Microbial biotransformations in biogeochemical cycles

Central to many geomicrobial processes are transformations of environmentally available metals and minerals, with both beneficial or detrimental consequences for the environment. Currently, hundreds of new metagenomic records are daily available, from where only a small portion of microbial diversity is known. Within this project, an in-silico and experimental analysis will be performed to address the diversity of microbes using environmental available metals as electron donor/acceptor for energy conservation. This will aid on the identification of new lineages with this metabolism and in a deeper characterization of their ecological impact.

Duration: 01.03.2022-28.02.2025

Funding agency: University of Vienna, Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution

PhD student: Jessica Gomes da Silva

Supervisor: Filipa Sousa

The Vienna Doctoral School of Ecology and Evolution (VDSEE) of the University of Vienna is devoted to educating students in advancing our knowledge on the ecology and evolution of extant and ancestral organisms, populations and communities. In Ecology, the ambition is to better understand the mechanistic and evolutionary drivers of patterns and processes from gene regulation to the structure and function of ecosystems and the impact of communities on the biogeochemical cycles and their adaptive capacity in response to environmental change. In Evolution, we address the evolutionary processes leading to changes in organization and temporal dynamics of organisms, populations and species at the molecular, developmental, morphological and physiological levels.