GeoBioLab – Helmholtz Laboratory for Integrated Geological and Biological Research

The Helmholtz Laboratory for Integrated Geological and Biological Research (GeoBioLab) is an interdisciplinary platform bringing together scientists from various disciplines, such as microbiology/molecular biology, biogeochemistry, pedology/sedimentology, geology, mineralogy, and physics to answer fundamental questions on surface/deep biosphere interactions, especially within the critical zoneby means of cutting-edge research methods.
In order to perform basic research on (micro)biological, (bio)geochemical and geological processes and their interactions in deep sedimentary deposits the laboratory is fully equipped for both research in classical microbiology investigations (e.g. isolation and characterization of bacteria and archaea, taxonomy and physiology) as well as cultivation independent characterization of microbial communities (e.g. DNA/RNA based studies, qPCR, Stable Isotop Probing, Next Generation Sequencing, bioinformatics). Major aspects of such investigations consist of quantifying slow biological processes, particularly microbial transformation pathways and turnover rates of organic compounds in geological habitats, including the modelling of geomicrobiological processes and microbial networks.