Maria Dittrich

Maria Dittrich is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physical & Environmental Sciences at the University of Toronto. Her research focuses on environmental geochemistry, biogeochemistry, geomicrobiology, and modeling of early diagenesis in aquatic systems. She leads the Biogeochemistry Lab at UofT, emphasizing dolomite formation, phosphorus cycling, and microbial mineralization processes with applications in CO2 sequestration and lake management.

• Current Projects
• Qatar Foundation-funded research on carbon mineralization in sabkhas
• Collaborations with ETH Zurich, Qatar University, and Nanjing University

Maria’s lab investigates microbial interactions in hypersaline environments, nanoparticle-based biofilm disruption, and phosphorus dynamics in coastal lakes. Her group has published on topics ranging from nanoparticle applications to isotopic fractionation in dolomite, with recent work presented at international conferences like Goldschmidt 2025 and EGU2020. She mentors graduate students in biogeochemical modeling, microbial mat studies, and environmental nanotechnology.