Antje Rusch
Antje Rusch
Position: Assistant Professor
Field: Microbial Ecology, Marine Microbiology, Biogeochemistry
Degree: PhD, 2000, University of Bremen, Germany
At SIUC Since: 2009
Office: Life Science II 191
Mailcode: 6508
Phone: 618-453-6132
Fax: 618-453-8036
E-mail:
Courses Taught:

Research Interests:
Microbial Ecology, Marine Microbiology, Biogeochemistry

General research interests: In the territory of Natural Sciences, I feel attracted to a broad variety of present-day ecosystems on Earth, with a preference for marine and extreme habitats. Given any of these systems for study, I am interested in conducting research into the interactions between microorganisms (Archaea, Bacteria, microalgae) and their physical, geochemical and biological environment. Previous, ongoing and potential future investigations deal with the ecological role of microbial species or groups in biogeochemical processes of the C, N and S cycle, and reversely, effects of physical and geochemical factors on community structure and metabolic activities. Furthermore, I like to undertake studies of microbial responses - from cellular to community level - to stressors, environmental fluctuation, natural and anthropogenic disturbances. To the end of applied research, I am interested in the use of microbes as indicators or proxies in assessing ecosystem health and monitoring the progress of remediation efforts.

Specific research interests: Within this broad spectrum of scientific interest, I may set investigations upon the following topics of microbial ecology:

  • quantify the effect of single environmental factors (O2, NH4 +, CO2, pH, water flow) on the abundance and activities of species or guilds of microorganisms that live along gradients of the considered factor
  • characterize a tentatively important microbial guild with respect to species diversity, biogeochemical turnover rates, identity and abundance of its members, alternative metabolic potentials; measure the differential expression of their key metabolic gene in response to intermittent availability of essential substrates
  • competition, synergy and overlap between the guilds of anammox bacteria and nitrifiers or denitrifiers in marine habitats that differ in concentration and speciation of DIN - who dominates where and why?
  • enrich and isolate mesophilic marine Crenarchaeota with S-dependent metabolism; delineate the ecological niche of a few model isolates, sequence their key metabolic genes; analyse the abundance, diversity and activity of crenarchaeal sulfide oxidizers in a range of marine ecosystems
  • characterize the microbial community near oxic/anoxic interfaces with respect to phylotypes and O2-defined ecotypes; identify their O2-related chemical signals in intercellular communication; determine signal-mediated and direct responses to O2 at the cellular and community level
  • short-term taxonomic and functional population dynamics after single events of disturbance or after the onset of exposure to persistent stressors, e.g. displacement into a nearby yet contrasting habitat My research is interdisciplinary in scope and methods, comprising analytical as well as experimental approaches.

My investigations apply physical measurements and analytical chemical methods for detailed habitat characterization, combined with tools of molecular biology and culture-based microbiology to characterize the genetic diversity, physiological potentials and activities of microorganisms.

Publications:
Articles in Professional Journals

  • Rusch, A., Hannides, A.K. and Gaidos, E. (2009) Diverse communities of active Bacteria and Archaea along oxygen gradients in coral reef sediments. Coral Reefs 28:15-26. Link
  • Gaidos, E., Marteinsson, V., Thorsteinsson, T., Jóhannesson, T., Rúnarsson, Á.R., Stefansson, A., Glazer, B., Lanoil, B., Skidmore, M., Han, S., Miller, M., Rusch, A. and Foo, W. (2009) An oligarchic microbial assemblage in the anoxic bottom waters of a volcanic subglacial lake. The ISME Journal 3:486-497. PubMed link
  • Rusch, A. and Amend, J.P. (2008) Functional characterization of the microbial community in geothermally heated marine sediments. Microbial Ecology 55:723-736. PubMed link
  • Rusch, A., Huettel, M., Wild, C. and Reimers, C.E. (2006) Benthic oxygen consumption and organic matter turnover in organic-poor, permeable shelf sands. Aquatic Geochemistry 12:1-19. Link
  • Rusch, A., Walpersdorf, E., de Beer, D., Gurrieri, S. and Amend, J.P. (2005) Microbial communities near the oxic/anoxic interface in the hydrothermal system of Vulcano Island, Italy. Chemical Geology 224:169-182. DOI link
  • Rusch, A. and Amend, J.P. (2004) Order-specific 16S rRNA-targeted oligonucleotide probes for (hyper)thermophilic archaea and bacteria. Extremophiles 8:357-366. PubMed link
  • Rusch, A. and Amend, J.P. (2004) Microbes in geothermally heated marine sediments - community structure and metabolism. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68:A404.
  • Reimers, C.E., Stecher, H.A. III, Taghon, G.L., Fuller, C.M., Huettel, M., Rusch, A., Ryckelynck, N. and Wild, C. (2004) In situ measurements of advective solute transport in permeable shelf sands. Continental Shelf Research 24:183-201. DOI link
  • Rusch. A., Huettel, M., Reimers, C.E., Taghon, G.L. and Fuller, C.M. (2003) Activity and distribution of bacterial populations in Middle Atlantic Bight shelf sands. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 44:89-100. Link
  • Rusch, A., Forster, S. and Huettel, M. (2001) Bacteria, diatoms and detritus in an intertidal sandflat subject to advective transport across the watersediment interface. Biogeochemistry 55:1-27. Link
  • Rusch, A., Huettel, M. and Forster, S. (2000) Particulate organic matter in permeable marine sands - dynamics in time and depth. Estuarine, Coastal and Shelf Science 51:399-414. Link
  • Huettel, M. and Rusch, A. (2000) Transport and degradation of phytoplankton in permeable sediment. Limnology and Oceanography 45:534-549.
  • Rusch, A. and Huettel, M. (2000) Advective particle transport into permeable sediments - evidence from experiments in an intertidal sandflat. Limnology and Oceanography 45:525-533.
  • Rusch, A., Töpken, H., Böttcher, M.E. and Höpner, T. (1998) Recovery from black spots: results of a loading experiment in the Wadden Sea. Journal of Sea Research 40:205-219. DOI link
  • Böttcher, M.E., Rusch, A., Höpner, T. and Brumsack, H-J. (1997) Stable sulfur isotope effects related to local intense sulfate reduction in a tidal sandflat (Southern North Sea): results from loading experiments. Isotopes in Environmental and Health Studies 33:109-129.