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Stephanie Eichorst is a Researcher at the University of Vienna's Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science. She joined the university in 2012 after completing her PhD at Michigan State University, followed by postdoctoral work at Los Alamos National Lab and a research position at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (USA). Her research focuses on soil microorganisms, particularly Acidobacteriota (Acidobacteria), investigating their survival strategies under energy limitation. Key research areas include: Atmospheric gas oxidation as a survival mechanism Factors governing terminal oxidase usage in soil microbes Physiological flexibility of Acidobacteriota Microbial responses to climate stress and warming Her publication record shows consistent output since 2012 with 28 publications to date, demonstrating increasing focus on atmospheric trace gas metabolism and climate change impacts on soil microbiomes. Recent work emphasizes lipidomics, necromass biomarkers, and metabolic adaptations to nanomolar oxygen conditions. She leads significant research projects including: Faktoren, die mikrobielle terminale Oxidasen beeinflussen (2025-2028, active) ubiquitären Acidobact. (2013-2019, completed) Funkt.Analyse v.Stickstoff-Fix (2013-2017, completed) Her editorial work includes serving on the board of Frontiers in Microbiology (2020-2021), and she has presented at numerous conferences including the 'Journey into microbial life on earth' event (2019). Her research contributes to UN Sustainable Development Goals related to environmental protection and climate action, with fingerprint analysis showing strong expertise in Acidobacterium (100%), Soil Microflora (95%), Phylum classification (83%), and Microorganism studies (69%).

• Soil Microbiology
• Microbial Ecology
• Atmospheric Gas Oxidation
• +5 more

Dr. Stephanie A. Eichorst is a Senior Scientist at the University of Vienna's Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science, specifically within the Division of Microbial Ecology (DOME). She joined the University of Vienna in 2012 after completing her PhD at Michigan State University, followed by postdoctoral work at Los Alamos National Lab and research at the Joint BioEnergy Institute in the USA. Her research program centers on the physiology of soil microorganisms, with particular emphasis on members of the Acidobacteriota phylum. This ubiquitous bacterial phylum comprises astonishing diversity across soils worldwide, yet its functions remain largely unknown due to limited cultivated representatives. Dr. Eichorst's work seeks to elucidate the ecophysiology of Acidobacteriota to understand their success and ubiquity in soil environments. Her research employs a multidisciplinary approach combining genomics, transcriptomics, growth-based experiments, enzyme kinetics, and molecular analyses. Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on microbial survival mechanisms under energy limitation, particularly atmospheric gas oxidation (including H 2 ) and the role of different terminal oxidases in soil microbes. Her work demonstrates how these physiological capabilities explain the success of Acidobacteriota in heterogeneous soil environments. She has also pioneered single-cell method development for exploring soil microbial activity using techniques like FISH, NanoSIMS, and Raman microspectroscopy combined with stable isotope tracers. Dr. Eichorst leads active research projects including 'Faktoren, die mikrobielle terminale Oxidasen beeinflussen' (2025-2028), demonstrating her continued leadership in the field. Her work contributes to understanding soil microbial communities that play crucial roles in biogeochemical cycles and ecosystem functioning.

• Soil Microbiology
• Microbial Physiology
• Acidobacteriota Research
• +7 more

Alexander Loy serves as Professor at the University of Vienna with primary appointment in the Department of Microbiology and Ecosystem Science (Djerassiplatz 1, Room 2.010) and additional affiliation in the Department of Physiological Chemistry. He holds the leadership position of Deputy Head for the Research Platform Secondary metabolomes of bacterial communities. His research spans microbial ecology and molecular microbiology with emphasis on sulfur cycling mechanisms across diverse ecosystems. Key interests include: Sulfoquinovose metabolism in gut and rumen microbiomes Biogeochemical processes in peatlands and marine sediments Host-microbe interactions in colorectal cancer and behavioral traits Novel sulfur-cycling taxa discovery through genomic approaches Analysis of his 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals consistent focus on sulfur biogeochemistry, with 70% of articles directly addressing sulfur metabolism pathways. His work demonstrates technical innovation in stable isotope probing and sequencing methodologies applied to gut, marine, and wetland systems. Recurring themes include microbial community dynamics during disease states and cryptic biogeochemical cycling in anoxic environments. Loy teaches advanced courses including Research Topics in Molecular Microbiology, Human Microbiome, and Fundamental Concepts in Microbiome Science. His practical courses (Scientific Practice in Molecular Microbiology) indicate active student mentorship in laboratory techniques.

• Microbial Ecology
• Molecular Microbiology
• Microbiome Science
• +3 more