Departments

Research in the Department of Biogeochemistry led by Prof. Dr. Marcel Kuypers focuses on microbiological and geochemical processes that control bioactive element cycling in the marine environment. The researchers employ geochemical, microbiological, modeling, molecular, and single-cell techniques to study the environmental regulation of these processes and their effects on the global biogeochemical cycles. They aim to gain fundamental insights into microbially mediated processes ultimately affecting ocean chemistry, biology and our climate and provide vital input for models predicting potential future changes resulting from human activities.

Research Groups:
Biogeochemistry
Greenhouse Gases 
Microbial Physiology

Research in the Department of Molecular Ecology led by Prof. Dr. Rudolf Amann covers various ecosystems, including benthic habitats - from coastal permeable sediments to deep sea hydrothermal vents and seeps – as well as pelagic environments – from the shelf to the open ocean. A special focus of this group lies on the North Sea and the Wadden Sea.

Research Groups: 
Molecular Ecology Group  
Flow Cytometry Research Group  

The Department of Symbiosis, headed by Prof. Dr. Nicole Dubilier, studies the biology and ecology of tight associations between bacteria and eukaryotes. The main emphasis lies on marine invertebrates from chemosynthetic environments such as sulfide-rich coastal sediments, vents and seeps.

Research Group:
Metabolic Interactions

The Department of Ocean Biosphere Dynamics, headed by Prof. Dr. Tatiana Ilyina, investigates the ocean carbon cycle, ocean biosphere dynamics, and their interactions with Earth’s climate across timescales from years to millennia. A particular focus is on modeling the role of marine microbes in regulating ocean carbon storage and biogeochemical processes. By integrating microbiological observations with Earth system modeling, we improve understanding of climate–carbon cycle feedbacks and enhance predictions of ocean carbon dynamics and future climate change.

The new Max Planck Research Group Protist Virology was founded at our institute in January 2025. Under the leadership of Dr. Matthias Fischer, the researchers are investigating the biology of giant viruses and their parasites.

The ERC Research Group for Ecological Genomics, headed by Dr. Luis Orellana, investigates the diversity, functions, and evolutionary interactions of marine microbes. Using advanced multi-omics and imaging techniques, we uncover the genetic foundations of microbial ecosystem processes, with a particular focus on bacteria involved in algal health and oceanic carbon sequestration.

The HGF MPG Joint Research Group for Deep-Sea Ecology and Technology, headed by Prof. Dr. Antje Boe­t­ius, fo­cuses on the phys­ical, chem­ical, geo­lo­gical, hy­dro­lo­gical, and bio­lo­gical char­ac­ter­ist­ics of the di­verse mi­cro­bial hab­it­ats. The goal of our re­search on “mi­cro­bial hab­it­ats” is to un­der­stand niche form­a­tion, and to in­vest­ig­ate reg­u­lat­ory mech­an­isms for the oc­cur­rence and dis­tri­bu­tion of mi­cro­bial pop­u­la­tions. This re­quires the de­vel­op­ment of a vari­ety of in situ tech­niques, as well as ex­per­i­mental strategies to quantify the nature and vari­ab­il­ity of the hab­itat on dif­fer­ent tem­poral and spa­tial scales.

This Joint Re­search Group combines the expertise of the Al­fred We­gener In­sti­tute, Helmholtz Center for Po­lar and Mar­ine Re­search (AWI) in Bremer­haven to con­duct re­search in po­lar en­vir­on­ments and to carry out long-term ob­ser­va­tions with MPIMM’s competence in the area of mar­ine mi­cro­bi­o­logy, the de­vel­op­ment of new mo­lecu­lar-bio­lo­gical meth­od­o­lo­gies, and in situ sensors.

The HIFMB MPG Bridging Group for Marine Omics, led by Prof. Dr. A. Murat Eren, is a cooperation with the Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity and focuses on several emerging approaches of biology all carrying the suffix “-omics”, such as genomics, metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, pangenomics, or phylogenomics. Collectively these strategies enable detailed descriptions of the ecology and evolution of organisms in controlled environments or in their natural habitats through molecular surveys. 

The Emmy Noether Research Group for Organosulfur Cycling, led by Dr. Eileen Kröber, focuses on organic sulfur compounds which are produced in our oceans and play an important role in climate regulation. These compounds are produced in large quantities in seagrass beds, mangroves and coral reefs – habitats where numerous worms and mussels obtain their nutrition with the help of symbiotic bacteria. 

The Minerva Fast Track Research Group for Marine Transmissible Cancers led by Dr. Alicia L. Bruzos investigates how cancer cells can become contagious and spread among marine bivalves. We combine fieldwork, molecular techniques, multi-omics, and experimental approaches to understand the ecological and evolutionary dynamics of these unusual cancers, which challenge our definitions of cancer and disease transmission.

The ICBM-MPI Bridge Group, headed by Prof. Dr. Thorsten Dittmar, is a cooperation between MPIMM and the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (ICBM, University of Oldenburg). It aims at a better understanding of global element cycles using molecular tools. A special focus lies on dissolved organic matter (DOM). Structure-function-relationships for DOM and other organic matter pools are required to understand the earth’s past and future. Recent progress in analytical chemistry has allowed the characterisation of DOM at the molecular level in unprecedented detail, allowing for new insights into its source and history.