Groundwater Microbiology

Research areas

Microbial Communities

Based on sequence information we compare natural bacterial communities in alpine groundwater aquifers in the central European region. These information are analysed together with hydrological, chemical and geological data, in order to identify factors explaining the community structure and possible key processes within these ecosystems.

Growth in oligotrophic groundwater systems

We explore the growth potential of autochthonous bacteria in alpine karstic spring water by quantitative and qualitative analyses of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and comparative measurement of assimilable organic carbon (AOC). Including hydrological data enables us to shed light on the importance and fate of allochthonous nutrient input into groundwater systems.