Susanne Sachs

Dr. Susanne Sachs serves as Head of the Plants and Rhizosphere research group at Helmholtz Centre Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR), within the Institute of Resource Ecology's Department of Radiation Research on Biological Systems. With over 25 years of continuous research at HZDR since 1996, she leads investigations into actinide-biological system interactions and radionuclide migration in geological environments.

Her academic foundation includes:

• Diploma in Chemistry from TU Bergakademie Freiberg (1988-1993)
• PhD jointly awarded by Forschungszentrum Rossendorf (HZDR) and Technische Universität Dresden (1993-1997)

Dr. Sachs' research centers on radioecology and environmental radiochemistry, specializing in actinide interactions with humic substances and biological systems including plants, mammalian cells, and diatoms. Her work examines radionuclide transport mechanisms in geological systems, plant uptake pathways under varying environmental conditions, and toxicity mechanisms at cellular levels. Employing advanced techniques like time-resolved laser fluorescence spectroscopy, micro-XANES, and microcalorimetry, she investigates speciation, binding mechanisms, and metabolic impacts of uranium, europium, and other actinides/lanthanides.

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications reveals evolving research trends: increasing focus on plant-based model systems (tobacco BY-2 cells, Brassica napus, Daucus carota), expansion into microbial community interactions, and methodological shifts toward multi-omics and in situ spectroscopic approaches. Her work consistently bridges fundamental molecular-scale chemistry with real-world applications in nuclear waste disposal safety and radiation protection policy.

As principal investigator for major international projects including TRAVARIS (BMBF, 2022-2026), RadoNorm (EC, 2020-2025), and TRANS-LARA (BMBF, 2017-2021), she secures substantial research funding focused on radionuclide transfer in vadose zones, radiation protection frameworks, and climate change impacts on contaminant migration. Her leadership in the European Radioecology Alliance and German Commission on Radiological Protection demonstrates significant scientific influence.

The Plants and Rhizosphere group operates specialized facilities for plant-radionuclide interaction studies, including controlled-environment growth chambers, advanced spectroscopy labs (TRLFS, ATR-FTIR), and radiochemical handling infrastructure. Current work integrates multi-omics approaches with traditional radiochemical methods to develop predictive models for radionuclide behavior in agricultural and natural ecosystems.