanding of the marine contribution to the global halogen cycle.
Specifically
- Study bacterial CH₃Cl production and consumption processes in marine environments.
- Integrate production and degradation processes in a combined framework.
- Apply stable carbon and hydrogen isotope analysis to trace CH₃Cl production and degradation pathways.
- Compare bacterial community composition and CH₃Cl cycling at pristine vs. polluted coastal sites in Southern France.
Leaders
- Heidelberg University – Biogeochemistry group – Prof. Frank Keppler (PI) & Rebekka Lauer (PhD student)
- Université de Strasbourg – Dr. Thierry Nadalig and Prof. Stéphane Vuilleumier
- Université Aix-Marseille – Dr. Agnès Hirschler-Réa
- Albert-Ludwig-Universität Freiburg – Prof. Matthias Boll
Funding
- DFG – Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- ANR – Agence Nationale de la Recherche
Activity & Progress
- Establishment of marine environmental microcosm experiments.
- Investigation of microbial CH₃Cl production and degradation pathways.
- Analysis of carbon and hydrogen isotopic fractionation during bacterial CH₃Cl degradation under aerobic and anaerobic conditions.
- Setup of aerobic and anaerobic enrichment cultures.
- Diversity analysis of microbial communities in enrichment cultures.
