A5051385579- Polar Research and Ecology
- Biocrusts and Microbial Ecology
- Algal biology and biofuel production
- Microbial Community Ecology and Physiology
- Protist diversity and phylogeny
- Marine and coastal ecosystems
- Lichen and fungal ecology
- Marine and coastal plant biology
- Cryospheric studies and observations
- Geology and Paleoclimatology Research
- Aquatic Ecosystems and Phytoplankton Dynamics
- Antioxidant Activity and Oxidative Stress
- Photosynthetic Processes and Mechanisms
- Diatoms and Algae Research
- Light effects on plants
- Fungal Biology and Applications
- Medicinal plant effects and applications
- Plant and fungal interactions
- Environmental DNA in Biodiversity Studies
- Winter Sports Injuries and Performance
- Climate change and permafrost
- Urban Heat Island Mitigation
- Fungal and yeast genetics research
- Physiological and biochemical adaptations
- Pleistocene-Era Hominins and Archaeology
University of Salzburg
2023-2025
Charles University
2024
University of Applied Sciences Upper Austria
2015-2023
Universität Innsbruck
2005-2017
Snow algae inhabit most of the cold regions worldwide, where long-lasting snow fields are common. The ecophysiology has been studied intensively in North America and occasionally polar regions. In European Alps, systematics have mainly by light microscopy. We temperature light-dependence photosynthesis, plastid extraplastid red pigment composition (Chlamydomonas nivalis) from patches high Alps Austria. Both photosynthetic respiratory data support cryophilic adaptation algal cells, but C....
Mesotaenium berggrenii is one of few autotrophs that thrive on bare glacier surfaces in alpine and polar regions. This extremophilic alga produces high amounts a brownish vacuolar pigment, whose chemical constitution ecological function largely unknown until now. Field material was harvested to isolate characterize this pigment. Its tannin nature determined by photometric methods, the structure determination carried out means HPLC-MS 1D- 2D-NMR spectroscopy. The main constituent turned be...
Abstract Surface ablation of the Greenland ice sheet is amplified by surface darkening caused light‐absorbing impurities such as mineral dust, black carbon, and pigmented microbial cells. We present first quantitative assessment contribution to darkening, based on field measurements reflectance concentrations impurities, including algae, during 2014 melt season in southwestern part sheet. The impact algae bare study area was greater than that nonalgal yielded a net albedo reduction 0.038 ±...
Abstract The melting of glaciers and ice sheets is nowadays considered a symbol climate change. Many complex mechanisms are involved in the ice, and, among these processes, surface darkening due to organic material on bare has recently received attention from scientific community. presence microbes been shown decrease albedo promote melting. Despite several studies Himalaya, Greenland, Andes, Alaska, no quantitative have yet conducted European Alps. In this paper, we made use DNA sequencing,...
The optical properties of snow can be strongly modified by the presence a variety impurities including mineral dust and algae. We made use measured concentration algae to parameterize BioSNICAR radiative transfer model. Surficial samples were gathered during field campaign on 7th July 2020 at Presena glacier (Rhaetian Alps). collected 18 surface containing different amount dust. Through simulations we estimated an average broadband albedo reduction 7.4±6.1% % 35.3±7.4% compared clean snow,...
Ten algal strains from snow and permafrost substrates were tested for their ability to produce secondary carotenoids α-tocopherol in response high light decreased nitrogen levels. The Culture Collection of Cryophilic Algae at Fraunhofer IBMT Potsdam served as the bioresource this study. Eight belong Chlorophyceae two are affiliated Trebouxiophyceae. While under low light, all 10 produced normal spectrum primary pigments known be present Chlorophyta, only eight chlorophyceaen able synthesize...
Abstract In Antarctica, mass accumulations of psychrophilic algae cause striking phenomena like green, orange, or red snow. This occurs during summer, when coastal snowfields start to melt, become waterlogged and photoautotrophs can thrive. Chloromonas polyptera (Fritsch) Hoham, Mullet & Roemer is a unicellular species that causes orange snow in the vicinity penguin rockeries. It has been recognized for many decades because distinct habitat characteristic morphology cysts with elongated...
Mycosporine-like amino acids (MAAs), a group of small secondary metabolites found in algae, cyanobacteria, lichens and fungi, have become ecologically pharmacologically relevant because their pronounced UV-absorbing photo-protective potential. Their analytical characterization is generally achieved by reversed phase HPLC the compounds are often quantified based on molar extinction coefficients. As an alternative approach, our study fully validated hydrophilic interaction liquid...
Melting snow fields populated by aplanozygotes of the genus Chloromonas (Chlamydomonadales, Chlorophyta) are found in polar and alpine habitats.In High Tatra Mountains (Slovakia), cells causing blooms brownish-red designated as Scotiella tatrae Kol turned out to be genetically (18S, ITS1 ITS2 rDNA, rbcL) very closely related nivalis (Chodat) Hoham et Mullet from Austrian Alps.Therefore, Sc. is transferred into latter taxon reduced a subspecies Cr.nivalis subsp.tatrae.Both exhibit similar...
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation has become an important stress factor in polar regions due to anthropogenically induced ozone depletion. Although extensive research been conducted on adaptations of organisms this factor, few studies have focused semi-terrestrial algae so far, spite their apparent vulnerability. This study investigates the effect UV two arctic strains (B, G) and one Antarctic strain (E) green alga Zygnema, isolated from Arctic habitats. Isolates Zygnema were exposed experimentally...
Remias D., Holzinger A. and Lütz C. 2009. Physiology, ultrastructure habitat of the ice alga Mesotaenium berggrenii (Zygnemaphyceae, Chlorophyta) from glaciers in European Alps. Phycologia 48: 302–312. DOI: 10.2216/08-13.1.
The filamentous green alga Z ygogonium ericetorum (Zygnematophyceae, Streptophyta) was collected in a high‐alpine rivulet Tyrol, Austria. Two different morphotypes of this were found: purple morph with visible vacuolar content and lacking coloration. These compared respect to their secondary metabolites, ultrastructure, ecophysiological properties. Colorimetric tests aqueous extracts the indicated presence soluble compounds such as phenolics hydrolyzable tannins. High‐performance liquid...
Red snow is a well-known phenomenon caused by microalgae thriving in alpine and polar regions during the melting season. The ecology biodiversity of these organisms, which are adapted to low temperatures, high irradiance freeze–thaw events, still poorly understood. We compared two different habitats containing green algal genera European Alps, namely algae blooming seasonal rock-based snowfields (Chlamydomonas nivalis) dominating waterlogged bedded over ice (Chlainomonas sp.). Despite...
Melting polar and alpine ice surfaces frequently exhibit blooms of dark pigmented algae. These microbial extremophiles significantly reduce the surface albedo glaciers, thus accelerating melt rates. However, ecology, physiology taxonomy cryoflora are not yet fully understood. Here, a Swiss an Austrian glacier dominated either by filamentous
Abstract Melting glacier surfaces are unique ecosystems for specialized microbes, frequently harbouring blooms of microalgae with pigments contributing to the darkening ice surfaces, reducing albedo and enhancing melt rates. The main cause this phenomenon is algae genus Ancylonema . Prior investigation depended on field-collected material because these resisted cultivation. To enhance research how dominate melting ice, we established a strain alaskanum from an alpine exposed temperatures...
Abstract Melting snow and glacier surfaces host microalgal blooms in polar mountainous regions. The aim of this study was to determine the dominant taxa at species level European Arctic Alps. A standardized protocol for amplicon metabarcoding using 18S rRNA gene ITS2 markers developed. This is important because previous biodiversity studies have been hampered by dominance closely related algal ice. Due limited resolution partial Illumina sequences, hypervariable region used further...
Ice-binding proteins (IBPs) of the DUF3494 type have been found in many ice-associated unicellular photoautotrophs, including chlorophytes, haptophytes, diatoms and a cyanobacterium. Unrelated IBPs land plants (streptophytes). Here we looked for two streptophyte algae that grow only on glaciers, group which not previously examined. The species, Ancylonema nordenskioeldii Ancylonema. alaskanum, belong to class Zygnematophyceae, whose members are closest relatives all plants. We one them, A....
An indoor sun simulator was used to provide elevated UV-B radiation (280-315 nm) in combination with realistic ratios PAR (400-700 and UV-A (315-400 order test the physiological response of a soil- snow microalga during three-day stress scenario, which may occasionally occur their respective arctic alpine habitats.Chlamydomonas nivalis Tetracystis sp. are initial colonizers harsh habitats like summer fields bare soils. The two species were chosen because role as primary successors places...
In vitro screening of 17 Alpine lichen species for their inhibitory activity against 5-lipoxygenase, microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 and nuclear factor kappa B revealed Cetrelia monachorum (Zahlbr.) W.L. Culb. & C.F. As conceivable source novel anti-inflammatory compounds. Phytochemical investigation the ethanolic crude extract resulted in isolation identification 11 constituents, belonging to depsides derivatives orsellinic acid, olivetolic acid olivetol. The two imbricaric (4)...
A novel strain of Coelastrella terrestris (Chlorophyta) was collected from red mucilage in a glacier foreland Iceland. Its morphology showed characteristic single, ellipsoidal cells with apical wart-like wall thickenings. Physiological characterization revealed the presence rare keto-carotenoid adonixanthin, as well high levels unsaturated fatty acids up to 85%. Initial screening experiments different carbon sources for accelerated mixotrophic biomass growth were done. Consequently, scale...
<title>Abstract</title> Psychrophilic pucciniomycotinous yeasts inhabit snowfields and glacial ecosystems worldwide, yet their ecological role remains unclear. We isolated a clonal strain of Phenoliferia psychrophenolica (LCC-F-001-001) from an alpine red snowfield. Its 42-Mbp genome contains 11,523 genes, including 37 ice-binding protein the highest number recorded in fungi, mainly acquired through horizontal transfers. This yeast tolerates freezing, grows optimally at 10°C forms...