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Paleobiogeochemistry

We are an independent Max-Planck Research Group dually affiliated with the MPI for Biogeochemistry in Jena and the MARUM at the University of Bremen. All of our laboratories and offices are located in building IW-3 on the campus of Bremen University.

With an interdisciplinary approach on the border between geology, chemistry and biology, we use techniques of molecular and isotopic organic geochemistry to gain deeper insight into the co-evolution of life and environmental conditions in Earth's early oceans. The present is a key to the past, but the past is our only key to the future. Using a paleo-biogeochemistry approach we try to gauge the interaction of marine chemistry, biological dynamics and climate throughout Earth history.

Apart from answering fundamental questions about the origins of life and how complex life (including ourselves) evolved on Earth, we hope that our studies can add a valuable contribution to our understanding of how our modern planet will respond to the increasing anthropogenic burden of climate change and overnutrification.