Dr. Stefanie Böhnke-Brandt
Geomicrobiology
Research Division 2: Marine Biogeochemistry
FE Marine Geosystems
Office:
room: 12-337
phone: +49 431 600-1234
E-Mail: sboehnke-brandt@geomar.de
Address:
Wischhofstraße 1-3
D-24148 Kiel
Research interests
Carbon capturing enzymes (CCE)
Discovery of novel enzymes (RubisCO and CODHs) | Functional metagenomics | Access to and utilization of uncultivated microorganisms and their enzymatic potential
Ecology of microbial sediment communities
Biogeochemical cycling | Abiotic-biotic interactions | Marine microbiome (metagenomics, metatranscriptomics)
Microbes under climate change
Ocean alkalinity enhancement | Expansion of oxygen minimum zones
Microbial communities in hydrothermally influenced environments
Importance of microorganisms for the formation of Fe ligands | Incubation experiments
Current Projects
AI MareExplore: Utilizing AI for marine enzyme discovery to address human-made grand challenges (Helmholtz Innovation Pool Projekt, PI, 2025-2027)
RETAKE II: CO2 removal by alkalinity enhancement: potential, benefits and risks: Subproject 1.4: Enhanced benthic weathering of carbonate and olivine in the Baltic Sea – Phase 2 (Associated Researcher, BMBF 2024-2027)
DOME: The Impact of Microbes for Seafloor Massive Sulfide Formation, Transformation and Dissolution DFG Prioity Project “Dynamics of Ore Metals Enrichment – SPP 2238 (Co-Supervisor, 2023 - 2025)
ECO2nvert: Electroenzymatic CO2 reduction using recombinant CODHs from seafloor habitats recovered via an activity-based screen (Co-Supervisor, PTJ 2020 - 2023)
Scientific Career
since 06/2022
Scientist at GEOMAR Helmholtz Center for Ocean Research Kiel (FB2, MG, Geomicrobiology)
since 01/2018*
Postdoc at the GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel (FB2, MG, Geomicrobiology)
2015-2017*
Postdoc at the University of Hamburg (Molecular Biology of Microbial Consortia)
2010-2014
PhD at the University of Hamburg (Molecular Biology of Microbial Consortia): „A novel function-based screen for detecting RubisCO active clones from metagenomic libraries: elucidating the role of RubisCO associated enzymes“
(PI: Prof. Dr. Mirjam Perner)
2009-2010
Diploma Thesis at the University of Hamburg (Microbiology and Biotechnology): “Investigating structure and dynamic of ammonia oxidizing populations in tide influenced habitats of the river Elbe“
(PI: PD A. Pommerening-Röser and Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Streit)
2010
Diploma (M. Sc. equivalent) in microbiology, genetics and law (criminal law), University of Hamburg
2005-2009
Studies of Biology at the University of Hamburg
*Parental leave 2016 and 2019
GEOMAR internal committee work and commitments
- since 2024 member of the focus team 'Establishment of electronic time recording'
- since 2024 member of the Helmholtz Academy Commission
- since 2023 member of the Inge-Lehmann Fund committee
- since 2023 member of the Staff Council
- from 2021-2023 Postdoc representative on the Gender and Equality Board
- from 2021-2023 Postdoc representative on the Women's Executive Board
- from 2021-2023 Postdoc representative on the Scientific Council
- since 2021 Chair of the Commission for Biological Safety according to §29 (1) GenTSV
- since 2021 Representative for Biological Safety (BBS)
- since 2021 Fire protection and evacuation assistant
- since 2018 First aider
- since 2018 Project manager according to §15 (2) GenTSV
Scientific commitments
- 2022-2024: GRS Chair for the Gordon Research Seminar Molecular Basis of Microbial One-Carbon Metabolism (elected)
- 2022-2023: GEOMAR Espresso Talk Series Initiator and Convenor
- 2022: Discussion Leader - Mentorship Component: Career Perspectives of Academic and Industrial Scientists GRS Molecular Basis of Microbial One-Carbon Metabolism (invited)
- since 2021: Reviewer for FEMS Microbiol. Lett. and Frontiers in Microbiology
- since 2021: ISME member - International Society for Microbial Ecology)
- since 2015: VAAM member - Association for General and Applied Microbiology
Teaching
- since 2020 - Lecturer within the modules MSc Biological Oceanography (MNF-bioc-101) and MSc Geoscience (MNF-geow-103), GEOMAR
- annually since 2020 - planning and supervision, block courses for Master students (MNF-bioc-279, MNF-bioc-379, and MNF-bioc-202), including cruises, seminar, lecture and practical course, GEOMAR
- annually from 2012 to 2015 - planning and supervision, functional metagenomics block course for masters students, including seminar and practical course, University of Hamburg
- since 2010 - Supervision of technical staff, various undergraduates, trainees, interns and graduate students
Stipends
2010-2013
PhD bursary from the graduate school C1-Chemistry in Resource and Energy Management (C1-REM) funded by the state excellence initiative (Lexi) Hamburg
Publications
Gebert, J., Böhnke, S., Bergmann, L., Krohn, I., und Perner, M. (in Preparation) Linking microbial community composition, microbial biomass and extrapolymeric substances to organic matter lability gradients in sediments of the tidal Elbe.
Bährle, R. J., Baaske, R., Bornemann, T. L. V., Fuhr, M., Böhnke, S., Soares, A., Dale, A. W. , Probst, A. J., Geilert, S. und Perner, M. (Submitted) Calcite addition to surface sediments as a CDR strategy in seasonal hypoxic coastal waters promotes cable bacteria and changes element cycling. ISME Communications: New Developments in Microbial Ecology
Laufer-Meiser, K., Alawi, M., Böhnke, S., Solterbeck, C.H., Schloesser, J., Schippers, A., Dirksen, P., Bruser, T., Henkel, S., Fuss, J., and Perner, M. (2024). Oxidation of sulfur, hydrogen, and iron by metabolically versatile Hydrogenovibrio from deep sea hydrothermal vents. The ISME Journal 18(1). doi.org/10.1093/ismejo/wrae173
Bährle, R., Böhnke, S., Englhard, J., Bachmann, J., and Perner, M. (2023). Current status of carbon monoxide dehydrogenases (CODH) and their potential for electrochemical applications. Bioresour Bioprocess 10(1), 84. doi.org/10.1186/s40643-023-00705-9
Fuhr, M., Wallmann, K., Dale, A.W., Diercks, I., Kalapurakkal, H.T., Schmidt, M., Sommer, S., Böhnke, S., Perner, M., and Geilert, S. (2023). Disentangling artificial and natural benthic weathering in organic rich Baltic Sea sediments. Frontiers in Climate 5. doi.org/10.3389/fclim.2023.1245580
Perner, M., Wallmann, K., Adam-Beyer, N., Hepach, H., Laufer-Meiser, K., Böhnke, S., Diercks, I., Bange, H.W., Indenbirken, D., Nikeleit, V., Bryce, C., Kappler, A., Engel, A., and Scholz, F. (2022). Environmental changes affect the microbial release of hydrogen sulfide and methane from sediments at Boknis Eck (SW Baltic Sea). Frontiers in Microbiology 13. doi.org/10.3389/fmicb.2022.1096062
Hansen, C., Kleint, C., Böhnke, S., Klose, L., Adam, N., Sass, K., Perner, M., Dittmar, T. & Koschinsky, A. (2022) Impact of variable Fe concentrations on Fe-binding ligands, dissolved organics and microbial communities in hydrothermal plumes – an experimental study. Scientific Reports 12(1), 20723. doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-25320-0
Böhnke, S. & Perner, M. (2022) Approaches to unmask functioning of the uncultured microbial majority from extreme habitats on the seafloor. Frontiers in Microbiology 29;13:845562. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2022.845562
Böhnke, S. & Perner, M. (2019) Seeking active RubisCOs from the currently uncultured microbial majority colonizing deep-sea hydrothermal vent environments. The ISME Journal 13, 2475-2488. doi: 10.1038/s41396-019-0439-3
Böhnke, S., Sass, K., Gonnella, G., Diehl, A. Kleint, C., Bach, W., Zitoun, R., Koschinsky, A., Indenbirken, D., Sander, S. G., Kurtz, S., and Perner, M. (2019) Parameters governing the community structure and element turnover in Kermadec volcanic ash and hydrothermal fluids as monitored by inorganic electron donor consumption, autotrophic CO2 fixation and 16S tags of the transcriptome in incubation experiments, Frontiers in Microbiology, 10: 2296. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2019.02296
A complete list of publications can be found here: OceanRep
Selected national and international conference contributions
Böhnke, S*. Bährle, R., Dirksen, P., Alawi, M., and Perner, M. (2024) Poster @ the GRC on Microbial One Carbon Metabolism: Mining novel CODHs through culture-independent functional metagenomic
screening (Bosten, USA)
Böhnke, S*, Zarzycki, J., Bährle, R., Scheffen, M., Engelhard, J., Paczia, N., Bachmann, J., Erb, T. and Perner, M. (2024) Talk @ Goldschmidt conference: Tapping into the unknown: Functional screening for CO2 reducing enzymes gives unprecedented insights into the uncultured microbial majority (Lyon, France)
Böhnke, S*. and Perner, M. (2022) Invited Talk @ the GRS on Microbial One Carbon Metabolism: Glimpses into microbial dark matter proteins uncover novel ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate converting enzyme (Bosten, USA)
Böhnke, S*. and Perner, M. (2022) Poster Presentation and Poster Pitch Talk @ GRC Marine Microbes: Diving into the ocean’s microbial dark matter: from sensor triggered sampling and activity-based enzyme searches (Les Disablerets, Switzerland)
Hansen, C., Kleint, C., Böhnke, S*., Klose, L., Adam-Beyer, N., Sass, K., Dittmar, T., Koschinsky, A., and Perner, M. (2022) e-poster Presentation @ VAAM 2022: Iron amendment to hydrothermal plumes induces shifts in microbial communities and provide first insights into the microbial organic iron-ligand production (online conference).
Böhnke, S*. and Perner, M. (2018), Talk @ 17th international Symposium on Microbial Ecology. ISME17: An activity-based metagenomic screen reveals: RubisCO is not the only enzyme that converts ribulose-1,5-bisposphate (Leipzig, Germany).
*presenting author
