Kristin Bohm
Kristin Bohm is an Environmental Scientist/ Microbiologist based at Kenepuru Science Centre.Kristin earned her PhD in Microbial Ecology at Wageningen University & Research in association with the Netherlands Institute of EcologyContact:Kristin.bohm@esr.cri.nz
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Research
Kristin is an Environmental Scientist with background in microbial ecology. Before Kristin joined ESR in 2019, she was working as Research Associate for a small company in Germany (nadicom GmbH) to develop new microbial biofertilizers to improve growth and resistance of different crops. In 2018, Kristin gained her PhD at Wageningen University & Research in association with the Netherlands Institute of Ecology. During her PhD she studied the ecological role of volatile mediated interactions of microbes and plants in soil. Since her Bachelors, Kristin was involved in different project associated to microbial ecology. For instance, for her Master thesis she studied the gut microbiome of methane-emitting earthworms in Brazil (CENA). She helped to identify and cultivate alkane and alkene degrading soil bacteria during her internship at Warwick University. As lab assistant at University of Bayreuth or at the Max-Planck-Institute for Microbial Ecology in Marburg, she assisted research projects studying wetland microbial communities associated to carbon and nitrogen cycling.
As part of the ESR Biowaste Team, Kristin contributes to the team’s research to find sustainable and culturally appropriate options to reuse organic waste in New Zealand Aotearoa. Part of this research includes the exploration of natural systems such as plants, fungi, bacteria or insects for the establishment of circular economies to valorise emerging organic waste.
Kristin initiated and is leading the research at ESR around the insect Black Soldier Fly (BSF) to bioconvert organic waste including sewage sludge into high-value products. Her interest lies on the potential use of BSF-based bioconversion to reduce all sorts of organic waste which is currently landfilled or disposed of on land. She is also interested in understanding the influence of the BSF gut and feedstock microbiota on the bioconversion performance of the insect and the impact of this microbiota on the insect lifecycle itself. In addition, Kristin is also researching in collaboration with the University of Canterbury the development of different insect-derived high-value products other than animal feed.
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Publications