MOMENT-Talk at VAAM-Conference

13 June 2024

Photo: Diego Medina Caro

On Tuesday, June 4, 2024, Dr. Claudia Bruhn from the Helmholtz Centre Potsdam, GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, presented initial findings of her molecular biological research at the annual VAAM (Association for General and Applied Microbiology) conference in Würzburg. Her work was conducted on samples from the permafrost-affected soils of Disko Island, Greenland.

Despite adverse weather conditions and flooding in south Germany, the 2024 VAAM annual meeting was well attended. Dr. Bruhn's presentation, part of the "Environmental Microbiology & Processes 1" session, took place in the largest hall on Tuesday morning, drawing an international audience.

Dr. Bruhn expressed satisfaction with her presentation, noting the positive feedback and valuable discussions it generated. "It was a great opportunity to introduce our MOMENT project to the microbiology community," she said.

Dr. Bruhn's research focuses on the seasonal activity of methane-producing and methane-oxidizing microbes on Disko Island, West Greenland. Her initial results show significant seasonal dynamics, particularly among methane producers compared to methane consumers. Moreover, the microbial community varied notably between wetter and drier sites, even within short distances. These findings highlight the importance of tracking the annual dynamics of microbial communities and activities on a small scale to accurately map their contribution to the methane budget in permafrost regions.