Robust estimates of possible future scenarios are important not only as a basis for political decision-making. We therefore want to better understand how biological processes in the ocean feed back into the climate system in order to better assess future developments.

We use mathematical models to study how the ocean naturally stores CO2 and removes it from the atmosphere in the long term. However, microbial processes have not been sufficiently considered in these models. Microalgae fix about as much carbon every year as all land plants combined, and bacteria in the ocean convert much of it back into CO2. By better representing these processes in models, we are helping to make modelling scenarios more realistic.

I am fascinated by how tiny microorganisms can have such a huge global impact, for example by storing carbon in the ocean. I also like the challenge of keeping track of a complex system without losing sight of the details.”

Microbial biotechnology is already contributing to sustainable agriculture practices, generation of biofuels, improving medicine, and more. Potential solutions to global environmental challenges will certainly come from microbes, and this will only be possible if we learn more about their evolution and lifestyles.

By taking advantage of computation and immense data streams my research group sheds light on microbial ecology and evolution in marine systems and beyond. For example, we are developing methods that help us understand the mechanisms by which microbes cope with and adapt to their ever-changing habitats.

Molecular biology, computation, and technology, have rapidly advanced our knowledge about the silent majority of our world. And we are only at the beginning of our journey. Given the tremendous amount of data emerging from microbial systems, I consider myself as someone who is at the right place to contribute to our emerging understanding of microbes as a computer scientist and a microbial ecologist.”

Our oceans will become warmer and more acidic, and extreme events such as heat waves will become more frequent. Whether an ecosystem remains healthy and functional depends on the ability of living organisms and their communities to survive environmental change.

We investigate why some ecosystems are more sensitive to environmental change than others, for example through experiments or by statistically combining the results of other studies to find overall patterns. Together with researchers at the University of Bremen, we are also analysing data from Earth's history to see what we can learn from past environmental changes. It turns out that communities tend to be more stable when they consist of a variety of species that respond differently to environmental change.

Originally, I wanted to study what leads to the incredible biodiversity we have in many ecosystems. But in the face of rapid global change, it became increasingly important to explore the consequences of losing this diversity.”