Sara Kleindienst

Prof. Sara Kleindienst is a Professor and Head of the Department of Environmental Microbiology at the University of Stuttgart's Institute of Sanitary Engineering, Water Quality, and Solid Waste Management. Her research focuses on microbial degradation processes in environmental systems, including oil bioremediation, glyphosate dynamics, and nitrate transformation. She holds an ERC Starting Grant for her MICROSURF project investigating surfactant impacts on microorganisms.

• Education:
  • Bachelor's in Biology, University of Oldenburg
  • PhD (2012), University of Bremen, on hydrocarbon-degrading sulfate-reducing bacteria
• Prior Roles:
  • Postdoc, University of Georgia (Deepwater Horizon oil spill research)
  • Junior Research Group Leader, University of Tübingen (2015–2017)
  • Junior Professor of Microbial Ecology, University of Tübingen (2017–2022)

Her research interests span microbial ecology in marine and terrestrial environments, bioremediation strategies, and the environmental impacts of pollutants like glyphosate and oil. She has been honored with prestigious awards such as the ERC Starting Grant and Emmy Noether Program funding.

Her lab explores interdisciplinary approaches to environmental challenges, including surfactant effects on microbial communities and greenhouse gas emissions. Collaborations focus on bridging microbial ecology with engineering solutions for sustainable environmental protection.