Jette Fischer Petersen

Jette Fischer Petersen serves as a Staff Scientist in the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience within The Faculty of Engineering and Science at Aalborg University. Her research focuses on environmental microbiology and biotechnology, particularly in wastewater treatment systems. She maintains an active research profile with numerous publications and significant project involvement.

Her educational background includes:

• Medical Biotechnology, Master (2016-2018)
• Biotechnology, Bachelor (2013-2016)

Dr. Petersen's research interests center on microbial ecology in wastewater environments, with particular expertise in polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, ecophysiology, and metagenomics. Her work integrates advanced techniques like Fluorescence in Situ Hybridization and Raman spectroscopy to investigate microbial communities in activated sludge systems. She has made significant contributions to understanding Dechloromonas, denitrification processes, and the identification of microbial 'dark matter' in treatment facilities.

Her recent publications (2022-2025) demonstrate a consistent focus on wastewater microbiology, with particular emphasis on polyphosphate-accumulating bacteria and their ecological roles. The research spans methodological approaches from phylogenomics to in situ hybridization techniques, addressing both fundamental microbial ecology questions and practical wastewater treatment applications.

Dr. Petersen actively participates in major research initiatives:

• GLOMICAVE: Global omic data integration project funded by Horizon Europe (2021-2024)
• Illumination of microbial dark matter funded by the Villum Foundation (2017-2024)

Her laboratory work focuses on environmental microbiology and biotechnology, particularly investigating microbial communities in wastewater treatment systems. Current research directions include expanding the understanding of polyphosphate-accumulating organisms, developing integrated recovery solutions for wastewater biorefineries, and exploring the physiological diversity of bacteria in global wastewater treatment facilities.