Monike Oggerin

Dr. Monike Oggerin


Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

11Years (2016-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

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18 April 2016 in Minerals
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
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MOMonike Oggerin
Monike Oggerin
FTFernando Tornos
Fernando Tornos
NRNURIA RODRIGUEZ
NURIA RODRIGUEZ
LPLaura Pascual
Laura Pascual
Ricardo AmilsRicardo Amils
Ricardo Amils
Although there are many studies on biomineralization processes, most of them focus on the role of prokaryotes. As fungi play an important role in different geological and biogeochemical processes, it was considered of interest to evaluate their role in a natural extreme acidic environment, Río Tinto, which has a high level of fungal diversity and a high concentration of metals. In this work we report, for the first time, the generation of iron oxyhydroxide minerals by the fungal community in a specific location of the Tinto basin. Using Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM) and High Angle Angular Dark Field coupled with Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (HAADF-STEM) and Energy-Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDX), we observed fungal structures involved in the formation of iron oxyhydroxide minerals in mineralized sediment samples from the Río Tinto basin. Although Río Tinto waters are supersaturated in these minerals, they do not precipitate due to their slow precipitation kinetics. The presence of fungi, which simply provide charged surfaces for metal binding, favors the precipitation of Fe oxyhydroxides by overcoming these kinetic barriers. These results prove that the fungal community of Río Tinto participates very actively in the geochemical processes that take place there.