Our planet is populated by an immense number of microorganisms. Their activities are essential for the global cycling of elements and the functioning and health of ecosystems and organisms – from plants to humans. In addition, we depend on the activities and products of microorganisms in a multitude of industrial processes including water treatment, energy production, food production and biotechnology.
At Department of Biology, we study the mechanistic details of microbial processes in natural and engineered environments and the biology of the microorganisms that drive them. Such knowledge is fundamental for understanding how element cycles respond to perturbation like climate change and how to manipulate engineered environments to control a given process like e.g. promoting nitrogen removal during wastewater treatment or limiting sulfide production in sewer and oil field systems.
Our research spans all biological levels from single organisms to communities and single ecosystems to global element cycles.
I am a researcher in evolutionary ecology and genetics and I am interested in group living, cooperation and mating systems, genomic consequences of sociality and inbred mating systems, genetic and non-genetic processes involved in adaptation. I am a professor and center leader of the Center for Ecological Genetics (EcoGenetics) at the Department of Biology. Here we investigate the relationship between genetic diversity and functional responses. We aim to predict the future distribution and performance of insects and the maintenance of population genetic diversity and to provide tools to develop effective management practices in the face of ongoing global change.
I work with research in microbial ecology, i.e. the mutual interactions between microorganisms and their environment. I am part of Center for Electromicrobiology, where we investigate microorganisms that transport electrons and exchange them with their surroundings with a special focus on cable bacteria. I did my Ph. D. in the development of a methane microsensor and was the technical lead in the startup of the microsensor company Unisense A/S and thus have technical and commercial experience.
My research field is marine biogeochemistry with emphasis on microbiological and chemical processes in the seabed and their local and global importance. We use experiments with radioactive isotopes combined with chemical analyses to trace element transformations and determine their rate. We also apply modeling tools and databases to understand the regulation of element cycles in the seabed in relation to ecology and climate.
Position: Associate Professor in Biogeochemistry
Institute for Biology, Aarhus University
Nationality: Danish
Highest degree: Dr. rer. nat., University of Bremen 2003
Homepage: https://pure.au.dk/portal/en/persons/hans.roy%40bio.au.dk
Orcid: 0000-0002-6477-3091
Positions and education
2016- Associate Professor, Department for Biology, Aarhus University, Denmark.
2007-2016 Scientist, Center for Geomicrobiology, Bioscience, Aarhus University, Denmark.
2005-2007 Scientist, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany.
2003-2005 Postdoc, Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology, Germany.
2003: Dr. rer nat. from University of Bremen, Earth Sciences, Bremen, Germany.
1999 - 2002 PhD fellow at The Danish Research Academy / Max Planck, Bremen, Germany.
SCIENTIFIC FOCUS AREAS
Microbial metabolic activity in aquatic sediment and biogeochemistry. Prokaryotic ecophysiology. The coupled cycles of carbon, nitrogen, iron, manganese, and sulfur. Arctic biogeochemistry. The deep biosphere. Oil-microbe interactions. Self-healing cementitious materials. The ecology of spore-forming bacteria, and their applications in biotechnology. General oceanography.
FUNDED PROJECTS
2023-2024 PI DHRTC project SEABASS (EUR 250k)
2022-2024 PI AUFF NOVA project “A hidden C02 sink” (EUR 35k, resp. from 2024)
2021-2025 Co-PI FNU project “Seabed methane cycling…” (EUR 831k, resp. from 2024)
2022-2023 PI DHRTC project SEEP-Ecology (EUR 270k)
2018-2020 PI Au science & technology synergy project (EUR 67k)
2017-2020 PI DHRT project “Reservoir Souring” (EUR 447k).
2016-2023 Co-PI DHRT project “Self-Healing Cement” (EUR 903k).
2013 PI DONG project “Microbial Prospecting for Oil and Gas” (EUR 168k).
2013 Co-PI DONG project “Microbial Prospecting for Oil and Gas” (EUR 103k).
PhD students
Rita Dunker, University of Bremen 2010; Irene H. Tarpgaard, Aarhus University 2013; Paulina Tamez-Hidalgo, Aarhus University 2014; Marion Jaussi, Aarhus University 2017. Søren Dollerrup Nielsen, Aarhus University 2019. Caroline Sholze, Aarhus University 2019.
Post docs
Antje Gittel, Søren Dollerup Nielsen, Alberto Scoma, Florian Steinicker, Rishmita Mukherjee, Lorena Selak.
Major research curises (marked cruises as chief scientist)
North Atlantic, Arni Fridriksson, 2022 & 2024. Bornholm Basin, RV Aurora, 2022. NW Greenland, Lauge Koch, 2019. NE Greenland, RV Dana, 2017. Bornholm Basin, RV Aurora, 2016. Skagerrak, RV Aurora, 2014. Eastern Atlantic, RV Dana, 2014. West Greenland, RV Sanna, 2013. North Atlantic, RV Dana, 2012. Western Pacific off Japan, DV Chikyu, 2012. Equtorial Pacific from Costa Rica to Hawaii, RV Knorr, 2009. Guaymas Basin, RV Atlantis, 2009. Mid Atlantic Ridge, RV MS Merian, 2006. Arctic North Atlantic. RV L’Atalante, 2005.
Bioliometry (ISI-listed)
Total number of peer-reviewed publications: 87
Number of first authorships: 7
Number of corresponding authorships: 10
Number of last authorships: 11
number of citations: 3,898
H-index: 38
I am a microbial ecologist interested in the ecophysiology and evolution of microbes involved in environmental element cycling and in microbe-host interaction. My main research is currently in Electromicrobiology, with focus on how electrically conductive cable bacteria work and impact their environment; and in Microbial Symbiosis, especially in bacteria-fungi-insect interactions, their function and evolution, secondary metabolites, and chemical microenvironments in animals.
