Mirjam Perner

Mirjam Perner is a Professor of Geomicrobiology at GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, affiliated with the Research Area 2: Marine Biogeochemistry and the Department of Marine Geosystems. She has held this W2 professorship since January 2018 and was previously a Junior Professor (Assistant Professor) at the University of Hamburg from 2011 to 2017. Her research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning geomicrobiology, marine biogeochemistry, and environmental microbiology.

Her research focuses on microbial communities in extreme marine environments, particularly deep-sea hydrothermal vents. She investigates microbial metabolism related to hydrogen and carbon cycling, enzyme discovery from marine resources, and the role of microbes in biogeochemical processes. A significant recent focus is on benthic weathering as a CO2 removal strategy and microbial impacts on seafloor massive sulfide deposits. She employs advanced techniques such as activity-based metagenomic screening and transcriptomics to study uncultured microbial communities.

Her recent publications reveal a strong trend toward climate-relevant research, including carbon dioxide removal strategies like seafloor alkalinity enhancement, microbial responses to hypoxia in the Baltic Sea, and the biogeochemical engineering of coastal sediments. She also continues her foundational work on hydrogen metabolism, carbon fixation pathways like RubisCO, and microbial-mineral interactions in hydrothermal systems.

Dr. Perner has received notable recognition including the Zonta Award for Excellence (2014) and the Fulbright Scholarship (1999/2000). She is actively involved in scientific governance, having chaired the Women's Executive Board at GEOMAR (2021–2024) and served on multiple university committees at Christian-Albrechts-Universität (CAU).

• Zonta Award for Excellence (2014)
• Fulbright Scholarship (1999/2000)
• Education Abroad Program (1999/2000)

She mentors a research group including PhD and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom are co-authors on her publications. Her work is supported by major funding agencies such as the German Science Foundation (DFG), National Science Foundation (NSF), French National Research Agency (ANR), and Schmidt Ocean Institute. She leads and participates in international research expeditions aboard vessels like RV Sonne, RV Meteor, and RV Pourquoi Pas?, often involving student researchers. Her lab contributes to global efforts in understanding marine microbial ecosystems and their applications in biotechnology and climate solutions.

Dr. Perner leads a dynamic research team focused on marine geomicrobiology and biogeochemistry. Her group conducts fieldwork on research cruises, performs laboratory experiments on microbial metabolism, and applies metagenomic and bioinformatic tools to explore uncultured microbial diversity. The team investigates both fundamental microbial processes and applied environmental challenges, positioning their work at the intersection of basic science and global sustainability.