Mina Bizic

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Mina Bizic
Mina Bizic.jpg
Born
Belgrade, Serbia
Nationality German, Israeli
Alma mater University of Belgrade (B.Sc.)
Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (PhD)
University of Oldenburg
Spouse Danny Ionescu
Children2
Scientific career
Fields Microbiology, Environmental science
InstitutionsKinneret Limnological Laboratory
Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries
Thesis Polyphasic comparison of limnic and marine particle-associated bacteria  (2014)

Mina Bizic is an environmental microbiologist with particular interest in aquatic systems. She is mostly known for her work on organic matter particles and oxic methane production. She was named a fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO) in 2022, and is serving on the ASLO board of directors where she is chairing the Early Career Committee.

Contents

Education and career

Bizic completed her Diploma studies in General Biology, and Hydroecology and Water Protection at the University of Belgrade from 1999 to 2005. Following her diploma, in 2005–2006, she engaged in transdisciplinary academic research in Ancient Jewish texts studies at the European Institute for Jewish Studies in Sweden (PAIDEIA). [1] She later moved to Israel, where she worked for three years at the Kinneret Limnological Laboratory (KLL) of the Israel Oceanographic and Limnological Research [2] (IOLR).

Subsequently, Bizic earned her Ph.D. from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen and the University of Oldenburg as part of The International Max Planck Research School of Marine Microbiology (MarMic) Her doctoral thesis was titled "Polyphasic comparison of limnic and marine particle-associated bacteria". [3] Following her Ph.D., she conducted a postdoc at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries (IGB). In 2019, Bizic obtained a DFG German Research Foundation independent researcher grant. [4]

Research

During her investigations into marine and lake snow, Bizic and her collaborators developed a novel experimental device, a flow-through rolling tank, which facilitates long-term experiments on marine and lake snow [5] while addressing biases inherent in closed systems, commonly referred to as the bottle effect. [6] Using this device, Bizic demonstrated that microbial degradation of marine snow takes longer than predicted using closed experimental systems. This finding implies that the biological carbon pump may sequester more carbon than experimentally estimated.

In a subsequent study, Bizic and her colleagues conducted the first research utilizing molecular tools to focus on individual marine and lake snow particles rather than pooling thousands together. This groundbreaking study revealed that particles from the same source are colonized by different bacteria, in what appears to be a stochastic colonization process. Furthermore, the study highlighted that, at the early stages of colonization, bacterial succession is primarily driven by competition rather than a change in the quality of available organic matter. [7]

In parallel with her work on marine and lake snow, Bizic has delved into aerobic methane production, [8] a phenomenon known as "The Methane Paradox". [9] This process is increasingly recognized as a significant source of the potent greenhouse gas methane in aquatic systems. Bizic and her colleagues were the first to demonstrate the conversion of methylamines to methane under aerobic conditions. [10] This process was later comprehensively characterized by Wang and colleagues. [11] Subsequently, Bizic and her team revealed that cyanobacteria, the most abundant photosynthetic organisms on Earth, emit methane as a byproduct of photosynthesis. [12] [13] [14] [15] [16] [17] [18] The implications of this discovery were explored by Bizic in a subsequent opinion paper. [19]

Recognition and activities

In 2022, Bizic was elected to the Board of Directors of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO). [20] She currently serves as a member at large and chairs the Early Career committee of ASLO, organizing activities for the benefit of early career scientists such as the promotion of early creer scientist from historically excluded groups [21] as well as organizing webinars to improve the mental well-being of scientists. [22] Bizic's contributions to aquatic research and to ASLO were further acknowledged when she was named an ASLO fellow in 2022. [23]

Dr Mina Bizic at Soapbox Science in Berlin 2020 Dr Mina Bizic performing street science in Berlin city centre 2020.jpg
Dr Mina Bizic at Soapbox Science in Berlin 2020

Beyond her academic endeavors, Bizic is involved in the Global Lake Ecological Observatory Network (GLEON), and as of 2024, serves as a member in their committee for inclusive collaboration. [24] Bizic has participated in interviews, events and panel discussions addressing the role of women in science such as the Marthe Vogt podcast [25] [26] and the Soapbox Science. [27] [28]

Personal life

Mina Bizic was born in Belgrade, Serbia, and has lived in Sweden and Israel. In 2009, she relocated to Germany. She is the sibling of opera singer David Bizic and is married to fellow scientist Danny Ionescu, with whom she has two children. [25]

Related Research Articles

The purple sulfur bacteria (PSB) are part of a group of Pseudomonadota capable of photosynthesis, collectively referred to as purple bacteria. They are anaerobic or microaerophilic, and are often found in stratified water environments including hot springs, stagnant water bodies, as well as microbial mats in intertidal zones. Unlike plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, purple sulfur bacteria do not use water as their reducing agent, and therefore do not produce oxygen. Instead, they can use sulfur in the form of sulfide, or thiosulfate (as well, some species can use H2, Fe2+, or NO2−) as the electron donor in their photosynthetic pathways. The sulfur is oxidized to produce granules of elemental sulfur. This, in turn, may be oxidized to form sulfuric acid.

The Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography (ASLO), formerly known as the Limnological Society of America and the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography, is a scientific society established in 1936 with the goal of advancing the sciences of limnology and oceanography. With approximately 4,000 members in nearly 60 different countries, ASLO is the largest scientific society, worldwide, devoted to either limnology or oceanography or both.

Farooq Azam is a researcher in the field of marine microbiology. He is a Distinguished Professor at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at the University of California San Diego. Farooq Azam grew up in Lahore and received his early education in Lahore. He attended University of Punjab, where he received his B.Sc. in chemistry. He later he received his M.Sc. from the same institution. He then went to Czechoslovakia for higher studies. He received his PhD in microbiology from the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences. After he received his PhD, Farooq Azam moved to California. Azam was the lead author on the paper which coined the term microbial loop. This 1983 paper involved a synthesis between a number of leaders in the (then) young field of microbial ecology, specifically, Azam, Tom Fenchel, J Field, J Gray, L Meyer-Reil and Tron Frede Thingstad.

The G. Evelyn Hutchinson Award is an award granted annually by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography to a mid-career scientist for work accomplished during the preceding 5–10 years for excellence in any aspect of limnology or oceanography. The award is named in honor of the ecologist and limnologist G. Evelyn Hutchinson. Hutchinson requested that recipients of the award have made considerable contributions to knowledge, and that their future work promise a continuing legacy of scientific excellence.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacterioplankton</span> Bacterial component of the plankton that drifts in the water column

Bacterioplankton refers to the bacterial component of the plankton that drifts in the water column. The name comes from the Ancient Greek word πλανκτος, meaning "wanderer" or "drifter", and bacterium, a Latin term coined in the 19th century by Christian Gottfried Ehrenberg. They are found in both seawater and freshwater.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aerobic methane production</span> Potential biological pathway for atmospheric methane production

Aerobic methane production is a potential biological pathway for atmospheric methane (CH4) production under oxygenated conditions. The existence of this pathway was first theorized in 2006. While significant evidence suggests the existence of this pathway, it remains poorly understood and its existence is controversial. Naturally occurring methane is mainly produced by the process of methanogenesis, a form of anaerobic respiration used by microorganisms as an energy source. Methanogenesis usually only occurs under anoxic conditions. By contrast, aerobic methane production is thought to occur in oxygenated environments under near-ambient conditions. The process involves non-microbial methane generation from terrestrial plant-matter. Temperature and ultraviolet light are thought to be key factors in this process. Methane may also be produced under aerobic conditions in near-surface ocean water, a process which likely involves the degradation of methylphosphonate.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Voytek</span> Director of NASA Astrobiology Program and USGS microbiologist

Dr. Mary A. Voytek is the director of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Astrobiology Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington, D.C. In 2015, Voytek formed Nexus for Exoplanet System Science (NExSS), a systems science initiative by NASA, to search for life on exoplanets. Voytek came to NASA from the U.S. Geological Survey in Reston, VA, where she headed the USGS Microbiology and Molecular Ecology Laboratory from 1998 to 2009.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Viral shunt</span>

The viral shunt is a mechanism that prevents marine microbial particulate organic matter (POM) from migrating up trophic levels by recycling them into dissolved organic matter (DOM), which can be readily taken up by microorganisms. The DOM recycled by the viral shunt pathway is comparable to the amount generated by the other main sources of marine DOM.

Amina Pollard is an American limnologist and ecologist at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Bess Ward is an American oceanographer, biogeochemist, microbiologist, and William J. Sinclair Professor of Geosciences at Princeton University.

Cindy Lee is a retired Distinguished Professor known for her research characterizing the compounds that comprise marine organic matter.

C. Susan Weiler is an aquatic scientist known for developing mentoring programs for scientists as they navigate the transition from student to independent researcher.

Yvette Hardman Edmondson was the editor of Limnology and Oceanography the premier journal of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography and was an aquatic scientist known for her research on bacteria in aquatic systems.

Patricia Marguerite Glibert is a marine scientist known for her research on nutrient use by phytoplankton and harmful algal blooms in Chesapeake Bay. She is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Margaret Ruth Mulholland is professor at Old Dominion University known for her work on nutrients in marine and estuarine environments.

Elizabeth A. Canuel is a chemical oceanographer known for her work on organic carbon cycling in aquatic environments. She is the Chancellor Professor of Marine Science at the College of William & Mary and is an elected fellow of the Geochemical Society and the European Association of Geochemistry.

Susanne Menden-Deuer is an oceanographer and marine scientist known for her work on marine food webs, including their structure and function. As of 2022, she is president-elect of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hans W. Paerl</span> American professor

Hans W. Paerl is a Dutch American limnologist and a Kenan Professor of Marine and Environmental Sciences at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) Institute of Marine Sciences. His research primarily assesses microbially-mediated nutrient cycling, primary production dynamics, and the consequences of human impacts on water quality and sustainability in waters around the world.

Helle Ploug is marine scientist known for her work on particles in seawater. She is a professor at the University of Gothenburg, and was named a fellow of the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography in 2017.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Danny Ionescu</span> Aquatic microbial ecologist

Danny Ionescu is an aquatic microbial ecologist currently affiliated with the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries. His primary research focus centers around the biology of giant bacteria and microbial life in the Dead Sea.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "Catalogue. Jewish Perspectives. The Paideia Decennial Conference. On Transformations in Contemporary Europe - PDF Free Download".
  2. ↑ https://www.gov.il/BlobFolder/reports/studies2006/he/water-sources-status_research_2006_SedimentationRates2010.pdf
  3. ↑ Mina, Bižić-Ionescu (2014-04-24). Polyphasic comparison of limnic and marine particle-associated bacteria (Thesis).
  4. ↑ "DFG - GEPRIS - Dr. Mina Bizic". gepris.dfg.de. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  5. ↑ Ionescu, Danny; Bizic-Ionescu, Mina; Khalili, Arzhang; Malekmohammadi, Reza; Morad, Mohammad Reza; de Beer, Dirk; Grossart, Hans-Peter (2015-10-05). "A new tool for long-term studies of POM-bacteria interactions: overcoming the century-old Bottle Effect". Scientific Reports. 5 (1): 14706. Bibcode:2015NatSR...514706I. doi:10.1038/srep14706. ISSN   2045-2322. PMC   4592964 . PMID   26435525.
  6. ↑ Hammes, Frederik; Vital, Marius; Egli, Thomas (February 2010). "Critical Evaluation of the Volumetric "Bottle Effect" on Microbial Batch Growth". Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 76 (4): 1278–1281. Bibcode:2010ApEnM..76.1278H. doi:10.1128/AEM.01914-09. ISSN   0099-2240. PMC   2820953 . PMID   20023110.
  7. ↑ Bižić-Ionescu, Mina; Ionescu, Danny; Grossart, Hans-Peter (2018). "Organic Particles: Heterogeneous Hubs for Microbial Interactions in Aquatic Ecosystems". Frontiers in Microbiology. 9: 2569. doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2018.02569 . ISSN   1664-302X. PMC   6212488 . PMID   30416497.
  8. ↑ Sivan, Orit, et al. “Geochemical Evidence for Iron-Mediated Anaerobic Oxidation of Methane.” Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 56, no. 4, 2011, pp. 1536–44. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/26953935. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
  9. ↑ Bižić, Mina; Grossart, Hans-Peter; Ionescu, Danny (2020). "Methane Paradox". Encyclopedia of Life Sciences. pp. 1–11. doi:10.1002/9780470015902.a0028892. ISBN   978-0-470-01617-6. S2CID   242227836.
  10. ↑ Bižić-Ionescu, Mina; Ionescu, Danny; Günthel, Marco; Tang, Kam W.; Grossart, Hans-Peter (2018), Stams, Alfons J.M.; Sousa, Diana (eds.), "Oxic Methane Cycling: New Evidence for Methane Formation in Oxic Lake Water", Biogenesis of Hydrocarbons, Handbook of Hydrocarbon and Lipid Microbiology, Cham: Springer International Publishing, pp. 1–22, doi:10.1007/978-3-319-53114-4_10-1, ISBN   978-3-319-53114-4 , retrieved 2024-01-25
  11. ↑ Wang, Qian; Alowaifeer, Abdullah; Kerner, Patricia; Balasubramanian, Narayanaganesh; Patterson, Angela; Christian, William; Tarver, Angela; Dore, John E.; Hatzenpichler, Roland; Bothner, Brian; McDermott, Timothy R. (2021-07-06). "Aerobic bacterial methane synthesis". Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 118 (27). Bibcode:2021PNAS..11819229W. doi: 10.1073/pnas.2019229118 . ISSN   0027-8424. PMC   8271786 . PMID   34183407.
  12. ↑ Bižić, M.; Klintzsch, T.; Ionescu, D.; Hindiyeh, M. Y.; Günthel, M.; Muro-Pastor, A. M.; Eckert, W.; Urich, T.; Keppler, F.; Grossart, H.-P. (2020-01-17). "Aquatic and terrestrial cyanobacteria produce methane". Science Advances. 6 (3): eaax5343. Bibcode:2020SciA....6.5343B. doi:10.1126/sciadv.aax5343. ISSN   2375-2548. PMC   6962044 . PMID   31998836.
  13. ↑ “Cyanobacteria Important Contributor to Greenhouse Gases.” Technology Networks, https://www.technologynetworks.com/tn/news/cyanobacteria-important-contributor-to-greenhouse-gases-329528. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
  14. ↑ Neumann, Nadja. “Cyanobacteria in Water and on Land Identified as Source of Methane.” IGB, 15 Jan. 2020, https://www.igb-berlin.de/en/news/cyanobacteria-water-and-land-identified-source-methane.
  15. ↑ Newsroom (2020) Cyanobacteria produce methane. Available at: https://www.uni-heidelberg.de/en/newsroom/cyanobacteria-produce-methane (Accessed: 26 January 2024).
  16. ↑ Dapcevich, M. (2020) Researchers discover surprising new source of methane emissions lurking in Global Waters, IFLScience. Available at: https://www.iflscience.com/researchers-discover-surprising-new-source-of-methane-emissions-lurking-in-global-waters-54719 (Accessed: 26 January 2024).
  17. ↑ Leitch, C. (2020) Photosynthetic algae found to produce methane: Microbiology, Labroots. Available at: https://www.labroots.com/trending/microbiology/16623/photosynthetic-algae-found-produce-methane (Accessed: 26 January 2024).
  18. ↑ “Front Matter.” Limnology and Oceanography, vol. 65, no. 12, 2020. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27000485. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
  19. ↑ "Phytoplankton photosynthesis: an unexplored source of biogenic methane emission from oxic environments". academic.oup.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  20. ↑ "Board of Directors". ASLO. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  21. ↑ "Amplifying Voices Webinars". ASLO. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  22. ↑ Kemp, Paul (2023-03-23). "Well-being in aquatic sciences: An early career initiative". ASLO. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  23. ↑ "ASLO Fellows". ASLO. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  24. ↑ Cuker, Benjamin E., and Jeanette Davis. “SPOTLIGHT: The ASLO Multicultural Program Pioneers Diversity Efforts in the Aquatic Sciences.” Oceanography, vol. 36, no. 4, 2023, pp. 85–87. JSTOR, https://www.jstor.org/stable/27278261. Accessed 26 Jan. 2024.
  25. 1 2 "#02 - Aquatic ecologist Dr. Mina Bizic (IGB): Exploring life in water and dealing with dual careers in science". [self-published]
  26. ↑ "Forschungsverbund Berlin e.V. - Marthe Vogt Podcast".
  27. ↑ "Soapbox Science 2020 Berlin". SoapboxScience. 2020-09-14. Retrieved 2024-01-25.
  28. ↑ "Facebook". facebook.com. Retrieved 2024-01-25. [self-published]

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