Dr. Katja Laufer-Meiser
Geomicrobiology
Research Division 2: Marine Biogeochemistry
Research Unit: Marine Geosystems
Office: 12-339
Phone: +49 431 600-1267
E-Mail: klaufer@geomar.de
Adresse: Wischhofstraße 1-3
D-24148 Kiel
Research interests:
My research interests are how microorganisms drive the different element cycles within marine sediments and the interactions of microorganisms and minerals. Particularly, I am interested in the iron cycle and how it connects to other element cycles. Thereby, I combine geochemical and microbiological methods, including rate-measurements, culture-dependent methods, as well as enriching and isolating novel microorganisms to increase our understanding of their physiology, and molecular biological techniques. In my current projects I study the benthic biogeochemical iron cycle in Arctic fjord sediments in Svalbard and Greenland as well as the microbiology of hydrothermal vents and seafloor massive sulfides along the Indian Ridge.
Scientific career
Since 06/2019*:
Postdoctoral Researcher at GEOMAR – Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Germany. FB2 Marine Biogeochemistry, FE Marine Geosystems, AG Perner - Geomicrobiology
02/2018-06/2019:
Guest Researcher at Aarhus University, Center for Geomicrobiology, Denmark. Project: “Controls on iron and sulfate reduction in Arctic fjord sediments under climate change”. DFG Research Fellowship
07/2016-01/2018:
Postdoctoral Researcher at Aarhus University, Center for Geomicrobiology, Denmark. Project: “Biogeochemistry of Arctic sediments”. Project lead: Prof. Dr. B.B. Jørgensen
02/2013-07/2016:
Ph.D. in Geosciences at Eberhard Karls University Tübingen, Germany. Project: “Abundance, distribution, and activity of anaerobic and microaerophilic Fe(II)- oxidizing and anaerobic Fe(III)-reducing microorganisms in coastal marine sediments”. Supervision: Prof. Dr. A. Kappler (University of Tübingen), Prof. Dr. B.B. Jørgensen (Aarhus University)
10/2010-11/2012:
M. Sc. in Biological Oceanography at GEOMAR in Kiel, Germany. Thesis project: “Microbial response to the addition of light and rich oil to natural marine sediments”. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. T. Treude, Prof. Dr. K. Wallmann
10/2007-09/2010:
B. Sc. in Biology at Christian-Albrechts-University in Kiel, Germany. Thesis project: “The role of biofilms associated with the surface of the brown macro alga Fucus vesiculosus”. Supervisors: Prof. Dr. U. Sommer, Prof. Dr. M. Wahl (IFM-GEOMAR, Kiel)
*Parental leave 2021
Grants, fellowships and prizes
03/2022:
DFG Individual Research Grant: "Mechanisms and effects of benthic biogeochemical iron cycling in glaciated fjords", 3 years
12/2018:
Travel award for the IASC Arctic Glaciology Workshop, participating in the cross-cutting activity “The importance of Arctic glaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem”
02/2018:
FEMS Early Career Scientist Meeting Grant to attend the 5th International Symposium on Sulfur Metabolism in Vienna, Austria
02/2018:
DFG Research Fellowship, 2 years
06/2017:
Grant for access to the French-German Arctic Research Base AWIPEV in Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard
08/2015:
Best Student Poster Award, Goldschmidt Conference, Prague, Czech Republic
Field work and curise participation
08/2023:
2 weeks expedition to the AWIPEV Base, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Sampling of marine sediment and water in Kongsfjorden aboard of MS Teisten, terrestrial sampling of source material from glaciers (expedition leader)
10-12/2022:
4 weeks cruise on RV Polarstern (PS133/2) sampling fjord sediments in South Georgia
10-12/2019:
7 weeks cruise on RV Sonne (SO271) investigating the microbiology of hydrothermal vents along the Indian Ridge
08/2019:
2 week expedition to the Zackenberg Research Station, Young Sound, Greenland. Sampling of sediment aboard Aage Jensen. Terrestrial sampling of glacial runoff.
08/2018:
1 week expedition to the Czech Arctic Research Station, Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Sampling of sediment in Dicksonfjorden aboard of MS Farm (expedition co-leader)
07/2018:
2 weeks expedition to the AWIPEV Base, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Sampling of marine sediment and water in Kongsfjorden and Krossfjorden aboard of MS Teisten, terrestrial sampling of source material from glaciers (expedition leader)
06-07/2017:
3 weeks expedition to the AWIPEV Base, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Sampling of marine sediment and water in Kongsfjorden aboard of MS Teisten and MS Farm, terrestrial sampling of source material from glaciers
08/2016:
2 weeks expedition to the AWIPEV Base, Ny-Ålesund, Svalbard. Sampling of marine sediment and water in Kongsfjorden aboard of MS Teisten
2014-2015:
Several short (2-3 days) field samplings of mineral springs, Engadin, Switzerland
2013-2016:
Several short (2-3 days) to weeklong sampling trips to Aarhus Bay, Denmark. Sampling of marine sediment, in cooperation with Aarhus University (expedition leader)
04/2012:
1 day sampling of marine sediment in Eckernförde Bay, Baltic Sea aboard FK Littorina
10/2011:
1 week cruise aboard FS Alkor, Kattegat, Baltic Sea. Course “Practical at sea” for the students of Biological Oceanography at GEOMAR, Kiel. Studying the hydrography, nutrient chemistry and the plankton composition as well as benthos investigations
08-10/2010:
Training as scientific diver (“geprüfter Forschungstaucher”) at the ICBM of the Carl von Ossietzky University Oldenburg, Germany
Publications:
23) Adam-Beyer N, Laufer-Meiser K, Fuchs S, Schippers A, Indenbirken D, Garbe-Schönberg D, Petersen S, Perner M. (2023). Frontiers in Microbiology, 14:1173613. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1173613
22) Perner M, Wallman K, Adam-Beyer N, Hepach H, Laufer-Meiser K, Böhnke S, Diercks I, Bange HW, Indenbirken D, Nikeleit V, Bryce C, Kappler A, Engel A, Scholz, F (2022). Environmental changes affect the microbial release of hydrogen sulfide and methane from sediments at Boknis Eck (SW Baltic Sea). Frotniers in Microbiology. 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1096062
21) Herbert LC, Michaud AB, Laufer-Meiser K, Hoppe CHM, Zhu Q, Aller RC, Jørgensen BB, Wehrmann LM (2022). Tight benthic-pelagic coupling drives seasonal and interannual changes in coupled Fe-S cycling dynamics in an Arctic fjord (Kongsfjorden, Svalbard). Journal of Marine Systems. 22:103645. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmarsys.2021.103645
20) Adam N, Han Y, Laufer-Meiser K, Bährle R, Schwarz-Schampera U, Schippers A, Perner M
(2021). Deltaproteobacterium strain KaireiS1, a mesophilic, hydrogen-oxidizing and sulfate-reducing bacterium from an inactive deep-sea hydrothermal chimney. Frontiers in Microbiology. 12:686276. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2021.686276
19) Otte JM, Laufer-Meiser K. (2021). The true superheroes: Microorganisms will survive it all! Frontiers for Young Minds, 9:567078, doi: 10.3389/frym.2021.567078.
18) Herbert LC, Zhu Q, Michaud AB, Laufer-Meiser K, Jones CK, Riedinger N, Stooksbury ZS, Aller RC, Jørgensen BB, Wehrmann LM (2021). Benthic iron flux influenced by climate-sensitive interplay between organic carbon availability and sedimentation rate in Arctic fjords. Limnology and Oceanography, https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.11885.
17) Laufer-Meiser K, Michaud AB, Maisch M, Byrne JM, Kappler A, Patterson MO, Røy H and Jørgensen BB (2021). Potentially bioavailable iron produced through benthic cycling in glaciated Arctic fjords of Svalbard. Nature Communications 12, 1349.
16) Jørgensen BB, Laufer K, Michaud AB, Wehrmann LM. (2021). Biogeochemistry and microbiology of high Arctic marine sediment ecosystems – case study Svalbard fjords.Limnology and Oceanography 66, 273-292.
15) Lueder, U., Maisch, M., Laufer, K., Jørgensen, B.B., Kappler, A., Schmidt, C. (2020) Influence of physical perturbation on Fe(II) supply in coastal marine sediments. Environmental Science and Technology 54, 3209-3218.
14) Findlay AJL, Pellerin A, Laufer K and Jørgensen BB (2020). Quantification of sulphide Oxidation rates in marine sediment. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 280, 441-452.
13) Michaud AB, Laufer K, Findlay A, Pellerin A, Antler G, Turchyn AV, Røy H, Wehrmann LM and Jørgensen BB (2020). Glacial influence on the iron and sulfur cycles in Arctic fjord sediments (Svalbard). Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 280, 423-440.
12) Herbert LC, Riedinger N, Michaud AB, Laufer K, Røy H, Jørgensen BB, Heilbrun C, Aller RC,Cochran KJ, Wehrmann LM. (2020) Glacial controls on redox-sensitive trace element cycling in Arctic fjord sediments (Spitsbergen, Svalbard), Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 271, 33-60.
11) Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H and Jørgensen BB.(2020) Reactivity of Iron Minerals in the Seabed Toward Microbial Reduction – A Comparison of Different Extraction Techniques, Geomicrobiology Journal, 37:2, 170-189
10) Carlson DF, Pasma J, Jacobsen ME, Hansen MH, Thomsen S, Lillethorup JP, Tirsgaard FS, Flytkjær A, Melvad C, Laufer K, Lund-Hansen LC, Meire L and Rysgaard S (2019) Retrieval of Ice Samples Using the Ice Drone. Frontiers in Earth Science. 7:287.
9) Maisch M, Lueder U, Laufer K, Scholze C, Kappler A, Schmidt C (2019) Contribution of microaerophilic iron(II)-oxidizers to iron(III) mineral formation. Environmental Science and Technology 53, 8197-8204.
8) Buongiorno J, Herbert L, Wehrmann L, Michaud AB, Laufer K, Røy H, Jørgensen BB, Szynkiewicz A,Faiia A, Yeager K, Schindler K, Lloyd K (2019). Complex microbial communities drive iron and sulfur cycling in Arctic fjord sediments. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 85, e00949-19.
7) Koeksoy E, Halama M, Hagemann N, Laufer K, Kleindienst S, Byrne JM, Sundman A, Hanselmann K, Halevy I, Schoenberg R, Konhauser KO, Kappler A (2018). A case study for late Archean and Proterozoic biogeochemical iron and sulphur cycling in a modern habitat – the Arvadi Spring. Geobiology 16, 353-368.
6) Otte JM, Harter J, Laufer K, Blackwell N, Kappler A, Kleindienst S (2018). The distribution of activeiron cycling bacteria in marine and freshwater sediments is decoupled from geochemical gradients. Environmental Microbiology, 20 (7), 2483-99.
5) Laufer K, Niemeyer A, Nikeleit V, Halama M, Byrne JM, Kappler A (2017). Physiological characterization of a halotolerant anoxygenic phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidizing green-sulfur bacterium isolated from a marine sediment. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, 93 (5).
4) Laufer K*, Nordhoff M*, Halama M, Martinez RE, Obst M, Nowak M, Stryhanyuk H, Richnow H, Kappler A (2017). Microaerophilic Fe(II)-oxidizing Zetaproteobacteria isolated from low-Fe marine coastal sediments – physiology and characterization of their twisted stalks. Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 83:e03118-16. * Authors contributed equally
3) Laufer K, Røy H, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A (2016). Evidence for the existence of autotrophic nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizing bacteria in marine coastal sediment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82(20), 6120-6131. (Spotlight article)
2) Laufer K, Byrne J M, Glombitza C, Schmidt C, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A (2016), Anaerobic microbial Fe(II) oxidation and Fe(III) reduction in coastal marine sediments controlled by organic carbon content. Environmental Microbiology. 18(9), 3159-3174.
1) Laufer K, Nordhoff M, Røy H, Schmidt C, Behrens S, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A (2016) Coexistence of microaerophilic, nitrate-reducing, and phototrophic Fe(II)-oxidizers and Fe(III)-reducers in coastal marine sediment. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 82(5), 1433-1447.
Selected presentations
07/2023:
Goldschmidt Conference, Lyon, France
Laufer-Meiser K, Wiedman I, Holding JM, Lund Paulsen M, Winding MHS, Roy H, Sejr M
Oral presentation: “Impact of contrasting glacial input on pelagic and benthic processes in Young Sound, NE Greenland”
05/2020:
EGU sharing geoscience online
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Display item: " Benthic Fe-cycling in fjord sediments enhances the reactivity of glacially derived Fe in Arctic fjords of Svalbard"
08/2019:
Goldschmidt Conference, Barcelona, Spain
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Oral presentation: “Spatial distribution of reactive Fe(III) in Arctic fjord sediments– impact of different glacial sources and benthic Fe-cycling”
01/2019:
IASC workshop, Geilo, Norway
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Oral presentation: “Impact of glacially-derived Fe(III) on carbon mineralization pathways in arctic fjord sediments”
04/2018:
5th International Symposium on Microbial Sulfur Metabolism, Vienna, Austria
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Antler G, Pellerin A, Findlay A, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Poster presentation: “Glacial influence on cryptic sulfur cycling in Arctic fjord sediments”
08/2017:
Marine Geomicrobiology Workshop, a Matter of Energy, Sandbjerg, Denmark
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Poster presentation: “Controls on iron and sulfate reduction in arctic fjord sediments”
08/2017:
Goldschmidt Conference, Paris, France
Laufer K, Michaud AB, Røy H, Jørgensen BB
Poster presentation: “Controls on iron and sulfate reduction in arctic fjord sediments”
08/2015:
Goldschmidt Conference, Prague, Czech Republic
Laufer K, Schmidt C, Behrens S, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A
Poster presentation: “Co-existence of phototrophic, microaerophilic and nitrate-reducing Fe(II)-oxidizers in marine sediments”
06/2015:
FEMS Conference, Maastricht, Netherlands
Laufer K, Kappler A
Oral presentation: “Physiology, mechanisms, and ecology of iron-oxidizing bacteria”
06/2015:
FEMS Conference, Maastricht, Netherlands
Laufer K, Schmidt C, Behrens S, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A
Poster presentation: “Microbial iron cycling in coastal marine sediments – competition and interrelation of Fe(II)-oxidizers and Fe(III)-reducers”
06/2014:
Goldschmidt Conference, Sacramento, USA
Laufer K, Behrens S, Schmidt C, Jørgensen BB, Kappler A
Oral presentation: “Interrelation and competition of different types of iron(II)-oxidizing microorganisms in marine coastal sediments”
05/2014:
Iron and Soil Biogeochemistry Workshop, Tübingen, Germany
Laufer K, Kappler A
Oral presentation: “Microbial iron(II) oxidation in marine sediments”
Other activities and memberships
Reviewer for:
Arctic, Antarctic and Alpine Research; Atmospheric Environment; Bioprotocols; Chemical Geology; Earth and Planetary Science Letters; Environmental Microbiology, Environmental Science and Pollution Research; FEMS Microbiology Ecology; Frontiers in Microbiology; International Biodeterioration and Bioremediation Journal; Journal of Environmental Sciences; Journal of Marine Systems; Marine Chemistry; Marine Pollution Bulletin; PLOS One; Scientific Reports
Convener of conference sessions:
Goldschmidt Conference 2019 Barcelona, session “Biogeochemical Cycling in Changing Glacial Habitats and Downstream Ecosystems”
IASC workshop 2019 Geilo, cross-cutting session III “The importance of Arctic hlaciers for the Arctic marine ecosystem”
Memberships of scientific societies:
Seit 2014: European Association of Geochemistry (EAG)
Seit 2022: European Geosciences Union (EGU)
