Laura Pause

Laura Pause is a Post-Doctoral Researcher in the Department of Microbial Biotechnology (MIBITECH) at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. She has been with UFZ since 2020, initially as an assistant scientist, then as a PhD student, and currently as a Post-Doc since November 2024. Her research focuses on microbial biotechnology and bioelectrochemical systems within the Systems Biotechnology research group.

Her educational background includes:

• M.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Leipzig (2017-2020), with Master's thesis on "Analysis of L-Lysine Production in Corynebacterium glutamicum via Microfluidic Concepts on Population and Single Cell Level"
• B.Sc. in Biochemistry from University of Leipzig (2013-2017), with Bachelor's thesis on "Characterization of the Nitrogenase-like Reductase CfbC/D from Methanosarcina barkeri"

Laura's research interests center around microbial biotechnology, particularly focusing on bioelectrochemical systems, microbial metabolism, and metabolic engineering. She investigates how microorganisms like Pseudomonas putida interact with electrochemical environments, with applications in environmental biotechnology and sustainable production processes. Her work combines systems biology approaches with metabolic engineering to optimize microbial production of valuable compounds.

Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on microbial electrochemistry and systems biology. The research examines how Pseudomonas putida functions in bioelectrochemical systems, with particular attention to glucose uptake mechanisms under anaerobic conditions and strategies for enhancing 2-ketogluconate production. These studies employ multi-omics approaches to understand and engineer microbial metabolism for biotechnological applications.

Laura collaborates with researchers across multiple institutions on projects related to microbial electrochemistry and biotechnology. Her research appears to be part of larger initiatives at UFZ focused on sustainable ecotechnologies and microbial biotechnology.

She is affiliated with the Systems Biotechnology research group at UFZ, which is part of the broader Microbial Biotechnology department. This group works closely with other research teams at UFZ studying environmental microbiology, bioelectrochemistry, and sustainable production systems.