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Juergen Wiegel

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Emeritus Professor of Microbiology

Education

 

  Year

 

Degree

Institution:

1960

 

Horticulture certificate

Landwirtschaftskammer Hannover, Germany

1968

 

Vordiplom in Chemistry (B.S.)

Univ. of Göttingen, Germany

1969

 

Diplom in (Organic) Chemistry) (M.S.)

Dept. of Organic Chemistry, Univ. Göttingen

1973

 

Dr. rer. nat. (Microbiology) (Ph.D.)

Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. Göttingen

1983

 

Dr. habil. (Dr. Sc.)

(venia legendi for Microbiology)

Fachbereich Biologie, Univ. of Göttingen

 

TITLE OF MASTER'S THESIS:  "Chemical synthesis of deoxyribonucleotides and deoxyribooligonucleotides with repeating dinucleotide sequence" (engl. transl.).

TITLE OF DOCTORAL THESIS:  "a-Isopropylmalate synthase from Hydrogenomonas eutropha H16" (engl. transl.).

TITLE OF THESIS FOR VENIA LEGENDI IN MICROBIOLOGY:  "Isolation and characterization of new thermophilic anaerobic bacteria and their potential for biotechnological processes.  (engl. transl.).

 

 POSITIONS HELD:

1960-1961

Horticulturist, Gärtnerei Ev. Johannesstift, Berlin-Spandau,  Germany.

1969-1973

Diplom-Chemist, Institute for Microbiology (Göttingen) of the "Gesellschaft für Strahlen-und Umweltforschung, München" (Research Inst. for Radiation and Environment) and Univ. Göttingen.

1973-1984

(From 1977 until 1979 and 1982-1984 on the basis of leave of absence).  Microbiologist and Diplom-chemist, Inst. for Microbiology, in Göttingen, Germany.

1977-1979

Research Associate, Dept. Biochemistry, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA. Postdoctoral advisors:  Prof. Dr. Lars G. Ljungdahl & Prof. Dr. Harry Peck

1982-1985

Visiting Associate Professor, Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Georgia, USA

1985-1990

Associate Professor,  Dept. of Microbiology, Univ. of Georgia

1982-2010

Member of Center for Biological Resource Recovery, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA,  USA

Since 1983

Member of the Institute of Ecology, Univ. of Georgia, Athens GA, USA

Since 1989

Adjunct Professor of Department of Biochemistry, and  Member of Center for Studies of Metalloproteins, Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA  USA

Since 1990

Professor, Department of Microbiology

1997-2001

Graduate Coordinator, Department of Microbiology

Since 2002

Member of UGA Faculty of Engineering

2005 -2010

University of Georgia Institute of Bioinformatics (IOB);  Associate member.

2006-2010

UGA-Academy of the Environment,  Member

2008-

Emeritus Distinguished Research Professor in Microbiology

  

 

HONORS:

             1) Fulbright travel grant to Kristjanson, Reikjavik Iceland, 1992

             2) Included into Who's Who in Science, Who's Who in America, Who's Who in the World , Who’s Who in American Education  in various years

             3) Member of American Academy of Microbiology (elected Fellow 1995)

             4) Recognized through Thermoanaerobacterium wiegelii (IJSB46::123-127 (1996)

             5) P.R. Edward Award for Outstanding Service and Accomplishments in Microbiology Southeastern Branch of American Society for Microbiology, 1997.

             6) American Academy of Sciences-(elected Fellow 2007)

             7) UGA Freshman Seminar Teaching Award 2007

             8) Bergey’s Medal 2007 Award

             9) 2008  UGA-Distinguished Research Professor in Microbiology

           10) 2013  Recognized through Bacillus wiegelii  

 

 

 

Studied subjects

AEROBIC– MESOPHILES

  Leucine Biosyntheis in Knallgas bacteria;

  Xanthobacter, a chemithoautotrophic microaerophilic associative N2-fixer

ANAEROBIC MESOPHILES:

             Chlorophenol & PCB Dehalogenation

             Hydroxybenzoate decarboxylation/phenol carboxylation

              Isolation & Description of novel taxa     

ANAEROBIC – (EXTREME)THERMOPHILES

            Isolation & Description of various novel taxa

            Ethanol Formation by anaerobic thermophiles

            Acetogenic Bacteria and production of Ca-Mg-Acetate as environmental safe deicer

            FeIII-dissimilatory Bacteria

            Alkalithermophiles with doubling times of 10 minutes

            Cellulose and Hemicellulose degradation

             Alkaline thermophilic Lipases

             Development of a rudimentary genetic system for thermophilic anaerobes

ANAEROBIC POLYEXTREMOPHILES:

             Halophilic-alkalithermophiles

AEROBIC andPOLYEXTREMOPHILES

             Isolation / characterization of various hydrolytic enzymes for industrial use

 

Total publications:  241 plus 3 patents. (Partial available at ResearchGate)  

Detailed c.v. and complete list of publications and names of former lab members are available on request from juergenwiegel@gmail.com

 

 

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Chantel Duscent-Maitland of the Neidle Lab is the recipient of the 2023 Dr. Juergen Wiegel Award.  The award was announced on October 12, 2023 at the Dr. Juergen Wiegel seminar given by Dr. Michael Adams. The Dr. Juergen Wiegel Graduate Award in…

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