معرفی
Stefan Bertilsson is a Professor in Functional Ecology of Freshwaters at the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) and serves as Director of the Swedish Infrastructure for Ecosystem Science (SITES). He also holds the position of Scientific Lead for Planetary Biology at SciLifeLab and chairs the steering group for the National Genomics Infrastructure/SciLifeLab Genomics Platform.
Professor Bertilsson's research spans three primary domains: Aquatic Microbial Ecology, Biogeochemistry, and Environmental Genomics with single cell methodology. His work focuses on microorganisms' role in transforming and redistributing key elements including carbon, nitrogen, and mercury. Employing molecular methods (DNA/RNA-based), isotope tracers, and chemical analytical tools, he investigates nitrogen fixation, carbon fixation, mercury methylation/demethylation, and degradation of organic pollutants across diverse environments from freshwater lakes to polar ecosystems and the deep terrestrial biosphere.
Analysis of his publication record reveals a consistent research trajectory centered on microbial processes in aquatic environments, particularly mercury cycling in boreal lakes, bacterial community responses to environmental change, and metabolic adaptations in streamlined bacteria. His interdisciplinary approach integrates microbiology, genomics, and environmental science to address critical questions about ecosystem functioning and pollutant transformation across multiple spatial scales.
As Director of SITES, Bertilsson oversees a national research infrastructure providing long-term ecosystem observations and experimental platforms across Sweden. His leadership of the SciLifeLab Planetary Biology Capability connects microbial processes to planetary-scale biogeochemical cycles, while his chairmanship of the National Genomics Infrastructure steering group positions him at the forefront of genomic research capabilities in Sweden, facilitating access to advanced sequencing technologies for researchers nationwide.
