Microbial Ecology of Nitrogen and Carbon Cycling (MENCC)

The laboratory focuses on studying organisms involved in the aerobic oxidation of mineral nitrogen and methane.

We want to understand the ecophysiology of members of two microbial groups relevant for nitrogen and carbon transformation processes tightly linked to global change:

nitrifiers, which often contribute to global change by producing the greenhouse gas nitrous oxide and the easily leaching reactive nitrogen species nitrate, which causes eutrophication of natural systems.
methane oxidisers, which can function as a biological sink for the potent greenhouse gas methane and oxidise up to 80% of the methane produced in a system before it is emitted to the atmosphere.

By studying natural communities in the field and in laboratory experiments as well as by working with pure cultures, we aim to decipher relative contributions of various clades to biochemical cycling under different conditions. Our study systems include important ecosystems like soils, lake sediments, and peatlands.

At SOWA, we work in close collaboration with the Anaerobic and Molecular Microbiology Laboratory of Dr. Roey Angel, the IRMS lab of Dr Travis Meador, and the Soil Microbiology Unit of Dr. Alica Chronakova

Methodology

microbial cultivation
quantification of genes and transcripts by digital droplet PCR
NGS and ‘omics such as metagenomics, transcriptomics and proteomics
stable isotope (SI) applications such as SI probing, SI tracing and SI pool dilution
quantification of nitrification and methane oxidation rates by IC/GC – MS

People

Name	Role	Phone	Room	Email
Dr. Anne Daebeler	Head of Lab	+420 387 77 5164	105	anne.daebeler@bc.cas.cz
Magdalena Wutkowska, PhD	PostDoc	+420 387 77 5164	110	magdalena.wutkowska@bc.cas.cz
Mgr. Vojtěch Tláskal	PostDoc	+420 387 77 5164	110	vojtech.tlaskal@bc.cas.cz
M.Sc. Justus Nweze	PhD Student	+420 774 137 018	112	justus.nweze@bc.cas.cz

Opportunities

Interested in joining us? Please contact Anne and let her know about your ideas/expectations.