Research

In the marine environment, most interactions within and across species boundaries are conveyed or facilitated by chemical compounds. We specifically focus on interactions among microalgae and bacteria, central players of the biological carbon pump.

We use cellular targets and live imaging techniques to visualize species interactions and resulting processes. We isolate and quantify the compounds in field and laboratory samples/specimen and characterize them with instrumental analytical tools (LC, MS and NMR). We aim to understand the function of the chemical compounds, both, as diagnostic markers of ecological processes and as drivers of chemical species interactions.