One of his main areas of expertise is how microorganisms contribute to biogeochemical cycles in freshwater and soil. His research also aims to discover novel microorganisms and new metabolic pathways.
What fascinates Prof. Michael Pester most about his field of research?
What fascinates me about microbial physiology is that it helps us understand how ecosystem services and key biogeochemical cycles function in nature. Microorganisms drive many of these processes and are often the actual catalysts behind them. One example is nitrification, which plays a crucial role in removing excess nitrogen, both in wastewater treatment plants and in natural aquatic systems. More generally speaking, microbial processes can influence water and soil quality, the emission of climate-relevant gases, and ultimately human health. This close connection between the environment, climate, and society is what makes my field of research particularly exciting.
What is Prof. Michael Pester looking forward to in his work at the TUM Campus in Freising?
I am especially looking forward to the wide range of opportunities for exchange and collaboration at the Freising campus and across the greater Munich area. In our research, we frequently work with environmental samples from lakes and soils, which makes networking within the TUM water cluster and the soil sciences particularly valuable. At the same time, the broad spectrum of microbiological research at the School of Life Sciences provides a stimulating scientific environment. The different professorships jointly form a strong center for microbiological research. For our research, this opens new perspectives within the One Health framework, including close links to nutritional sciences.
About Michael Pester: He studied biology at the University of Konstanz and completed his doctorate at the Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology. After his postdoc at the University of Vienna, he continued his work as a junior research group leader at the University of Konstanz, where he habilitated in 2017. The same year, he accepted an appointment at the TU Braunschweig and headed in parallel the Department of Microorganisms at the Leibniz Institute DSMZ. On July 1, 2025, Prof. Michael Pester was appointed to the Chair of Microbial Physiology at TUM in Weihenstephan.