Dr. Nicole Dopffel (born Klüglein) studied biology in the University of Tübingen, Germany, and obtained her PhD in geomicrobiology on the topic of anaerobic, microbial iron-cycling in 2014 (Bacterial Fe(III) reduction and Fe(II) oxidation – relevance for magnetite formation in the environment and the mechanism of nitrate-dependent Fe(II) oxidation). From 2014 until 2019 she worked as lab leader and researcher in the chemical company BASF (Ludwigshafen, Germany) where she focused on oilfield- and industrial-related microbial problems including microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR), microbial souring, microbial corrosion, biopolymers and growth control. Since 2019 she works as a senior researcher in the Norwegian research institute NORCE in Bergen, Norway. Her focus are cross-disciplinary research projects on sustainable energy topics including:
- Microbial processes and risks during hydrogen underground storage
- Microbial plugging in geothermal installations
- Biohydrogen production from waste
- Biohydrogen production within reservoirs
- Biodegradation processes
- Microbial processes in soil, water and the subsurface
- Microbial influenced corrosion