In the first of a new series of lectures on interesting topics in the field of Environmental Sciences, Asst. Prof. Dr. Emil Ruff of the Marine Biological Laboratory (Woods Hole, MA, USA) gave fascinating insights into his work with microbial communities in apparently anoxic environments. Ruff and his collaborators found evidence of in-situ O2 production and consumption in environments without light and thought to be anoxic, such as below ground in a gold mine. This discovery challenges our current understanding of the evolution, ecology, and biochemistry of the biogeosphere and suggests the presence of oxic niches in many environments traditionally thought to be anoxic.
If you want to be informed about future lectures in our Environmental Sciences Colloquium, please email Ilka Schwittlinsky (ilka.schwittlinsky@iswa.uni-stuttgart.de) to be added to our mailing list.
