Sebastian Behrens

Associate Professor, Director of Graduate Studies, & Mental Health Advocate, Department of Civil, Environmental, and Geo- Engineering

Contact

651-756-9359

sbehrens@umn.edu

Civil Engineering Building
Room 244
500 Pillsbury Drive SE
Minneapolis, MN 55455

Affiliations

BioTechnology Institute - Office: Snyder Hall, Room #338

Biographical Info

Education

B.S., 1998, University of Bremen, Germany, Biology
M.S., 2000, University of Bremen, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany, Microbiology
Ph.D., 2003, University of Bremen, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany, Molecular Microbial Ecology

Professional Background

Postdoctoral research fellow, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Stanford University, 2004-2008
Research associate (Asst. Professor), Center for Applied Geosciences, University of Tuebingen, Germany, 2008-2014

Research & Teaching

Research Interests

Behrens Research Group | Experts@Minnesota | Google Scholar Citations

My research interests include microbial processes for bioremediation of (in)organic environmental contaminants (mining wastes, agriculture runoff) and the recovery of valuable resources from municipal/industrial wastes.

My area of research is situated at the interface of Molecular Microbial Ecology, Geomicrobiology, and Environmental Biotechnology. In the lab we use classical microbiology and state-of-the-art molecular tools to identify and quantify the ‘lifestyle’ of environmental microorganisms. Through comprehensive ecosystem-level analyses of geochemical parameters, microbial community composition, and in situ functions at various spatial and temporal scales we obtain insights into key microbial-mediated transformation processes in various environments and engineered bioprocess systems.

Publications & Awards

Selected Publications

Büsing, J, Buchner, D, Behrens, S, Haderlein, S B 2020. Deciphering the Variability of Stable Isotope (C, Cl) Fractionation of Tetrachloroethene Biotransformation by Desulfitobacterium strains Carrying Different Reductive Dehalogenases Enzymes. Environmental Science and Technology, 54(3), 1593-1602. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.9b05606

J Johnston, T LaPara, S Behrens. 2019. Composition and Dynamics of the Activated Sludge Microbiome during Seasonal Nitrification Failure. Scientific Reports 9 (1), 4565.

C Tominski, T Lösekann-Behrens, A Ruecker, N Hagemann, et. al. 2018. Insights into Carbon Metabolism Provided by Fluorescence In Situ Hybridization-Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry Imaging of an Autotrophic, Nitrate-Reducing, Fe (II)-Oxidizing. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 84 (9), e02166-17.

C Tominski, H Heyer, T Lösekann-Behrens, S Behrens, A Kappler. 2018. Growth and population dynamics of the anaerobic Fe (II)-oxidizing and nitrate-reducing enrichment culture KS. Appl. Environ. Microbiol. 84 (9), e02173-17.

HM Krause, R Hüppi, J Leifeld, M El-Hadidi, J Harter, A Kappler, et. al. 2018. Biochar affects community composition of nitrous oxide reducers in a field experiment. Soil Biology and Biochemistry 119, 143-151.

C Tominski, T Lösekann-Behrens, A Ruecker, N Hagemann, et. al. 2018. FISH-SIMS imaging of an autotrophic, nitrate-reducing, Fe (II)-oxidizing enrichment culture provides insights into carbon metabolism. Appl. Environ. Microbiol., AEM. 02166-17.

Melton ED, Swanner ED, Behrens S, Schmidt C, Kappler A (2014) The interplay of microbially mediated and abiotic reactions in the biogeochemical Fe cycle. Nature Reviews Microbiology 12: 797-808.

Harter J, Krause HM, Schuettler S, Ruser R, Fromme M, Scholten T, Kappler A, Behrens S (2014). Linking N2O emissions from biochar-amended soil to the structure and function of the N-cycling microbial community. ISME Journal 8: 660-674.

Amann R, Fuchs BM, Behrens S (2001). The identification of microorganisms by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Current Opinion in Biotechnology 12: 231-236.