Jessica Finck

Doctoral Researcher

Main Focus

I've started my PhD in January 2022. My goal is to use 16S/18S DNA Next-Generation Sequencing, metagenomics and metatranscriptomics to deepen our understanding of Amazonia's microbial communities and their activity, and to unravel their linkage to the dissolved organic matter (DOM) and biogenic volatile organic compound (BVOC) pool. Further, I aim to explore seasonal differences in community composition and functioning between different ecosystems in the Amazon rainforest. 

You can also ask me about:

  • DNA/RNA extraction & (quantitative) PCR
  • plasmid transformation & cloning from scratch
  • microbial community analysis using QIIME2 & R
  • α- and β-diversity analsis
  • different types of correlation analyses (e.g., ANOVA, Pearson, Spearman)

Curriculum Vitae

since 2022    PhD student at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany

2020-2021    Scientific Assistent for Rebecca Cooper (Institute for Biodiversity, FSU Jena)

2016-2020    M.Sc. Evolution, Ecology and Systematics, FSU Jena

2018-2019    Academic tutor for Stefan Halle (Institute for Ecology and Evolution, FSU Jena)

2018              ERASMUS semester; Scientific intern in the project "Howling and Oxytocin
                       release in timber wolves (Canis lupus lycaon)" (Wolf Science Center, Austria)

2015-2016    Academic tutor for Johannes Wöstemeyer (Institute for Microbiology, FSU Jena)
                       and for Maria Mittag (Institute for Ecology and Evolution, FSU Jena)

2013-2016    B.Sc. Biology, FSU Jena


Awards & Certificates

2022              Summer School on Multi'omics for Microbial Community Studies (Physalia Courses)

2021              Best Lightning Talk (Committee Award) (MiCom 2021)

2021              Summer School on Archaeogenetics and Paleoproteomics (MPI-SHH Jena)

2021              International Spring School on Hydrothermal Vents (EANA)

2021              Operational first responder outdoor according to §26 DGUV and §19 FeV


Publications & Presentations

Cooper, R. E., Finck, J., Chan, C., Küsel, K. (2023). Mixotrophy broadens the ecological niche range of iron oxidizing Sideroxydans sp. CL21 isolated from an iron-rich peatland. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. DOI: 10.1093/femsec/fiac156.

Finck, J. (2021, August 27). Paleopathology of the Athenian plague 430–426 BC. Overcoming archaeological & epidemiological limitations through archaeogenetics? [Poster presentation] MPI-SHH Summer School, Jena, Germany.

Finck, J. (2021, March 29-31). From autotrophy to mixotrophy: Metabolic versatility of the Fe(II)-oxidizing Sideroxydans sp. CL21. [Conference talk] MiCom 2021, Jena, Germany.

Go to Editor View