Microbiology

Biography

Dr. Judith Ascher-Jenull received her Master degree in Natural Sciences, Biology, Microbiology, from the University of Innsbruck, Austria, in 1998, and her PhD in Agricultural Chemistry from the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Piacenza, Milan, Italy, in 2004. After graduation (till today) she worked at the Department of Plant Nutrition and Soil Science - now the Department of Agrifood and Environmental Science, University of Florence, Florence, Italy, as a research soil microbiologist. Since 2012 she is collaborating with the Institute of Microbiology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria as senior researcher.
She has published over 50 articles and 6 book chapters in the field of environmental molecular microbial ecology (e.g. linking microbial diversity and soil function; Responses of microbial communities to natural vs. anthropogenic environmental changes; Soil metamobilome: fate and ecological relevance of extracellular DNA), 34 in ISI journals with > 50 co-authors, with > 1500 citations in > 1000 documents (Scopus and Research Gate), resulting in a current scientific Hirsch-factor (H-index) of 14. Dr. Ascher-Jenull is currently active in collaborating with the University of Innsbruck (Austria), University of Zuerich (Switzerland) and the University of Osnabrueck (Germany) within the D.A.CH.-DecAlp Project on the “Effect of climate on coarse woody debris decay dynamics and incorporation into the soils of forested Alpine areas”, aiming at a multidisciplinary use of humus forms as missing link between the micro- and macro scale. She was/is active as reviewer for > 15 ISI Journals and since February 2014 she is Editor-in-Chief of Applied Soil Ecology (Elsevier).

Research Interest

Her scientific interest is also focused on the evaluation and optimisation of DNA-based molecular methods (sequential extraction of the soil metagenome: extra- vs. intracellular DNA; genetic fingerprinting) in relation to physico-chemical soil characteristics.