Research Projects at EPSAG

The department EPSAG with the SAG Culture Collection focuses on the Biodiversity of Algae in research and education.

• In various research projects molecular signatures, i.e. DNA sequences and genomic fragments, are determined to assess the diversity of algae and cyanobacteria in certain habitats and infer their phylogenetic relationships.
• To study algal community structures in various terrestrial habitats culture-independent molecular methods as well as isolating new culture strains including the study of algal morphological features are used.

Recently Completed Research Projects:

• Antarctic Research: Soil algae in glacier forefields of Antarctica (DFG SPP 1158 Antarktisforschung mit vergleichenden Untersuchungen in arktischen Eisgebieten)
• EarthShape: Biofilms associated with rock surfaces and rock weathering along a climate gradient in Chile (DFG SPP 1803 EarthShape: Earth Surface Shaping by Biota)
• PUFAChain: The Value Chain from Microalgae to PUFA (EU FP7; grant agreement no. 613303) (project web site under construction>)
• KALT: Cryostress - adaptation mechanisms of cells towards ultra deep temperatures (Leibniz Associaction and DSMZ-German Collection of microorganisms and cell lines) (project web site under construction>)
• High CO2 tolerant algae: Production of algal biomass from industrial CO2-rich flue gasses for biofuels and valuable compounds (Scientific Cooperation Niedersachsen - Israel of VolkswagenStiftung, contract no. ZN2727) (project web site under construction>)
• ABA Ecuador: Terrestrial microalgae (including lichen symbionts) along an altitudinal gradient in a tropical mountain forest (DFG Fr 905/17-1) (2010-2015; DFG PAK 540: Acceleration of Biodiversity Assessment ? Development of Tools and Application in a Tropical Mountain Ecosystem (project web sites under construction>)
• Exploratories: Changes in the biodiversity of algae in soils along land use gradients within the German Biodiversity Exploratories: community structures and functional roles (DFG Fr 905/16-1) (2008-2011; DFG SPP 1374: Exploratories for large-scale and long-term functional biodiversity research)
• GEO research unit: Biodiversity and DNA taxonomy of calcifiying biofilms (2005-2015; DFG FOR 571)