Biografie

6/2009 - today

Emmy-Noether Research Group Leader at University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany, Institute for Earth Sciences and Leibniz Center for Surface Process and Climate Studies 

10-2007 - 5/2009

University of Potsdam, Germany, Institute for Earth Sciences through DFG-funded Leibniz Center for Surface Process and Climate Studies. Postdoc

1/2006 - 8/2007

University of Washington, Seattle, WA, U.S.A., School of Oceanography. Postdoc

10/2005 - 1/2006

Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA, U.S.A.,Department of Earth, Planetary and Atmospheric Sciences. Postdoc

10/2005 - 8/2007

Award of a Feodor-Lynen Research Fellowship of the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation to work with: Prof. Julian P. Sachs (MIT/ University of Washington) and Prof. Stjepko Golubic (Boston University)

07/2005 - 10/2005

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry, Jena, Germany. Postdoc.

05/2002 - 06/2005

Max Planck Institute for Biogeochemistry , Jena, Germany. Ph.D. Student. Thesis title: Compound-specific hydrogen isotopes of sedimentary biomarkers as a new palaeoclimatic proxy"; Advisers: Prof. R. Gaupp (University of Jena), PD Dr. Gerd Gleixner (MPI BGC Jena)

03/2002

Diploma in Geology, University of Jena, Germany

10/1995 – 03/2002

University of Jena, Germany. Studies in geology.

09/1997 – 09/1998

Universidad de Granada, Spain. Studies in geology and Spanish language

Forschung

I am interested in the interactions of the geo-, bio- and hydrosphere through the geological time and their influence on climate - and vice versa. 

I specialize in the development and refinement of novel molecular and stable isotope based proxies for the reconstruction of paleoclimates. I use such proxies to generate paleoclimate records over different timescales, with a special focus on the variability of the hydrological cycle over the Holocene.

Since 2009 I am leading the research group 'Paleohydrology' funded through the DFG Emmy Noether Programme at the University of Potsdam, lear about our current research project here. 

Lehre

WS11/12: Mastermodul Einführung in die Biogeochemie MGEW12 (Laborpraktikum, Vorlesung) mit Dr. Jens Kallmeyer

WS10/11: Mastermodul Einführung in die Biogeochemie (Laborpraktikum, Seminar, Vorlesung) als Blockkurs mit Dr. Jens Kallmeyer (21.2. - 3.3. 2011)

SS10: Einführung in die Biogeochemie (mit Dr. Jens Kallmeyer)

WS09/10: Labormethoden in der Organischen Geochemie (Biomarkeranalyse) - Blockkurs 15.-19.2. 2010

SS09: Einführung in die Biogeochemie - 2 SWS (inklusive Literaturseminar), mit Dr. Jens Kallmeyer

Publikationen

Sachse, D., Billault, I., Bowen, G.J., Chikaraishi, Y., Dawson, T.E., Feakins, S.J., Freeman, K.H., Magill, C.R., McInerney, F.A., van der Meer, M.T.J., Polissar, P., Robins, R., Sachs, J.P., Schmidt, H.-L., Sessions, A.L., White, J.W.C., West, J.B., Kahmen, A., (2012) Molecular Paleohydrology: Interpreting the Hydrogen-Isotopic Composition of Lipid Biomarkers from Photosynthesizing Organisms. Annual Reviews of Earth and Planetary Sciences 40, link .

Garcin Y, Schwab VF, Gleixner G, Kahmen A, Todou G, Séné O, Onana JM, Achoundong G & Sachse D (2012) Hydrogen isotope ratios of lacustrine sedimentary n-alkanes as proxies of tropical African hydrology: insights from a calibration transect across Cameroon. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 79, link

Kahmen A, Dawson TE, Vieth A & Sachse D (2011) Leaf wax n-alkane δD values are determined early in the ontogeny of deciduous Populus trichocarpa leaves. Plant, Cell & Environment 34(10), link to journal

Kahmen A, Sachse D, Arndt SK, Tu KP, Farrington H, Vitousek PM, Dawson TE (2011). Cellulose δ18O is an index of leaf-to-air vapor pressure difference (VPD) in tropical plants. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 108(5) (PNAS), link to article

Sachse D., Gleixner G., Wilkes H., Kahmen A. (2010). Leaf wax n-alkane δD values of field-grown barley reflect leaf water δD values at the time of leaf formation. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 74(23), link to article.

Sachs, J.P., Sachse D., Smittenberg, R.H., Zhang, Z.., Battisti, D.S., Golubic, S. (2009). Southward movement of the Pacific intertropical convergence zone A D 1400–1850 Nature Geoscience, 2, pp. 519-525, link to article

Sachse D., Kahmen, A., Gleixner G. (2009). Significant seasonal variation in the hydrogen isotopic composition of leaf-wax lipids for two deciduous tree ecosystems (Fagus sylvativa and Acer pseudoplatanus) Organic Geochemistry, 40, pp. 732-742, [link to journal]

Bühring, S.I., Smittenberg, R.H., Sachse D., Lipp, J.S., Golubic S., Sachs J.P., Hinrichs K.U., Summons R.E. (2009). A hypersaline microbial mat from the Pacific Atoll Kiritimati: insights into composition and carbon fixation using biomarker analyses and a 13C-labeling approach Geobiology, [link to journal] 

Tyler J.J., Leng M.J., Sloane H.J., Sachse D., Gleixner G. (2008). Oxygen isotope ratios of sedimentary biogenic silica reflect the European transcontinental climate gradient Journal of Quaternary Science 23(4) pp 341-350, [link to journal]

Xia, Z.H., Xu, B.Q., Mügler, I., Wu, G.J., Gleixner, G., Sachse, D., and Zhu, L. (2008). Hydrogen isotope ratios of terrigenous n-alkanes in lacustrine surface sediment of the Tibetan Plateau record the precipitation signal: Geochemical Journal, 42, pp. 331-338

Muegler I., Sachse D., Werner M., Xu B., Wu G., Yao T., Gleixner G. (2008). Effect of lake evaporation on dD values of lacustrine n-alkanes: A comparison of Nam Co (Tibetan Plateau) and Holzmaar (Germany) Organic Geochemistry 39 (6), pp.711-729, [link to journal]

Sachse D. & Sachs, J.P. (2008). Inverse relationship between D/H fractionation in cyanobacterial lipids and salinity in Christmas Island saline ponds Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 72 (3) pp 793-806 (link to Elsevier)

Krull E., Sachse D., Mügler I., Thiele A. and Gleixner G. (2006). Compound-specific d13C and dD analyses of plant and soil organic matter: A preliminary assessment of the effects of vegetation change on ecosystem hydrology Soil Biology and Biochemistry 38 (11) pp. 3211-3221 [link to journal] 

Sachse D., Radke J. and Gleixner G. (2006). dD values of individual n-alkanes from terrestrial plants along a climatic gradient - Implications for the sedimentary biomarker record Organic Geochemistry 37(4) pp. 469-483 [link to journal]

Radke J., Bechtel A., Gaupp R., Püttmann W., Sachse D., Schwark L. and Gleixner G. (2005). Correlation between hydrogen isotope ratios of lipid biomarkers and sediment maturity Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 69(23) pp. 5517-5530 (link to Elsevier).

Sachse D., Radke J. and Gleixner G. (2004). Hydrogen isotope ratios of recent lacustrine sedimentary n-alkanes record modern climate variability Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 68(23) pp. 4877-4889 (link to Elsevier) 

Sachse D., Radke J., Gaupp R., Schwark L., Lüniger G. and Gleixner G (2004). Reconstruction of palaeohydrological conditions in a lagoon during the 2nd Zechstein cycle through simultaneous use of dD values of individual n-alkanes and d18O and d13C values of carbonates. International Journal of Earth Sciences 93(4) pp. 554-564. [link to journal].


book chapters
Gleixner G., Kramer C., Hahn V., and Sachse D. (2005) The Effect of Biodiversity on Carbon Storage in Soils. In: Ecological Studies, Vol. 176: Forest Diversity and Function: Temperate and Boreal Systems (Eds.: M. Scherer-Lorenzen, C. Koerner, and E.-D. Schulze). Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg; link to Springer