Dr. Jacob Heinz

Contact:

Dr. Jacob Heinz
Technische Universität Berlin
Zentrum für Astronomie und Astrophysik
RG Astrobiology, Room ER 122, Secr. ER 3-2
Hardenbergstr. 36A,
D-10623 Berlin

Mail: heinz[AT]tu-berlin.de
Tel.: +4930 314-79632
 
 
I hold a Master's degree in Chemistry and a Ph.D. in Astrobiology. Currently serving as a postdoctoral researcher in the Astrobiology Research Group at TU Berlin, my research focuses on understanding the formation of brines on Mars, particularly through processes like deliquescence. I explore their microbial habitability through growth and stress adaptation experiments. These investigations employ a range of different salt types, microbial species, and analytical techniques, including scanning electron microscopy (SEM), proteomics, and metabolomics. Additionally, my work includes life detection experiments and studies within our Mars simulation chamber. These experimental inquiries are integral components of the following research projects:

Publications:

L. Kloss, J. Doellinger, A. Gries, E. Soler, P. Lasch, and J. Heinz (2025) Proteomic insights into survival strategies of Escherichia coli in perchlorate-rich Martian brines. Sci Rep 15, 6988, doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-91562-3.

P. Rzymski, A. Losiak, J. Heinz, M. Szukalska, E. Florek, B. Poniedziałek, Ł. Kaczmarek, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2024) Perchlorates on Mars: Occurrence and implications for putative life on the Red Planet. Icarus, doi: 10.1016/j.icarus.2024.116246.

F.C. Fischer, D. Schulze-Makuch, and J. Heinz (2024) Microbial preference for chlorate over perchlorate under simulated shallow subsurface Mars-like conditions. Sci Rep 14, 11537, doi: 10.1038/s41598-024-62346-y.

J. Heinz, J. Doellinger, D. Maus, A. Schneider, P. Lasch, H.-P. Grossart, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2022) Perchlorate-Specific Proteomic Stress Responses of Debaryomyces hansenii Could Enable Microbial Survival in Martian Brines. Environmental Microbiology, doi: 10.1111/1462-2920.16152.

J. Heinz, V. Rambags, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2021) Physicochemical Parameters Limiting Growth of Debaryomyces hansenii in Solutions of Hygroscopic Compounds and Their Effects on the Habitability of Martian Brines. Life, 11 (1194), doi:10.3390/life11111194.

Schulze-Makuch, D.; Lipus, D.; Arens, F.L.; Baqué, M.; Bornemann, T.L.V.; de Vera, J.-P.; Flury, M.; Frösler, J.; Heinz, J.; Hwang, Y.; Kounaves, S.P.; Mangelsdorf, K.; Meckenstock, R.U.; Pannekens, M.; Probst, A.J.; Sáenz, J.S.; Schirmack, J.; Schloter, M.; Schmitt-Kopplin, P.; Schneider, B.; Uhl, J.; Vestergaard, G.; Valenzuela, B.; Zamorano, P.; and Wagner, D. (2021) Microbial Hotspots in Lithic Microhabitats Inferred from DNA Fractionation and Metagenomics in the Atacama Desert. Microorganisms, 9 (1038); doi: 10.3390/microorganisms9051038

A.C. Waajen, J. Heinz, A. Airo, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2020) Physicochemical salt solution parameters limit the survival of Planococcus halocryophilus in Martian cryobrines. Front Microbiol, 11:1284, doi: 10.3389/fmicb.2020.01284.

J. Heinz, T. Krahn, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2020) A New Record for Microbial Perchlorate Tolerance: Fungal Growth in NaClO4 Brines and its Implications for Putative Life on Mars. Life, 10 (5), doi: 10.3390/life10050053.

J. Heinz, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2020) Thiophenes on Mars: Biotic or Abiotic Origin? Astrobiology, 20 (4), doi: 10.1089/ast.2019.2139.

D. Maus, J. Heinz, J. Schirmack, A. Airo, S.P. Kounaves, D. Wagner, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2020) Methanogenic Archaea Can Produce Methane in Deliquescence-Driven Mars Analog Environments. Scientific Reports, 10 (6); doi: 10.1038/s41598-019-56267-4

J. Heinz, A.C. Waajen, A. Airo, A. Alibrandi, J. Schirmack, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2019) Bacterial Growth in Chloride and Perchlorate Brines: Halotolerances and Salt Stress Responses of Planococcus halocryophilus. Astrobiology, 19 (11) 1377-1387, doi: 10.1089/ast.2019.2069.

J. Heinz, J. Schirmack, A. Airo, S.P. Kounaves, and D. Schulze-Makuch (2018) Enhanced Microbial Survivability in Subzero Brines. Astrobiology, 18 (9) 1171–1180, doi: 10.1089/ast.2017.1805.

D. Schulze-Makuch, D. Wagner, S. P. Kounaves, […] J. Heinz, et al. [45 co-authors in total] (2018) Transitory microbial habitat in the hyperarid Atacama Desert. PNAS, 115 (11) 2670-2675; doi: 10.1073/pnas.1714341115.

J. Heinz, D. Schulze-Makuch, and S.P. Kounaves (2016), Deliquescence-induced wetting and RSL-like darkening of a Mars analogue soil containing various perchlorate and chloride salts. Geophys. Res. Lett., 43 (10) 4880-4884, doi: 10.1002/2016GL068919.

E. Hennings, J. Heinz, H.Schmidt, W. Voigt (2013) Freezing and Hydrate Formation in Aqueous Sodium Perchlorate Solutions. Z. anorg. allg. Chem., 639 (6) 922–927, doi: 10.1002/zaac.201300040.

 

Doctoral thesis:

Heinz, J. (2019) Deliquescence-induced formation and habitability of chloride and perchlorate brines. Center for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Technische Universität Berlin. https://dx.doi.org/10.14279/depositonce-8847.

 

Conference contributions (selection):

Talks:

Invited talk: Heinz, J.* Unraveling Martian Microbial Survival Strategies: Insights from Salts, Stress Responses, and Habitability. 7th Joint Microbiology & Infection Conference of DGHM and VAAM, June 2024, Würzburg, Germany.

Keynote talk: Heinz, J.* Limits of Life and How to Approach Them. AbGradEPEC Symposium, May 2023, La Palma, Spain.

Heinz, J.*, Gries, A., Kloss, L. D. F., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorates on Mars: A Microbial Killer or a Life-Supporting Agent? 22nd EANA conference 2022, September 2023, Madrid, Spain.

Heinz, J.*, Gries, A., Kloss, L. D. F., and Schulze-Makuch, D. The Role of Perchlorate on the Habitability of Mars. 7th Annual Workshop of the Deutsche Astrobiologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DAbG), September 2023, Berlin, Germany.

Heinz, J.*, Doellinger, J., Maus, D., Schneider, A., Lasch, P., Grossart, H.-P., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorate-induced proteomic stress responses of Debaryomyces hansenii and their consequences for the habitability of Martian brines. Europlanet Science Congress (EPSC) 2022, September 2022, Granada, Spain.

Heinz, J.*, Doellinger, J., Maus, D., Schneider, A., Lasch, P., Grossart, H.-P., and Schulze-Makuch, D. The Chaotropicity of Perchlorate and Its Implications for the Habitability of Mars. AbSciCon 2022, May 2022, Atlanta, GA, USA.

Heinz, J.*, and Schulze-Makuch, D. Investigating Perchlorate-Specific Stress Responses in Yeast Cells Using a Proteomic Approach. 5th Annual Workshop of the Deutsche Astrobiologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DAbG). September 2021, Essen, Germany.

Heinz, J.*, Waajen, A.C., Airo, A., Schirmack, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Are Perchlorate Brines Habitable? 19th EANA conference, September 2019, Orléans, France.

Heinz, J., Waajen, A.C., Airo, A., Schirmack, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D.* Microbial Survival in Brines and its Relevance to the Near-Surface Habitability of Mars. AbSciCon 2019, June 2019, Bellevue, WA, USA.

Heinz, J.*, Schirmack, J., Airo, A., Kounaves, S.P., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Halotolerance of Planococcus halocryophilus in chloride and perchlorate brines. 3rd AbGradE (Astrobiology Graduates in Europe) Symposium, September 2018, Berlin, Germany.

Heinz, J.*, Schirmack, J., Airo, A., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Microbial Viability in Low Temperature Brines. 2nd Annual Workshop of the Deutsche Astrobiologische Gesellschaft e.V. (DAbG). November 2017, Potsdam, Germany.

Heinz, J.*, Schirmack, J., Airo, A., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Enhanced Microbial Survival in Brines at Subzero Temperatures. 17th EANA conference, August 2017, Aarhus, Denmark.

Maus, D.*, Heinz, J., Schirmack, J., Airo, A., Kounaves, S.P., Wagner, D., Schulze-Makuch, D. Brines formed by Deliquescence as a Habitat for Methanogenic Archaea. 17th European Astrobiology Network Association (EANA) conference, August 2017, Aarhus, Denmark.

Heinz, J., Schirmack, J., Maus, D., S.P. Kounaves, S.P., Wagner, D., Schulze-Makuch, D.* Investigation of the Formation and Habitability of Recurring Slope Lineae (RSL) like Environments. Astrobiology Science Conference (AbSciCon) 2017. April 2017, Mesa, Arizona, USA.

Heinz, J., Schulze-Makuch, D.*, Kounaves, S.P. Formation of Recurrent Slope Lineae on Mars by Rewetting of Salt Deposits Formed in an Earlier Wetter Climate. 6th Mars Polar Science Conference. September 2016, Reykjavik, Iceland.                         

*presenting author

 

Posters (selection):

Gries, A., Heinz, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorate Stress Responses of Haloferax volcanii and their Implications on the Habitability of Mars, 22nd EANA conference, September 2023, Madrid, Spain.

Kloss, L. D. F., Heinz, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Adaptation of Escherichia coli to elevated concentrations of sodium perchlorate and its implications for the habitability of Martian brines, 22nd EANA conference, September 2023, Madrid, Spain.

Heinz, J., Malahov, K., Iakimov, M., Pinnow, S., Grossart, H.-P., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Isolation of halotolerant species from environmental samples and microbial stress responses after perchlorate exposure. BEACON conference, May 2023, La Palma, Spain.

Fischer, F. C., Heinz, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Survival of bacteria and fungi under simulated Mars-like subsurface conditions. BEACON conference, May 2023, La Palma, Spain. ➥ Best Poster Award

Heinz, J., Kloss, L. D. F., Gries, A., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorate Stress Responses Of All Three Domains Of Life. Inaugural Forming and Exploring Habitable Worlds Meeting, November 2022, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Kloss, L. D. F., Heinz, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorate-induced stress responses of Escherichia coli and their implications for the habitability of Mars, Europlanet Science Congress 2022, September 2022, Granada, Spain, doi: 10.5194/epsc2022-692.

Gries, A., Heinz, J., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Perchlorate stress responses of Haloferax volcanii and implications on the habitability of Mars, Europlanet Science Congress 2022, September 2022, Granada, Spain, doi: 10.5194/epsc2022-550.

Heinz, J., Schirmack, J., Airo, A., Kounaves, S.P., and Schulze-Makuch, D. Halotolerance of Planococcus halocryophilus in chloride and perchlorate brines. 18th EANA conference, September 2018, Berlin, Germany. ➥ Best Poster Award

 

 

 

 

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