Author: Amelia Rotaru

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Updated preprint: Opportunistic microbial interactions on Fe0

Amelia Rotaru

Link to our preprint Our research revealed a new type of microbial interaction on Fe0 between methanogens (positively affected) and acetogens (negatively affected). Methanogens that were otherwise ineffective at metabolizing Fe0-electrons, become effective when co-existing with acetogens. We hypothesize methanogens do so by taking advantage of H2-evolving enzymes released by methanogens. We note the necessity to study the effects of associations between physiological groups on Fe0-corrosion, and not solely the effects of cultured isolates.

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Mon defended her PhD

Amelia Rotaru

At the end of November 2019, Mon successfully defended her Ph.D. She did a beautiful job in front of an expert committee including A/Prof. Annette Rowe (Uni. Cincinnati), A/Prof. Diana Sousa (Uni. Wageningen) and chaired by Prof. Don Canfield (SDU). Also, right before the defense, we got the good news that two articles included in Mon’s thesis were accepted for publication. Two days later, Mon took up a new challenge and started a postdoc at the LBNL (Laurence Berkeley National Labs, CA, USA). She’s now up to other exciting adventures in the environmental microbiology of deep biosphere and rhizosphere.

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Florin Musat gave a seminar on anaerobic ethane oxidation

Amelia Rotaru

On May 23rd, we were very happy to host Florin Musat from the Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, who gave a great talk about Candidatus Argoarchaeum ethanivorans. Not only did we hear a fantastic overview of his latest Nature paper on this topic, but we also got exciting insights about unpublished and upcoming work in his lab on this very exciting topic. What a treat! Read Florin’s blog @nature with details behind the paper, you’ll also find some amazing images of these unusual microorganisms.      

News

Paola successfully defended her PhD and is now a postdoc in our lab

Amelia Rotaru

Paola Palacios is now a freshly minted Ph.D., and my 1st graduate student getting a doctorate. She did a great job at her defense in front of a large audience, and a committee formed by Prof. Ronnie Glud (SDU, DK),  Assistant Professor Jo Philips (AU, DK) and Senior Scientist Florin Musat (UFZ, DE). Congratulations Dr. Paola! Paola is continuing as a postdoc. She is getting some of the Ph.D. manuscripts ready for publication and preparing a grant application. We wish you lots of success now and for the future!