Seminar of the Department of Microbiology
MSc Student Session 2
Clara Mühlegger - AG Podmirseg - University of Innsbruck
Stefanie Kirschner - AG Neuhauser - University of Innsbruck
Laura Marte - AG Podmirseg - University of Innsbruck
13.06.2024, 11:00
- Join online
- or in presence Seminarraum Biologie - Foyer (Technikerstraße 25)
Abstracts
Mühlegger: Deadwood: the influence of the rotting degree of Picea abies on the stability of biochar
Nowadays waste wood or forest wood residues are used for energy generation if not recycled directly. Partially decomposed wood cannot be recycled due to the loss of quality and strength properties, hence important resources are left untapped. In this project, residual forest wood, is to be converted into charcoal via Pyrolysis. This product can then be used in wastewater treatment plants for water filtration or in agriculture, increasing water storage capacity, improving yields and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, playing an important role in fighting climate change.
This study aims at closing the knowledge gap regarding the influence of different wood decomposition stages of Picea abies on biochar characteristics. The project will compare chemical and gravimetric fiber analysis with non-destructive near-infrared spectroscopy (NIR) to determine if NIR can effectively be a quick quality assessment in field to set optimal pyrolysis parameters in the future.
Kirschner: Effects of climate change-driven temperature increase on brown algae-parasite interactions
The effects of climate change are becoming obvious in a wide variety of ecosystems. One example is the increasing overall temperatures of the water in the world oceans. In this work, two perspective scenarios of temperature increase in the world ocean were used to test the response of a pathosystem involving the brown alga Macrocystis pyrifera and two oomycetes Anisolpidium ectocarpii and Eurychasma dicksonii (strains Eury05 and Eury96) and one phytomyxid (Maullinia ectocarpii) infecting it. We used complementary molecular (qPCR) and microscopy (bright field and fluorescent microscopy) methods to assess the influence of temperature on the growth and infection phenotype of the pathosystem at 10 °C, 15 °C and 20 °C. The preliminary results show that different parasites have different temperature optima, in particular the infection potential of E. dicksonii and M. ectocarpii decreases with rising temperatures and disappear at 20 °C, whilst A. ectocarpii seem to be favoured at higher temperatures. According to these observations, the effects of changing temperatures are likely to be mediated in a species-specific way in the interactions between parasites and hosts, potentially affecting the coastal habitat.
Marte: Exploring the enzymatic potential of AF
Optimizing biogas plants is essential for meeting rising energy demands and efficient resource use. A challenge is the use of energy crops due to the difficult breakdown of lignocellulose, which impede energy extraction. Research on Neocallimastigomycota, anaerobic fungi known for breaking down lignocellulosic material, offers a possibility for improvement. These fungi produce cellulosomes, enzyme complexes that dislodge lignin and aid in breaking down plant materials, improving nutrient access for other microorganisms. This Masterthesis focuses on the isolation of (novel) Neocallimastigomycota and investigation of their enzyme activity. Enzymes of interest are Avicelase, Carboxymethyl-cellulase (CMCase) and Xylanase. The goal is to enhance our understanding of these fungi's enzymatic potential and the implementation in biogas plant.