Sven Le Moine-Bauer

I am a researcher at the Center for Deep Sea Research, linked to the Department of Earth Science, where I have different responsabilities.

Since 2021, I am managing the laboratory for geomicrobiology. In this role, I have iniated a "greenification" of the laboratory in order to reduce its environmental impact. We aim at becoming the first laboratory in Norway with the Green Lab certification by early 2022.

Since 2021, I am also research coordinator at the Center for Deep Sea Research, which among other involves the maintenance of the webpage of the Center.

In parallel, I am working in the geomicrobiology group of Steffen Jørgensen at the Center for Deep Sea Research. My research is targeted at understanding the microbial communities inhabiting deep sea sediments. In these environments, the enormous amount of cells contrasts with the little amount of energy available for growth. The cells are expected to grow at a tremendously slow pace, making studies on community dynamics very difficult. By quantifying the different functional microbial groups throughout sediment cores we are trying to better understand how the change in chemistry can influence the microbial structures. Furthermore, we are developing new ex-situ experiments to gain insights in the microbial dynamics within sediments.

Since 2019, I have also joined the “Characterization and Distribution of Hydrothermalism and Associated Life" (“CarDHynAL”) project. Using a pluridisciplinary approach, we aim at characterizing the shallow hydrothermal system of the island of Milos in Greece before expanding to other shallow systems around the world.

A little bit about me:

I come from Bretagne, on the western end of France (near Asterix and Obelix's village!). My origins have had a strong impact on my hobbies: I play bagpipe, freedive, and enjoy most of the activities associated with the sea. Not surprisingly, my education revolved around marine biology, but also environmental sciences, virology and microbiology. I got the chance to study in several countries, starting in Brest (France) where I did a IUT of Biology during 2 years. I then finished my Bachelor in Environmental biology in Edinburgh (Scotland). I continued with the Erasmus Mundus Master for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation (EMBC) in Bremen (Germany) and Oviedo (Spain). This also allowed me to do my master project at the Danish Archaea Center in København (Denmark). Finally, I moved to Norway to do my PhD at the University of Bergen.