The Cabinet of Microscopic Life: Dive into a Drop of Water

In the Cabinet of Microbes, a single drop of water becomes a cosmos of wonder. Microorganisms such as bacteria, algae, ciliates and fungi are tiny, but their importance is huge. They are the hidden architects of our ecosystems. They play a crucial role in purifying water, keeping nutrient cycles going, and producing oxygen and are the basis of all life underwater – sometimes they are also toxic. Some aquatic microbes are true superheroes, able to survive in extreme environments, from hot springs to perpetual ice. Discover stories about the importance of these tiny creatures, researched at the Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries in Berlin. Welcome to a 3D wonderland of microbes! Dr Stella A. Berger officially opened our Cabinet of Microscopic Life sharing her expertise in Phytoplankton ecology.

In collab with IGB Leibniz Institute of Freshwater Ecology and Inland Fisheries researchers and scientists

Organising Institutions

1. Leibniz-Institut für Gewässerökologie und Binnenfischerei (IGB), Berlin, Germany
2. Francisca Rocha Gonçalves / ICARUS / Ocean Soundscape Awareness (ØSAW)
3. Laboratory for Innovation and Sustainability of Marine Biological Resources (ECOMARE), Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies (CESAM), Department of Biology, University of Aveiro, Portugal

This project is developed in collaboration with the scientist Johannes Goessling. Johannes´ research resolves around the photonic properties of the glass shells of diatoms. Some of the structures are very complex and unique, with highly periodic pores. As part of the science communication project, we also offered workshops on diatom awareness.