CeMESS

Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science

CeMESS/Maximilian Prag

Expanding Knowledge

The Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science | CeMESS at the University of Vienna brings together rapidly advancing research fields of high societal relevance. Our Centre unites four Research Divisions spanning microbiology, bioinformatics, ecology, and environmental geoscience.

This multidisciplinary strength enables us to investigate, in a comprehensive way, the biotic and abiotic processes that shape our bodies, ecosystems, and the entire planet. Our research delivers key insights to help address some of today’s most pressing global challenges, from human to planetary health.

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CeMESS News

From Road to Table: Car Tire Chemicals make their way into our food

27.08.2025 EDGE

New research shows that compounds from everyday tire wear can travel through soil into crops, though levels remain low.

We are hiring: Full Professor of Soil Ecosystems and Global Change

31.07.2025 TER

Soil ecosystems form the foundation of planetary health and play a critical role in climate feedback mechanisms. However, they are also vulnerable to…

We are hiring: Full Professor of Environmental Biogeochemistry of Metals

31.07.2025 EDGE

Human activities are driving rapid environmental change on a global scale, with pollutants playing a critical role in pushing planetary systems beyond…

FWF "Tausend Ideen" for Hannes Schmidt

30.07.2025 TER

Hannes Schmidt, Senior Scientist at TER, received funding from the Austrian Science Fund’s 1000 Ideas program (“Tausend Ideen”). Congratulations,…

New Paper: Chlamydiae give up extracellular stage to thrive in social amoebae

08.07.2025 DOME

Many intracellular bacteria rely on an extracellular stage to move between hosts – but what happens when that’s no longer needed? A new study, now…

Congratulations to Megan Sørensen on receiving an FWF-ASTRA Award!

01.07.2025 DOME

We’re thrilled to announce that Megan Sørensen has been awarded a prestigious FWF-ASTRA grant to investigate at CeMESS how microbial partnerships have…

CeMESS in the Media

Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health

The FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence (CoE) brings together the expertise of CeMESS researchers from all four CeMESS divisions in a joint, ambitious research project.

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CeMESS Events

Mainstreaming Proteomics to Enhance Animal-Free Approaches to Toxicity Testing and Environmental Monitoring

08.05.2025 EDGE Lecture Series

Ksenia Groh

Global subseafloor ecosystem and sustainability

30.04.2025 DOME Lecture Series

Fengping Wang

CANCELLED

30.04.2025 DOME Lecture Series

Yongqin Liu

Recent Publications

Hodzic A, Cizek V, Kunert M. Gut immune and redox transcriptional responses to Borrelia infection in questing Ixodes ricinus. Ticks and Tick-borne Diseases. 2026 Jul;17(4):1-6. 102668. doi: 10.1016/j.ttbdis.2026.102668

Allagui W, Brahim N, Allani M, Zougari B, Ibrahim H, Bol R et al. Oasis management and topography interactively shape soil inorganic carbon dynamics in hyper-arid soils. Geoderma. 2026 Jul;471:1-12. 117865. doi: 10.1016/j.geoderma.2026.117865

Mohr MG, Tanabe TS, Grosser M, Dahl C. Biochemistry and transcriptional regulation of bacterial sulfur oxidation. In Advances in Microbial Physiology. Academic Press. 2026. (Advances in Microbial Physiology, Vol. 88). Epub 2026 Jun 24. doi: 10.1016/bs.ampbs.2026.06.003

Dolschak K, Winter Artusio E, Mayer M, Grabner M, Tatzber M, Ahmed IU et al. Climate drivers of historic tree growth in the Vienna Woods and prediction of future performance of eight selected tree species. Forest Ecology and Management. 2026 Jun 15;610:123674. doi: 10.1016/j.foreco.2026.123674

Waschk P, Spiegel P, Gessler A, Saurer M, Bock BM, Hinterdobler W et al. Evidence for resource transfer via common endophyte networks. Scientific Reports. 2026 Jun 8. doi: 10.1038/s41598-026-56653-9

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