Category: News

New publication in PNAS in collaboration with Stocker Lab! A new continuous‑flow cultivation method that mimics natural environments where bacteria encounter low, rapidly renewed nutrient levels has been developed. Using this system, it has been observed that E. coli switches to absorbing iron via ferrous iron–amino acid complexes when traditional siderophores become too diluted, revealing a previously unknown link between iron uptake and amino acids.

Check out our latest publication in Ocean Modelling! Here, we developed a hydrodynamic model of the Mar Menor lagoon (Spain), integrating groundwater and watershed models. It accurately simulates sea level, currents, salinity, and temperature, and reveals how the 2019 flash flood caused a month-long stratification and reduced water renewal time by 52 days. This work is the result of a fruitful collaboration with Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena. Check it out here!

SEP group attended Shaping the future: ETH Domain Conference 2025, held in the SwissTech Convention Center in Lausanne on December 8th-9th. Prof. Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez and Andrés Velásquez Parra - postdoc in our group - presented the multidisciplinary project ARTS. The project, focused on the impact of underground thermal energy storage on groundwater quality and fauna, sparked discussions on innovation and collaboration across the ETH Domain.

We had a fantastic time in Houston at the Annual Meeting of the APS Division of Fluid Dynamics! SEP group presented new insights into bacterial mobility and chemotaxis under flow in porous media. Led by Maximilian Stoll and Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez, in collaboration with Roman Stocker and Marco Dentz, the project sparked engaging discussions and exciting exchanges with the scientific community.

SEP Group actively participated in the European Geothermal Congress 2025 (EGC), held in Zürich from October 6th–10th. Being the largest geothermal event in Europe, the EGC brings together stakeholders from all parts of the energy sector, offering an ideal platform to discuss the latest developments in the market, technology, science, industry, and policy. In this context, Andrés Velásquez Parra- postdoctoral researcher in our group - introduced the project ARTS, a multidisciplinary project led by Eawag in collaboration with Empa, and supported by the Swiss Federal Office of Energy and the Cantons of Zurich, Geneva, Aarau, Thurgau, and Zug. This project investigates how seasonal underground thermal energy storage might affect groundwater and the subsurface, with emphasis on groundwater quality, microbial dynamics and community composition, as well as groundwater fauna.

The SEP Group is now officially online! Connect with us on LinkedIn to stay in the loop and don't miss out our newest publications, event highlights, and exciting news.

Publication in Agricultural Water Management by María José Polo Molina and Lucas Soliva, in collaboration with the Universidad Politécnica de Cartagena! This work highlights the importance of quantifying individual water source contributions to irrigation and aquifer recharge, particularly when the aquifer serves as another water source, for enhanced water resource management at the catchment scale. A big thank you to all co-authors Mar Alcaraz, Jorge Hornero Diaz, Andrés Alcolea Rodríguez, Anne Imig, and Marisol Manzano.

Xin Lin joined our group in September 2025. Welcome, Xin!

Dr. Chiara Recalcati joined our group in September 2025. Welcome, Chiara!

One of our projects—co-led with Olga Schubert—on biomineralization in geological CO₂ sequestration has been featured in the newly inaugurated temporary exhibition KEEP IT CO₂OL – Tech to the rescue?. The exhibition is part of focusTerra at ETH Zurich and will be on display until February 2027.This achievement was made possible through the dedicated work of Oliver Brandenberg and Kerstin Bircher, with the valuable support of Eawag and ETH Zürich.