Personal Information

My research profile in a nutshell:

 

My training in the field of Organic Geochemistry started at the University of Bremen while working as a student assistant in the Geobiology and Organic Geochemistry laboratories of Prof. Dr. Jörn Peckmann and Prof. Dr. Kai-Uwe Hinrichs. During that stage of my early career, through the end of my masters, I was trained in the analysis and interpretation of microbial membrane lipids and how to decipher complex environmental systems using the biomarker concept.

 

My doctoral research was based on elucidation the molecular composition of microbial membrane lipids extracted from cold seep and hot vent environments, applying advanced HPLC-MS technology. My first project involved ecological and biochemical analyses to decipher the interaction between endosymbiotic bacteria with seep and vent mussels of the genus Bathymodiolus (Kellermann et al., 2012, [05]). Following on this work, colleagues and I investigated cold seep environments to capture the remarkable diversity of archaeal membrane lipids. This work uncovered numerous characteristic fragmentation patterns of archaeal membrane lipids through mass spectrometry, offering a helpful guide for researchers interested in analyzing archaeal lipids using HPLC-MS technology (Yoshinaga et al., 2011, [02]). During the final two years of my PhD, I investigated a consortia of anaerobic methane oxidizing archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria that were originally retrieved from hydrothermal active sediments of Guaymas Basin. By using a combination of a novel technique in dual stable isotope probing (SIP; D2O and 13CDIC) and lipidomic analysis, we not only gained new insights of the carbon fixation pathway for these organisms (Kellermann et al., 2012, [07]), but also how they employ membrane-based strategies to protect the cell to survive chronically energy starved conditions (Kellermann et al., 2016, [11]).

 

After completing my PhD thesis, I became a Postdoctoral Scholar in the laboratory of Prof. Dr. David Valentine, a microbial geochemist at the University of California in Santa Barbara. During this time, I focused my research interests on the ecology, evolution and energy metabolisms of extreme halophilic archaea as well as deep-sea methanotrophs, with an emphasis on understanding the biochemical functions of their highly specialized membrane architecture. Interestingly, the mentioned methanotroph represents the so far closest cultivated relative of otherwise uncultivated methane oxidizing endosymbionts, hence representing a great opportunity to better understand the dynamic between host and symbiont (Travormina et al., accepted manuscript, [18]). In order to understand the structure-function of microbial lipids I adopted the tripartite membrane lipid code; a code that highlights the particular importance of lipids in modulating permeability of ions, dynamic motion, motion and oxidative stability of membranes in all life forms. The applications of this lipid code to haloarchaea (Kellermann et al., 2016, [16]) and methanotrophs (Travormina et al., accepted manuscript, [18]) opened a new perspective that outlines the contributions of specific membrane lipids to energy production not only in extremophiles, but also within organisms from all domains − concluding that membrane lipids and cellular bioenergetics are indeed inseparable (i.e., Yoshinaga et al., 2016, [15]).

 

Most recently I returned to Bremen where I started working with SiChem, an innovative chemical company, with the aim to purify selective compounds originally produced by microorganisms (i.e., membrane dissolved vitamins and photoactive proteins). This cooperation combines my expertise in aerobic and anaerobic cultivation, detailed knowledge in compound separation via HPLC, and decoding novel compounds via state of the art mass spectrometry (UHR-qToF; Bruker maXis) with proficiency in large volume compound purification and marketing of the final product.

 


Laboratory Experiences

 

Molecule of interest

Molecular abundance

Isotopic analysis

Used

instruments

Published in [##]

(see publication list)


Constituents of cellular membranes:


Membrane forming lipids

e.g., glycerolipids

 YES

NO

HPLC-MS

[2;3;5;6;10;11;

12;14;15;16;18;21]


Glycerolipid derived  fatty acids

 YES

YES

GC/FID/MS/irMS

[5;6;7;14;18;21]


Glycerolipid derived isoprenoids

YES

YES

GC/FID/MS/irMS

[5;6;7;11;14]


Headgroup derived sugars

YES

YES

GC/FID/MS/irMS

[11]


Non-membrane forming lipids

e.g., quinones or squalenes

YES

NO

HPLC-MS

[10;16;18]


Steroidal lipids

YES

YES

GC/FID/MS/irMS

[5]


Hopanoids

YES

YES

HPLC-MS;

GC/FID/MS/irMS

[5]


Microbial metabolites:


Hydrocarbons (C1 to C6)

YES

YES

GC/FID/irMS

[1;13;19]


Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC)

YES

YES

IRMS-Gas Bench

[3;6;7;11;17;20]


Hydrogen (H2)

YES

NO

GC/RCP

[4;13;19]


Volatile Fatty Acids (VFAs)

YES

YES

LC Isolink (irMS)

[13]


Organic contaminants (oil, tar, asphalts)


n-alkanes, hopanes, steranes, PAHs

YES

NO

GC and GCxGC

FID/MS

[8;17]


Publication List

[##]

IN REVIEW


[21]

Paul B.G., Ding H., Bagby S.C., Kellermann M.Y., Redmond M.C., Andersen G.L., Valentine D.L. Methane-oxidizing bacteria shunt carbon to microbial mats at a marine hydrocarbon seep. Front Microbiol. (in review).


[20]

Leonte M., Kessler J.D., Kellermann M.Y., Arrington E.C., Valentine D.L., Sylva S.P. Two independent techniques reveal rapid rates of aerobic methane oxidation in the waters of Hudson Canyon, US Atlantic Margin. (Submitted to Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta).


[19]

Lin Y.S., Koch, B.P., Feseker, T., Ziervogel, K., Goldhammer, T., Schmidt, F., Witt, M., Kellermann, M.Y., Zabel, M., Teske, A. and Hinrichs K.U., Near-surface heating of young rift sediment causes mass production and discharge of reactive dissolved organic matter. (Submitted to Sci. Rep.)


[##]

2016


[18]


[17]

Weinstein A., Navarrete L., Ruppel C., Weber T.C., Leonte M., Kellermann M.Y., Arrington E., Valentine D.L., Scranton M.I., Kessler J.D. (2016) Determining the flux of methane into Hudson Canyon at the edge of methane clathrate hydrate stability. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 17: 1-11. 

Weinstein A., Navarrete L., Ruppel C., Weber T.C., Leonte M., Kellermann M.Y., Arrington E., Valentine D.L., Scranton M.I., Kessler J.D. (2016) Determining the flux of methane into Hudson Canyon at the edge of methane clathrate hydrate stability. Geochem. Geophys. Geosyst., 17: 1-11. 


[16]

Kellermann M.Y., Yoshinaga M.Y., Valentine R.C., Wörmer L. and Valentine D.L. (2016) Important roles for membrane lipids in haloarchaeal bioenergetics. BBA-Biomembranes, 1858: 2940-2956.


[15]

Yoshinaga M.Y., Kellermann M.Y., Valentine D.L. and Valentine R.C. (2016) Glycolipids and phospholipids mediate proton containment and circulation along the surface of biological membranes. Prog.Lip.Res. 64: 1-15.


[14]

Wegener G., Kellermann M.Y., Elvert M. (2016) Tracking activity and function of microorganisms by stable isotope probing of membrane lipids. Curr. Opin. Biotechnol. 41:43-52.


[13]

Dowell F., Cardman Z., Dasarathy S., Kellermann M.Y., Lipp J.S., Ruff R.S., Biddle J.F., McKay L.J., MacGregor B.J., Lloyd K.G., Albert D.B., Mendlovitz H., Hinrichs K-U and Teske A. (2016) Microbial communities in methane-and short chain alkane-rich hydrothermal sediments of Guaymas Basin. Front Microbiol. 7: 17.


[12]

Wegener G., Krukenberg V., Ruff E.S., Kellermann M.Y. and Knittel K. (2016) Metabolic capabilities of microorganisms involved in and associated with the anaerobic oxidation of methane. Front Microbiol. 7: 26.


[11]

Kellermann M.Y., Yoshinaga M.Y., Wegener G., Lin Y-S., Holler T. and Hinrichs K.-U. (2016) Tracing the production and fate of individual archaeal intact polar lipids using stable isotope probing. Org. Geochem. 95: 13-20.


[10]

Elling F.E., Becker K.W., Könneke M., Schröder J.M., Kellermann M.Y., Thomm M. and Hinrichs K-U. (2016) Respiratory quinones in Archaea: phylogenetic distribution and application as biomarkers in the marine environment. Environ. Microbiol. 18: 692-707.


[##]

2014


[09]

McKenna A.M., Williams J.T., Putman J.C., Aeppli C., Reddy C.M., Valentine D.L., Lemkau K.L., Kellermann M.Y., Savory J.J., Kaiser N.K., Marshall A.G., Rodgers R.P. (2014) Unprecedented ultrahigh resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometry and parts-per-billion mass accuracy enable direct characterization of nickel and vanadyl porphyrins in petroleum from natural seeps.

Energy & Fuels 28: 2454-2464.


[##]

2013


[08]

Aeppli C., Reddy C.M., Nelson R.K., Kellermann M.Y., Valentine D.L. (2013) Recurrent oil sheens at the Deepwater Horizon disaster site fingerprinted with synthetic hydrocarbon drilling fluids. Environ. Sci. Technol. 47: 8211-8219.


[##]

2012


[07]

Kellermann M.Y., Wegener G., Elvert M., Yoshinaga M.Y., Lin Y-S., Holler T., Prieto-Mollar X., Knittel K. and Hinrichs K.U. (2012) Autotrophy as a predominant mode of carbon fixation in anaerobic methane-oxidizing microbial communities. PNAS 109: 19321-19326.


[06]

Wegener, G., Bausch, M., Holler, T., Thang, N.M., Prieto-Mollar, X., Kellermann, M.Y., Hinrichs, K.-U. and Boetius, A. (2012) Assessing sub-seafloor microbial activity by combined stable isotope probing with deuterated water and 13C-bicarbonate. Environ. Microbiol. 14:1517–1527.


[05]

Kellermann M.Y., Schubotz F., Elvert M., Lipp J.S., Birgel D., Mollar X.P., Dubilier N. and Hinrichs, K.-U. (2012) Symbiont-host relationships in chemosynthetic mussels: A comprehensive lipid biomarker study. Org. Geochem. 43:112-124.


[04]

Lin Y.S., Heuer V.B. Goldhammer T., Kellermann M.Y., Zabel M. and Hinrichs K.-U. (2012) Towards constraining H2 concentration in subseafloor sediment: a proposal for combined analysis by two distinct approaches. Geochim. Cosmochim. Ac. 77:186–201.


[##]

2011


[03]

Holler T., Widdel F., Knittel K., Amann R., Kellermann M.Y., Hinrichs K.-U. Teske A., Boetius A. and Wegener, G. (2011) Thermophilic anaerobic oxidation of methane by marine microbial consortia. ISME J. 5:1946–1956.


[02]

Yoshinaga M.Y., Kellermann M.Y., Rossel P.E., Schubotz F., Lipp J.S. and Hinrichs K.-U. (2011) Systematic fragmentation patterns of archaeal intact polar lipids by high-performance liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization ion-trap mass spectrometry. Rapid Commun. Mass Spectrom. 25:3563–3574.


[01]

Jessen G.L., Pantoja S., Gutiérrez M.A., Quiñones R.A., González R.R., Sellanes J., Kellermann M.Y. and Hinrichs, K.-U. (2011) Methane in shallow cold seeps at Mocha Island off central Chile. Cont. Shelf Res. 31:574-581.