Department of Genetics In Ecology
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We belong to the Faculty of Life Sciences of the University of Vienna and are part of the Vienna Ecology Centre. Our department has a "dependance" at the Center of Geobiology at University of Bergen, Norway. _
ABOUT
Archaea are microorganisms that constitute the third domain of life beside Eukaryotes and Bacteria. Most of them thrive in extreme environments reminiscent of conditions on the early Earth. Some Archaea reside in complex microbial communities in soils, oceans and sediments, where they play important roles in the nitrogen and carbon cycles.
We study the molecular and cellular adaptations of extremely thermophilic and acidophilic archaea and their viruses by exploring their reactions to stress, such as temperature shifts and exposure to UV-light. Our model organism is the hyperthermophilic archaeon, Sulfolobus solfataricus, for which genetic tools have been established. Further we use postgenomic approaches to study information processing machineries of archaea, which are highly related to those of Eukaryotes and to study the genomic potential and physiology of the recently discovered ammonia oxidizing archaea from soil.
In a second research focus we develop and use novel meta-genomic and meta-transcriptomic approaches to explore the genomic diversity and activity of Bacteria and Archaea in complex microbial communities, such as soils and sediments. Thus we attempt to make predictions about the physiological potential of specific microbial lineages, who are abundant components of Earth's biota, but whose ecological role is currently unknown.
NEWS
PUBLIC OUTREACH
16.05.2011
A postdoc position in Vienna on novel archaeal model organism (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology) is open!
details
27.04.2011
New paper in PNAS: " Nitrososphaera viennensis, an ammonia oxidizing archaeon from soil" by Tourna M, Stieglmeier M, Spang A, Koenneke M, Schintlmeister A, Urich T, Engel M, Schloter M, Wagner M, Richter R, Schleper C.
04.04.2011
Wachau hiking photo-gallery is opened!
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05.07.2010
Iceland sampling photo-gallery is opened!
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27.04.2011
Austrian media, such as Die Presse, Der Standard, ORF-Science, as well as the Media-Portal of the University of Vienna highlight the isolation of a novel ammonium oxidizing Archaeon from viennese soil - work which has been recently published in PNAS (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences).
14.03.2011;)
SCIENCE DAY AT THE FACULTY CENTER OF ECOLOGY
PhD and MSc students of the departments of the Faculty Center of Ecology present their research.
Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, UZA I, Lecture Hall 2, 9:00 - 18:00
Download the program
GUEST LECTURES AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
02.05.2011
Guest lecture by Rie Matsumi, University of Wageningen, Netherlands.
Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, UZA 1, seminar room "Genetics in Ecology", 13:15
03.02.2011
LEARNING FROM THERMOCOCCUS KODAKARENSIS: A MODEL HYPERTHERMOPHILIC ARCHAEON.
Guest lecture by Dr. John Reeve, Head Department of Microbiology University of Ohio, USA.
Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, UZA 1, seminar room "Ecology", 10:15
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Last update: 9.6.2011
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