Projects
The main focus of the research group lies on the characterization of ammonia-oxidizing bacteria (AOB). These AOB play a dominant role in the global nitrogen cycle and are mainly represented by the genus Nitrospira, Nitrosococcus and Nitrosomonas. These microbes grow as chemolitho-autotrophs and they can be isolated from different environments. We are interested in the phylogenetic evolution and the ecophysiological role of these microbes in nature.