Two early career scientists from the Interface Geochemistry section 3.5 (Dr. Helen Feord and M. Sc. Mirjam Paasch) were awarded prizes for their oral presentations during the 10^th International Conference on Polar and Alpine Microbiology. The conference took place from 12^th to 16^th of January 2026 in Copenhagen, Denmark, focusing on topics related to microbial diversity, function, activity, and adaptation of microorganisms in polar and alpine environments. Both talks were on the topic of Arctic microbiology, with the work undertaken within the ERC synergy project DEEP PURPLE. The DEEP PURPLE project investigates the biological darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet via the blooming of pigmented algae directly on the ice surface. Because of their dark purple/brown pigments, these algae are responsible for the reduction of surface albedo, and are thus associated with increased ice melting. Both Helen and Mirjam contribute to the DEEP PURPLE research project by studying how the glacier ice algae survive and bloom in this extreme environment. 

Research by Dr. Helen Feord: How microbial communities respond to different weather conditions

Dr. Helen Feord received one of three post-docs prizes for her presentation titled “Supraglacial microbial community responses to precipitation/freezing events”. The presented work addresses how microbes, in particular the pigmented algae, respond to different weather conditions on the Greenland Ice Sheet. The Greenland Ice Sheet is a harsh environment, where microbes must endure very cold conditions (including regular freezing events), high wind speeds, and extremely high irradiance. Using samples collected regularly from the Greenland Ice Sheet over a period of three weeks, Feord quantified the microbial responses to different weather events via RNA sequencing, a method she previously used to assess the response of glacier microbes to different light conditions [1]. This data provides fascinating clues into the evolutionary adaptation of these organisms to the conditions of the Greenland Ice Sheet. Such information is also crucial for us to understand how Greenland Ice Sheet microbes are responding to different weather conditions, in particular because of the important impact of climate change on the Arctic climate. 

About the person: 

In 2017, Feord completed her Master's degree in Plant Science at the University of Manchester (UK), followed by her PhD in Cell and Molecular Biology at the University of Edinburgh (UK) in 2021. She is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher at the GFZ Helmholtz Centre for GeoResearch as part of the ERC project DEEP PURPLE ERC. Her research focuses on understanding the responses of different algae species to dynamic abiotic stress. 

Research by Mirjam Paasch: Responses of glacial ice algae to increased iron availability

Mirjam Paasch received one of three PhD student presentation awards for her talk “Glacier ice algae responses to increased iron availability”, presenting the first results of her PhD. Her PhD work focusses on understanding the impact of iron availability on glacier ice algae physiology and pigment formation. Iron is a crucial nutrient for algae, and has been suggested to be involved in the formation of the albedo-reducing dark pigment of the glacier ice algae. This pigment protects the algae from the high irradiance experienced on the Greenland Ice Sheet. Combining fieldwork in Greenland and laboratory culture work at the GFZ, Paasch is using a variety of biological and geochemical techniques to assess how varying iron availability impacts algal growth and pigment formation. This was her first international research conference, which she particularly enjoyed because of the friendly atmosphere of the research community which provided a great platform for early career scientists to present their ongoing research and network. 

About the person:

In 2021, Mirjam Paasch completed her bachelor's degree in molecular biomedicine at the University of Bonn, followed by her master's degree in microbiology at the University of Oldenburg in 2024. She is currently a doctoral candidate in Section 3.5: Interfacial Geochemistry and is working on ice algae on glaciers and ice sheets. She is part of the European Research Council Synergy Grant DEEP PURPLE Darkening of the Greenland Ice Sheet, which deals with physical and microbial processes that play a role in the darkening of the Greenland ice sheet.

1 Feord HK, Keuschnig C, Trivedi CB, Mourot R, Zervas A, Turpin-Jelfs T, Tranter M, Anesio AM, Adrian L & Benning LG (2025) Linking extreme light availability to cellular function in algae-dominated communities on the Greenland Ice Sheet. FEMS Microbiology Ecology 101, fiaf095.