Dr. Mirjam Meischner

• Seit November 2025
  Postdoktorandin, Professur für Ökosystemphysiologie, Universität Freiburg
  
• Oktober 2021 – November 2025
  Doktorandin, Professur für Ökosystemphysiologie, Universität Freiburg
  
• Oktober 2023 – März 2024
  Gastwissenschaftlerin am Institute of Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Munich, Germany (Prof. Jörg-Peter Schnitzler)
  
• 2018-2021
  Master of Science in Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg (1. Semester at the Justus-Liebig University Gießen, Germany) -„Impact of Shrub Encroachment on Soil Respiration and Soil Volatile Organic Carbon (VOC) Emission in a Mediterranean Cork Oak Ecosystem“
  
• 2017
  Internship at the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBL), Frick, Switzerland
  
• 2015
  Exchange student at the Universidad Austral de Chile (UACh), Valdivia, Chile
  
• 2013 – 2017
  Bachelor of Science in Environmental Sciences, University of Freiburg – „Entleert die Buchenverjüngung den Vorrat an verfügbarem Phosphor im Boden?“
  

During my dissertation at the Chair of Ecosystem Physiology (2021-2025), I investigated the release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from roots and shoots of temperate forest trees as a defense mechanism to biotic and abiotic stressors. My research focuses on the effect of environmental stress on VOC emissions, gas exchange (photosynthesis, respiration, transpiration), and carbon allocation in trees, and the function of VOCs in mediating plant–plant interactions above- and belowground. For my studies, I employ proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry and stable isotope tracer experiments.

• Meischner, M., Haberstroh, S., Kreuzwieser, J., Schnitzler, J.-P., Werner, C. (2026). Fagus sylvatica detects belowground stress signals from conspecific and heterospecific (Picea abies) neighbors, triggering increased shoot VOC emissions. Journal of Experimental Botany, accepted for publication.
• Wannenmacher M., Meischner M., Stock C., Dumberger S., Kreuzwieser J., Haberstroh S., Werner C. (2026): Synergistic effect of heat and drought on leaf VOC emissions and root exudates in Norway spruce saplings bioRxiv. doi.org/10.64898/2026.04.29.721567
• Daber L.E., Kreuzwieser J., Meischner M., Williams J. and Werner C. (2025): Chiral monoterpene dynamics of shoots and roots of Norway spruce in response to drought. bioRxiv. doi.org/10.1101/2025.05.02.651829
• Daber, L. E., Nolte, P., Kreuzwieser, J., Meischner, M., Williams, J., & Werner, C. (2025). „Position-Specific Isotope Labelling Gives New Insights into Chiral Monoterpene Synthesis of Norway Spruce (Picea Abies L.)“. Environmental and Experimental Botany 238. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envexpbot.2025.106238
• Meischner, M., S. Haberstroh, J. Kreuzwieser, et al. (2025). “ Localized Response of De Novo Terpenoid Emissions Through the Jasmonate Signaling Cascade in Two Main European Tree Species.” Physiologia Plantarum 177, no. 4: e70432. https://doi.org/10.1111/ppl.70432
• Meischner M., Dumberger, S., Daber L.E., Haberstroh S., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P., Werner C. (2024) Jasmonic acid and heat stress induce high volatile organic compound emissions in Picea abies from needles, but not from roots. Tree Physiology. doi.org/10.1093/treephys/tpae059
• Frey Y., Haberstroh S., Meischner M., Werner C., Wallrabe U. (2023): A miniaturized leaf cuvette for volatile organic compound measurement on broad leaves. Transducers, Kyoto, Japan.1555-1558.
• Meischner M., Haberstroh S., Daber L.E., Kreuzwieser J., Caldeira M.C., Schnitzler J.-P.,
  Werner C. (2022) Soil VOC emissions of a Mediterranean woodland are sensitive to shrub
  invasion. Plant Biology. doi.org/10.1111/plb.13445
• Kreuzwieser J., Meischner M., Grün M., Yáñez-Serrano A.M., Fasbender L., Werner
  C. (2021) Drought affects carbon partitioning into volatile organic compound (VOC)
  biosynthesis in Scots pine needles. New Phytologist. doi.org/10.1111/nph.17736

• Meischner M., Steuerle A.,Rinnan R. and Werner C. (2026). Untangling root and microbial volatile organic compound emissions from soils of two different temperate tree species. EGU 26, Vienna, Austria
• Meischner M., Haberstroh S., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P. and Werner C. (2025). Role of volatiles in root-root interactions: VOC emissions and carbon/nitrogen allocation in stressed sender and unstressed receiver plants. 1st international symposium on volatile interactions in ecosystems, Copenhagen, Denmark.
• Stock C., Dumberger S., Meischner M., Wannenmacher M., Haberstroh S., Werner C. (2024) Effects of intra- and interspecific competition between two temperate tree species on carbon assimilation rates and carbon allocation under drought stress. GfÖ, Freising, Germany.
• Meischner M., Haberstroh S., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P. and Werner C. (2024). VOC release from roots and shoots provide insights into internal plant signaling of temperate forest trees. Gordon research conference on hydrocabons in the atmosphere, Barcelona, Spain.
• Meischner M., Dumberger, S., Daber L.E., Haberstroh S., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P., Werner C. (2024) Reverse pattern of root and shoot VOC emissions following aboveground jasmonic acid application. Gordon research conference on hydrocabons in the atmosphere, Barcelona, Spain.
• Werner, C., Frey, Y., Dumberger, S., Meischner, M., Haberstroh, S., Wallrabe, U. (2024). ECOSENSE: Quantifying spatio-temporal dynamics of ecosystem processes by smart autonomous sensor networks with automated leaf cuvettes tracing BVOC flux dynamics. Gordon research conference on hydrocabons in the atmosphere, Barcelona, Spain.
• Meischner M., Dumberger S., Daber L.E., Haberstroh S., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P. and Werner C. (2023). Response of belowground and aboveground plant volatile organic compound emissions to heat and simulated herbivory on leaves. Gas Phase in Plants, Hyytiala, Finland.
• Daber L. E., Nolte P., Anene C., Kreuzwieser J., Meischner M. and Werner C. (2023). Chiral monoterpene dynamics of shoots and roots of Norway spruce in response to drought. Gas Phase in Plants, Hyytiala, Finland.
• Meischner M., Haberstroh S., Daber L.E., Kreuzwieser J., Caldeira M.C., Schnitzler J.-P., Werner C. (2022) Shrub Encroachment alters Soil VOC Emission Pattern in a Mediterranean Cork Oak Ecosystem. DBG, Trier, Germany.
• Haberstroh S., Meischner M., Caldeira M.C., Lobo-do-Vale R., Daber L.E., Kreuzwieser J., Schnitzler J.-P., Werner C. (2022). Shrub encroachment alter above- and belowground processes in a Mediterranean cork oak ecosystem. Aboveground-Belowground Interactions, Marseille, France.
• Daber L.E., Nolte P., Meischner M., Kreuzwieser J., Werner C. (2021). Unravelling shoot:root drought responses in VOC emissions through 13C-pyruvate labelling. ASI, Darmstadt, Germany.
• Meischner M., Kayser G., Lang F. (2019): Verbesserungspotenzial von Buche und Tanne in Fichtenbeständen – Ein Blick auf den Phosphorgehalt im Boden. DBG, Bern, Switzerland.

• 2026
  Hansjürg-Steinlin-Preis für ihre herausragende Dissertation über „Volatile organic compound emissions from roots and shoots of temperate forest trees under simulated herbivory“
  
• 2021 – 2025
  Doctoral scholarship der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes
  
• 2024
  Reise Stipendium der International Graduate Academy (IGA) Freiburg für die Gordon Research Conference Hydrocarbons and the atmosphere, Castelldefels, Barcelona, Spain
  
• 2023
  Stipendium der Wissenschaftlichen Gesellschaft Freiburg für einen Aufenthalt als Gastwissenschaftlerin am Institute of Environmental Simulation, Helmholtz Munich, Germany
  
• 2021
  Preis für exzellente akademische Leistungen, Alumni Freiburg e.V., Fakultät für Umwelt und natürliche Ressourcen, Universität Freiburg
  
• 2013-2017
  Stipendium der Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes