Susanne Dunker

Dr. Susanne Dunker is a Working Group Leader and Deputy Department Head at the Department for Physiological Diversity at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) and the German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv) in Leipzig, Germany. Her research bridges aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems with a focus on biodiversity assessment using advanced imaging techniques.

Dr. Dunker's research interests span water quality, phytoplankton diversity, cyanobacterial blooms, air quality, pollination, and pollen diversity. She has pioneered the use of multispectral imaging flow cytometry for environmental monitoring, enabling high-throughput analysis of phytoplankton communities and pollen diversity. Her work integrates machine learning with biological analysis to develop innovative monitoring strategies for both aquatic and aerial ecosystems, with applications in understanding biodiversity dynamics, ecosystem services, and human health impacts.

Her publication record demonstrates a strong focus on developing and applying imaging flow cytometry techniques across multiple domains. The research shows a clear trajectory from aquatic systems (phytoplankton analysis) to terrestrial systems (pollen analysis), with increasing integration of machine learning and deep learning approaches. Her work has significant implications for environmental monitoring, biodiversity assessment, and understanding the impacts of environmental change on ecosystem functioning.

• UFZ Technology Transfer Award (2019)
• UFZ Sustainability Challenge Award (2022)

Dr. Dunker leads multiple research projects including PollenNet, OrthoDiv, ProtistQuant, PlanktAI, and SedimentAI, demonstrating her leadership in interdisciplinary research. Her work on reducing plastic in laboratories shows her commitment to sustainable research practices. She serves as a reviewer for numerous high-impact journals and participates in important scientific commissions including the German VDI/DIN mirror committee on automated pollen monitoring.

Her laboratory utilizes advanced imaging flow cytometry and deep learning approaches to analyze biodiversity across different ecosystems. The iCyt platform she co-leads provides integrative cytomics support for biodiversity research. Her team's work connects microscopic biological processes with ecosystem-level functions, creating a bridge between cellular traits and environmental monitoring applications.