The MEM group was founded around research themes of environmental microbiology and microbial ecology. We apply culture-independent molecular tools, together with traditional cultivation techniques, to explore the microbial diversity and its effects in a wide range of environments. We are located at the University of Helsinki (Department of Biosciences, General Microbiology) at the Viikki Biocenter.
The initial topics, still studied, were bacterial degradation of organic pollutants and elucidation of plasmid functions in Sphingomonas (Proteobacteria). Later, effects of heavy metal pollution on archaeal and actinomycetal communities were investigated in Finnish forest soil humus. The interests in bioremediation have lead to development of phytotechnologies (use of plants) for petroleum hydrocarbon remediation taking advantage of plant-associated microbes. Awareness of climate change added peatlands and methane production to our research topics, with focus on the microbes responsible for methane production, the methanogenic archaea.