Susann Müller

Prof. Dr. Susann Müller is Senior Scientist and Group Leader of the Flow Cytometry Working Group at the Department of Applied Microbial Ecology, Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. Since 2011, she has held an Associate Professor position for Microbiology at Leipzig University’s Faculty of Life Sciences, bridging fundamental microbial ecology with environmental biotechnology applications through single-cell analytics.

Education:

• 1985: Diploma in Biochemistry, Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg
• 1992: PhD, University of Halle-Wittenberg (Population dynamics of S. cerevisiae)
• 2003: Habilitation, Technical University Dresden (Multiparametric Cytometry)

Her research pioneers microbial community flow cytometry to extract single-cell high-dimensional data, applying macroecological concepts to quantify stability metrics (resistance, resilience, displacement speed, elasticity) in engineered systems. Current focus includes bio-based circular economy initiatives: developing the carboxylate platform for sustainable chemical production and biological phosphate recovery from wastewater streams for resource valorization.

Recent publications (2021-2025) reveal consistent innovation in flow cytometry applications, with emphasis on stability assessment in bioreactors, predator-prey dynamics in complex communities, and real-time monitoring of wastewater systems. She integrates ecological theory with multi-omics and data science to decode microbial assembly principles across environmental, agricultural, and industrial contexts.

Professional roles:

• President, German Society of Cytometry (DGfZ, 2008-2010)
• Associate Editor, Microbiology for Cytometry Part A
• ISAC Educational Committee (2011-2012) and Scholars Program Committee (2013-2015)

Current grants:

• PHOM project (SMWK InfraProNet 2024-2027): €449,160 for wastewater phosphorus recovery
• Z-PROJECT (DFG 2022-2025): €556,550 for bacterial biofilm analysis
• PROMICON (EU H2020 2021-2025): €200,000 for industrial microbiome consortia
• Moore Foundation (2020-2024): $23,000 for archaeal evolutionary tools
• Chinese Scholarship Council (2022-2026): Artificial community construction

The Flow Cytometry Working Group under her leadership at UFZ develops standardized mock communities (Nature Protocols 2020), automated analysis tools (flowEMMi), and cytometric barcoding methods. It collaborates with Leipzig University, Technical University Dresden, and international partners including UC Santa Barbara, driving innovations in real-time environmental monitoring and wastewater treatment optimization.