Helmut Bürgmann

Function

Research scientist and leader of the group Microbial Ecology

Research interests

Structure - function relationships in microbial communities.
Linking gene expression to biochemical processes in environmental
microbial communities.
Microbial interaction with ecosystem processes on various scales.
Microbial nitrogen, carbon, and sulfur cycling.

Curriculum Vitae

Download full CV and list of publications as PDF

Education and work experience

• 2006-present, Tenure-track research scientist and Microbial Ecology group leader, Department of Surface Waters, Eawag Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
• 2005-2006, Postdoctoral research associate (Marine Microbial Ecology) Moran Laboratory, Department of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia
• 2003-2004, Postdoctoral research associate (Molecular Microbial Ecology) and group leader for Molecular Ecology group. Soil Biology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.
• 1999-2003,  Ph.D. (Dr. sc. ETH Zürich, Environmental Microbiology), Soil Biology, Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH), Zürich, Switzerland.
• 1992-1998, M.S. in Geoecology (Dipl. Geoökol. Univ.), University of Bayreuth, Germany.
  

Publications

Selected recent publications:

Response of sediment microbial community structure in a freshwater reservoir to manipulations in oxygen availability (2012). Bryant, L., Little, J., and Bürgmann, H. FEMS Microbiology Ecology, early view, doi: 10.1111/j.1574-6941.2011.01290.x [early view]

Bacterial chitin hydrolysis in two lakes of contrasting trophic status (in press). Köllner, K., Carstens, D., Vazquez, F., Schubert, C., and Bürgmann, H. Applied and Environmental Microbiology 78(3), 695-704 doi:10.1128/AEM.06330-11 [...]

Regime shifts and microbial dynamics in a sequencing batch reactor for nitritation-anammox treatment of urine (2011). Bürgmann, H., Jenni, S., Vazquez, F., and Udert, K.M. Applied and Environmental Microbiology, 77(17), 5897-5907, doi:10.1128/AEM.02986-10 [...]

Methane sources and sinks in Lake Kivu (2011). Pasche, N., Schmid, M., Vazquez, F., Schubert, C., Wüest, A., Kessler, J., Pack, M.A., William S. Reeburgh, W.S. and Bürgmann, H. Journal of Geophysical Research – Biogeosciences, 116, G03006, doi: 10.1029/2011JG001690 (Featured as an “AGU Research Spotlight” in EOS 92(41), 360) [...]


Publications in the Eawag database

Researcher ID

Scopus author page

Teaching experience

• 2009: Organization and Lecturer, Eawag PhD Summer School in Kastanienbaum
• 2008-present: Teaching lecture “Microbial Metabolism” at ETH Zürich
• 2008-present: Accredited lecturer at ETH Zürich
• 2007-present: Teaching (lab course) at ETH Zürich (with J.
  Zeyer)
• 2007: microbiology laboratory course at ETH Zürich (with J. Zeyer)
• 2005-2006: tutoring undergraduate research assistants and high school interns
• 2003-2004: accredited lecturer at ETH Zürich: Environmental Microbiology lecture (with J. Zeyer and assistants) and organization and teaching the associated three-week lab-course for ETH diploma students
  Tutoring: one Ph.D. and two diploma students.
• 1999-2003: teaching and organization of semester-long lab-courses on microbial ecology in terrestrial systems: Molecular methods for soil microbes.
  Teaching one week lab course on soil nitrogen cycling.
  Teaching responsibilities in annual field excursions on soil science.
  Tutoring: one diploma student.
  Assistance in correction and marking of exercises and exams for
  lectures in soil biology and microbial ecology.

Grants

2011 Microbial resistance, ecotoxicological impact, and risk assessment of micropollutants in a mid-sized lake – 6 month grant extension. H. Bürgmann (PI). Swiss National Science Foundation (SNF) ProDoc Research Module (53 kCHF).

2011 Degradation and transformation of lacustrine organic nitrogen compounds: microbiology and biogeochemistry – continuation grant. C. Schubert (PI), H. Bürgmann (PI). SNF project (108 kCHF).

2010 Food-web and ecosystem responses to global change: testing ecological theory in aquatic mesocosms. B. Matthews (PI), H. Bürgmann, M.O. Gessner, C. Winter. SNF project (331 kCHF).

2009 R’Equip grant proposal for a Confocal Laser Scanning Microscope. M. Ackermann (PI), E. Morgenroth, H. Bürgmann, and others. SNF R’Equip proposal (230 kCHF).

2009 Decentralized urine treatment with the nitritation /anammox process (DUNOX). K. Udert (PI), H. Bürgmann, T.A. Larsen. SNF project (177.8 kCHF).

2009 COST Action TD0803 “Detecting evolutionary hot spots of antibiotic resistances in Europe (DARE)”. T. Berendonk (PI) and others. H. Bürgmann functions as Management Committee Member and Working Group leader. EU COST Action (ca. 304 k€).

2008 Microbial resistance, ecotoxicological impact, and risk assessment of micropollutants in a mid-sized lake. H. Bürgmann (PI), N. Chévre, J. Poté, A. Wüest. SNF ProDoc Research Module (393 kCHF), and funding for Eawag PhD summer school through the ProDoc Training Module (150 kCHF).

2008 Terrestrial/aquatic linkages in microbial biodiversity in alpine floodplains: Swiss National Science Foundation project proposal. Shifting Role of Bacteria in Ecosystem Functioning (MICROLINK). C. Robinson (PI), H. Bürgmann, S. Findlay. SNF project (273 kCHF).

2007 Degradation and transformation of lacustrine organic nitrogen compounds: microbiology and biogeochemistry. C. Schubert (PI), H. Bürgmann (PI). SNF project (300 kCHF).

Services to the scientific community

Peer reviews for: Microbial Ecology, Molecular Ecology, Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Biotechniques, Microbiological Research, Hydrobiologia, Aquatic Ecology, Environmental Microbiology

Affiliations

• ASLO - American Society of Limnology and Oceanography
  
• ISME - International Society for Microbial Ecology
  
• VAAM - Vereinigung für Allgemeine und Angewandte Mikrobiologie (German society for General and Applied Microbiology)
• ASM - American Society for Microbiology
• VGöD - Association for Geoecology in Germany
• DBG- German Soil Science Society

Teaching

Stoffwechsel der Mikroorganismen

Eawag Kastanienbaum Summer School 2009