Plant Biogeochemistry
Welcome to the Plant Biogeochemistry Group!
Our research broadly focuses on the interplay of roots with soil minerals and microorganisms and what impact that has on the environment, food production, soil quality or the global carbon cycle. If these topics interest you, contact us!
Our lab, most field studies and experimental setups are based at the UFZ in Leipzig and the associated research station Bad Lauchstädt. Check out our main website of the UFZ for more information.
News
April 2024
We presented our work at EGU, Vienna! With talks and posters, we contributed to 4 different topic sessions: Soil and climate change, Permafrost, Soil pollution, and Nutrient cycling in soil-plant hotspots.
April 2024
We are thrilled to announce that a new technician has joined the group! Hendrik Seifert will support us in fieldwork and Bad Lauchstädt and also implement some microbial and plant tolerance molecular markers for metal stress.
April 2024
We warmly welcome Jessica Hamm as a master's student. Jessica studies Geoecology at the University of Bayreuth. She will investigate the impact of metal contamination and climate change on nitrogen cycling in the rhizosphere of A. halleri.
April 2024
Our group has a new intern: we warmly welcome Alexej Steuerle. Alexej is completing his master's in environmental sciences at the University of Freiburg. He will support ongoing projects on phytoremediation and metal uptake in crops.
April 2024
We warmly welcomes Noah Fruth as a master's student in the group. He studies Management of Natural Resources in Halle and will look at the degradation of organic contaminants from road run-off in tree trenches.
February 2024
A new postdoc joins our group! We warmly welcome Dr. Jill Bachelder! Jill will work on climate impacts in the rhizosphere of wheat taking up heavy metals.
February 2024
We warmly welcome Meet Vaghela as a new intern in our lab. Meet studies Biotechnologie at the Hochschule Anhalt and will work on our phytoremediation project, running plant and soil extractions and different related measurements.
January 2024
We warmly welcome Aaron Jakob as a new intern in our lab! He is a geoecology master's student at the University of Tuebingen. Aaron will extract and quantify nitrate in spinach grown on metal-bearing soils exposed to different climatic conditions and also assess different soil geochemical parameters.
December 2023
Marie gave a public outreach talk to the Saxonian State Agency for the Environment, Agriculture and Geology on Climate Impacts on Metals in Agriculture.