VR grant brings soil–atmosphere research to DEEP

 The project, titled “Soil microbes as atmospheric actors: sources and emissions of biological ice nuclei,” explores how microscopic life in soils influences processes high up in the atmosphere. Certain microbial particles released from soils and vegetation — such as spores, molecules, and whole fungal or bacterial cells — can become airborne and act as ice-nucleating particles (INPs). These particles help initiate ice formation in clouds, a key step in precipitation. Despite their importance, biogenic INPs are still poorly represented in climate models, and their sources and controlling factors remain largely unknown.

Daniela’s research will investigate the ecological drivers behind these emissions, testing the idea that they are shaped by a combination of soil properties, microbial community composition, and weather conditions. By combining approaches from soil ecology, microbiology, and atmospheric science, the project aims to improve our understanding of land–atmosphere interactions and how land use and environmental change may influence rainfall patterns.

The project includes an extended international collaboration, with Daniela spending approximately two years at Aarhus University, while maintaining DEEP as her academic base.

This grant strengthens DEEP’s research at the interface of ecosystems and climate, and we warmly congratulate Daniela on this achievement, and look forward to following the success of this project.

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