Born 1972 in Kiel (Germany). Study of landscape ecology at the University of Münster with botany, chemistry and informatics as minor fields of study; PhD at the Faculty Biology, Chemistry and Earth Sciences of the University of Bayreuth (2001); Marie-Curie Fellow at Tuscia University (Viterbo, Italy) with regular visits at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research (PIK), University of Montana and Berkeley (USA) (2003-2006); Max Planck Research Group leader at the Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena (2006-2012), Scientific Member and Director at Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry (since 2012).