As part of the DFG Priority Programme SoilSystems (SPP2322), we aim to thermodynamically characterize simple soil model systems. Our leading hypothesis is that soil microorganisms are more likely to invest in the conversion of organic soil substances, the lower the energy required for desorption of soil minerals. The overarching goal of the priority programme is to understand the influence of energy and material flows through organic soil substances, as influenced by soil microbiology, and thus their impact on important soil ecosystem functions.

Regarding the photo: Goethite and illite suspensions in sorption experiments with 14C-labeled organic model substances. The binding strength to the minerals varies depending on the organic molecule used.