13:15, Lecture hall C.011

Dr. Simon Hohl (Tongji University Shanghai)

Novel geochemical methods to trace microbial metallome evolution through deep time

Abstract: Microbialites are fossilized microbial communities that serve as vital records of early biogeochemical metal cycling, especially in extreme environments. They produce extracellular substances that trap sediments and facilitate carbonate formation, incorporating trace elements without fractionation. Recent research advances include high-resolution in-situ trace element mapping and layer-specific stable metal isotope analysis, offering insights into ancient redox conditions, metal availability, and microbial evolution. These methods help bridge geochemistry and microbiology, enhancing understanding of microbial metallomes through deep time.

Vita: Simon V. Hohl is an associate professor at Tongji University's State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology. He and his team explore the complex relationship between microbial communities and authigenic mineral formation as records of nutrient cycling and metabolic evolution through deep time. Simon has strong connections to China, having conducted his PhD research at Freie Universität Berlin in a Sino-German research group on the paleoenvironmental evolution of the Yangtze Platform during the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary. He completed his postdoctoral work at Nanjing University (2015-2018) and moved to Shanghai in 2019. He has received funding from DAAD, the China Postdoctoral Scholarship, the NSFC Excellent Youth program, and the Research Fund for Outstanding International Scientists. His research covers sedimentary geochemistry, geology, and (astro)biochemistry.

Invited by: Harry Becker