Since 2021 Vice-head of the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (Centre Director position is rotating every 2 years). 2019 - 2020 Founding Director of the Centre for Microbiology and Environmental Systems Science (full faculty status) and since 2019 Visiting Professor in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford.

In 2019 Michael Wagner joined Aalborg University as a Distinguished Professor at the Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University.

GOOGLE SCHOLAR

Citations: ‪65000+ citations 
H-index: 136

SCOPUS

Citations: 43740+ citations
H.index: 111

Research

Two major research foci: 1) Interested in all aspects of nitrification with a particular focus on the biology of ammonia oxidizing archaea and bacteria as well as on complete nitrifiers of the genus Nitrospira (Comammox). 2) Continuously develop innovative single cell tools for investigating the identity and function of individual microbial cells within their natural habitats.

Professor Wagner’s team has a long-standing interest in the development of methods for functional analyses of microbes within complex microbial communities (Wagner et al. 1998; Adamczyk et al. 2003). For example, they pioneered the combination of FISH and microautoradiography along with researchers from Aalborg University (Lee et al., 1999) that enabled microbial ecologists for the first time to observe substrate utilization of uncultured individual microbial cells in their natural habitat.

Currently, second generation methods for single cell isotope probing mainly using 13C-, 15N and 2H-labeled compounds are developed and combined with single cell genomics approaches. For the detection of isotopes within microbial cells they use nanometer-scale secondary ion mass spectrometry (NanoSIMS) and Raman microspectroscopy.

Merits, awards and positions

Michael Wagner has many articles in the most prestigious journals such as Nature and Science, and he has for a number of years been among the most cited researchers in his field and has received many honors and awards:

• Hans-Günter-Schlegel-Lecturer of the Association for General and Applied Microbiology (VAAM) for outstanding scientific achievements for Microbiology in Germany (2020)
• Wittgenstein Award of the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) on behalf of the Austrian Ministry for Science (2019)
• Jim Tiedje Award of the International Society for Microbial Ecology (ISME) (2018)
• Elected Member of the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) (2017)
• Full member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences.(2016)
• Schrödinger Prize of the Austrian Academy of Sciences (2015)
• Einstein Professor of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2014)
• Honorary doctorate of the University of Aalborg (2014)
• Member of the American Academy of Microbiology (2013)
• ERC Advanced Grant Winner “NITRICARE: Nitrification Reloaded – a Single Cell Approach (2011)

Research profile in VBN

For full bio on projects, publications, prizes and much more visit Michael Wagner's research profile at Aalborg University’s Research Portal.