Dr. Hannes Schmidt

Soil microbes are the primary drivers of terrestrial biogeochemical cycles. These microorganisms live, function, and die within soil pores—complex networks embedded in a matrix of minerals and organic matter. Understanding how microbes occupy these pores is fundamental to ecosystem research, yet little is known about their spatial distribution in pore space. My research combines advanced imaging methods with microbial and spatial ecology to investigate spatial aspects of microbial colonization in soil. Our primary focus is on the micrometer scale, where microbial cells operate, while also striving to relate our findings to larger scales.