Stephan M. Krämer

Stephan M. Krämer is a Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Geosciences at the University of Vienna. He also serves as Vice Director of Studies in Environmental Geosciences and Vice Director of the Doctoral School VDS-MES within the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science. His research focuses on biogeochemical processes at the interface of living and non-living materials, including pollutant transport, nutrient dynamics, and mineral weathering. His team employs advanced techniques like non-traditional stable isotope geochemistry and synchrotron spectroscopy to study molecular-scale interactions.

Key research areas include environmental DNA (eDNA) preservation mechanisms, mineral-nucleic acid interactions, and pollutant behavior in soils and sediments. The group collaborates with anthropologists through the MINERVA platform to explore ancient DNA (aDNA) preservation in mineral matrices. Recent projects investigate copper mobilization via methanobactin and the redox reactivity of asbestos minerals.

Group members include Anita Brijit, Aliz Szekeres, and Dr. Wenhao Wang. Current initiatives address maximizing aDNA recovery from sediments and understanding microbiome-driven planetary health through the Cluster of Excellence.