Department Surface Waters - Research and Management
Organic Geochemistry
Our research group uses organic geochemistry to uncover how lake ecosystems have changed over time.
Central to our work are molecular fossils - lipid biomarkers - that preserve information about microbial communities and environmental conditions on long timescales.
We develop and use these biomarkers to trace changes in biogeochemical cycles and reconstruct paleoecosystems, offering new insights into how climate and environmental processes have shaped aquatic systems.
To identify robust biomarkers, we use a combination of modern environmental sampling and laboratory culture experiments. By studying lipid production in specific microbial taxa and environmental settings, we gain a clearer understanding of how these compounds reflect ecological and geochemical processes.
Our interdisciplinary approach integrates organic geochemistry, molecular ecology, and sedimentary records to
- identify and validate new lipid biomarkers
- track shifts in biogeochemical cycles, and
- determine the drivers of ecosystem change in lake environments over time.
