Alexander Eiler

When my grandfather explained photosynthesis to my 5 year old self my scientific curiousness was instigated. I can still remember that I imagined the flow of protons and elements in various colors. The cycling of elements is still at the center of my research. As such I study microbes since they shape the physical, chemical and biological state of our planet by facilitating the storage, transport, and turnover of elements. To study microbes and their role in the biosphere requires collaborations across the fields of aquatic ecology and biogeochemistry.

By combining omics (including DNA/RNA/protein sequencing and advanced computational approaches) and stable isotope tracer studies we intend to advance our understanding of microbes in the biosphere. The need for such understanding has never been more relevant than now in the light of ongoing global climate warming and massive human-induced alterations of ecosystems.

My original training is that of an ecologist at the University of Vienna and of a microbial ecologist at Uppsala University where I worked on describing microbial diversity of inland waters and the mechanisms underlying patterns in microbial diversity. Later I was a post doc at the Hawaii Institute of Marine Biology working on marine microbes. During my time as an Assistant Professor at Uppsala University I have started to unravel the role of microbes in biogeochemical cycles, in particular microbes' repercussions on climate through greenhouse gas production. Since 2018 I am Professor at the University of Oslo.

February 2023