Assist.-Prof. Katharina Kitzinger
Assistant Professor at the Division of Microbial Ecology
☎ +43 1 4277 91239
✉ katharina.kitzinger(at)univie.ac.at
Few elemental cycles are as dependent on microbial activity as the global nitrogen cycle. Katharina began exploring nitrogen cycling, biogeochemistry and microbiology during her joint PhD between the University of Vienna and the Max Plank Institute for Marine Microbiology (Germany). She has been a senior scientist at the University of Vienna since 2022, investigating the physiological versatility and life strategies of nitrifying microorganisms. Her methods range from cultivation and investigation of microbial physiology under laboratory conditions, to biogeochemical process measurements via stable isotope incubations in the field, and single cell and molecular techniques to link the identity of specific microorganisms in complex communities to their activities in situ.
Group Members
Julia Alexandra Berger
Dr. Benjamin Coltman
Maximilian Marini
Veronika Schwarz
Publications
Stuehrenberg J, Kitzinger K, von Arx JN, Graf JS, Lavik G, Littmann S et al. Urea use drives niche separation between dominant marine ammonia oxidizing archaea. Nature Communications. 2025 Dec;16(1):10946. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-67048-1
Bayer B, Kitzinger K, Paul NL, Albers JB, Saito MA, Wagner M et al. Minor contribution of ammonia oxidizers to inorganic carbon fixation in the ocean. Nature Geoscience. 2025 Sept 23;18(11):1144-1151. doi: 10.1038/s41561-025-01798-x
Lee UJ, Gwak JH, Abiola C, Lee S, Yu JS, Si OJ et al. Kinetic Plasticity of Nitrite-Oxidizing Bacteria Containing Cytoplasmic Nitrite Oxidoreductase. 2025 Jul 31. doi: 10.1101/2025.07.31.663499
Halbach L, Kitzinger K, Hansen M, Littmann S, Benning LG, Bradley JA et al. Single-cell imaging reveals efficient nutrient uptake and growth of microalgae darkening the Greenland Ice Sheet. Nature Communications. 2025 Feb 19;16(1):1521. doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56664-6
Bosviel J, Kitzinger K, Vulcano F, Klotz F, Legin A, Büsing P et al. Spatiotemporal and temperature-dependent disconnect between ammonia oxidation and dark DIC fixation in deep oligotrophic Lake Constance. ISME Communications. 2025 Jan 1;5(1):ycaf201. doi: 10.1093/ismeco/ycaf201
Microbiomes Drive Planetary Health
Katharina Kitzinger is part of the FWF-funded Cluster of Excellence (CoE)
