![Ernest Chi Fru](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1721?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Ernest Chi Fru
(he/him)
Reader in Earth Sciences
School of Earth and Environmental Sciences
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
I am a geobiologist who studies the interactions between life, elements, minerals, and geochemical processes in Earth's history.
This work focuses particularly on how life (particularly microbial) influences the cycling of elements like iron, sulfur, arsenic, phosphorus, copper, zinc and carbon through the geobiosphere, and how these processes have shaped Earth's atmosphere and environment over geological time.
By using interdisciplinary tools that combine molecular geomicrobiology, biogeochemistry, isotope geochemistry, trace element geochemistry, sedimentology, geology and palaeontology, I am passionate about the holistic understanding of how life and the Earth system co-evolve.
Publication
2024
- Ghnahalla, M. et al. 2024. Marine Fe cycling linked to dynamic redox variability, biological activity and post-depositional mineralization in the 1.1 Ga Mesoproterozoic Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania. Gondwana Research 136, pp. 33-52. (10.1016/j.gr.2024.08.012)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2024. Deciphering the U-Pb dates of sedimentary phosphates: A complex example from the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene series in northwestern Morocco. Chemical Geology 661, article number: 122178. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122178)
- Al Bahri, J. et al. 2024. Clay mineral geochemistry and paleoenvironmental reconstruction across the Cryogenian Sturtian Snowball glaciation. Precambrian Research 410, article number: 107498. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107498)
- Wei, Y. et al. 2024. The early Neoproterozoic Andean-Type Orogenic and Within-Plate Magmatic events in the northern margin of the Yangtze Craton during the convergence of the Rodinia Supercontinent. Minerals 14(8), article number: 820. (10.3390/min14080820)
- Li, H. et al. 2024. A Neoproterozoic appinite rock suite records the early tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the Yangtze Block during convergence with Rodinia. Precambrian Research 409, article number: 107448. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107448)
- Chi Fru, E., Aubineau, J., Bankole, O., Ghnahalla, M., Tamehe, L. S. and El Albani, A. 2024. Hydrothermal seawater eutrophication triggered local macrobiological experimentation in the 2100 Ma Paleoproterozoic Francevillian sub-basin. Precambrian Research 409, article number: 107453. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107453)
- Hamida, D., Chouabbi, A., Chi Fru, E., Nacer, J. and Krekeler, M. 2024. Mechanism of formation, mineralogy and geochemistry of the ooidal ironstone of Djebel Had, Northeast Algeria. Presented at: EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, Oslo, Norway, 10-13 June 2024Proceedings of 85th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition. EAGE Publishing pp. 1-5., (10.3997/2214-4609.202410967)
- Yu, Y. et al. 2024. A brief history of metal recruitment in protozoan predation. Trends in Microbiology 32(5), pp. 465-476. (10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.008)
- Anand, P. et al. 2024. You can’t climb a broken ladder: examining underrepresentation of multiply-disadvantaged groups in secure and senior roles in UK geochemistry. Earth Science, Systems and Society 4, article number: 10098. (10.3389/esss.2024.10098)
- Anand, P. et al. 2024. You can't climb a broken ladder: Examining underrepresentation of multiply-disadvantaged groups in secure and senior roles in UK geochemistry. Earth Science, Systems and Society 4, article number: 10098. (10.3389/esss.2024.10098)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2024. Phosphate δ13Corg chemostratigraphy from the Gantour basin, Morocco: A proof of concept from the K–Pg transition to mid-Thanetian. Chemical Geology 644, article number: 121861. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121861)
- Zhou, W. et al. 2024. Oceanic subduction to continental collision in the NE Proto-Tethys revealed by early Paleozoic eclogites with high-temperature granulite-facies overprinting in the East Kunlun orogenic belt, northern Tibet. GSA Bulletin 136(1-2), pp. 619-636. (10.1130/B36718.1)
2023
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2023. Transient fertilization of a post-Sturtian Snowball ocean margin with dissolved phosphate by clay minerals. Nature Communications 14(1), article number: 8418. (10.1038/s41467-023-44240-9)
- El Albani, A. et al. 2023. A search for life in Palaeoproterozoic marine sediments using Zn isotopes and geochemistry. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 612, article number: 118169. (10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118169)
- Chraiki, I., Chi Fru, E., Somogyi, A., Bouougri, E. H., Bankole, O., Ghnahalla, M. and El Albani, A. 2023. Blooming of a microbial community in an Ediacaran extreme volcanic lake system. Scientific Reports 13, article number: 9080. (10.1038/s41598-023-36031-5)
2022
- Zhou, H. et al. 2022. Mesoarchean banded iron-formation from the northern Yangtze Craton, South China and its geological and paleoenvironmental implications. Precambrian Research 383, article number: 106905. (10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106905)
- Zhou, H. et al. 2022. Geochronology and petrogenesis of the early Silurian Zeluo mafic-ultramafic intrusion, eastern Tibet: implications for the tectonic setting and evolution of the eastern Proto-Tethys Ocean. International Geology Review (10.1080/00206814.2022.2151050)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2022. Geodynamic seawater-sediment porewater evolution of the east central Atlantic Paleogene ocean margin revealed by U-Pb dating of sedimentary phosphates. Frontiers in Earth Science 10, article number: 997008. (10.3389/feart.2022.997008)
- dos Santos, F. H., da Silva Amaral, W., Chi Fru, E., de Souza, A. C. B. and Bosco-Santos, A. 2022. Paleoproterozoic manganese oxide precipitation in oxic seawater surface and reductive enrichment in anoxic seafloor. Chemical Geology 588, article number: 120655. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120655)
2021
- Li, Y. P. et al. 2021. Antimicrobial activity of metals and metalloids. Annual Review of Microbiology 75, pp. 175-197. (10.1146/annurev-micro-032921-123231)
- dos Santos, F. H. et al. 2021. Unraveling sedimentary precursors and metal enrichment of high-grade metamorphosed manganese-rich rocks from the Borborema Province, northeastern Brazil. Ore Geology Reviews 137, article number: 104283. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2021.104283)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2021. Early Neoproterozoic oxygenation dynamics along the northern margin of the West African Craton, Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Chemical Geology 581, article number: 120404. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120404)
- Aubineau, J., Albani, A. E., Chi Fru, E., Kipp, M. A., Ikouanga, J. N. and Bekker, A. 2021. Benthic redox conditions and nutrient dynamics in the ca. 2.1 Ga Franceville sub-basin. Precambrian Research 360, article number: 106234. (10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106234)
- Chraiki, I. et al. 2021. A 571 million-year-old alkaline volcanic lake photosynthesizing microbial community, the Anti-atlas, Morocco. Geobiology 19(2), pp. 105-124. (10.1111/gbi.12425)
2020
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2020. Compositions and mobility of major, dD, d18O, trace, and REEs patterns in water sources at Benue River Basin-Cameroon: Implications for recharge mechanisms, geoenvironmental. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 42, pp. 2975-3013. (10.1007/s10653-020-00539-w)
- Kilias, S. P., Ivarsson, M., Chi Fru, E., Rattray, J. E., Gustafsson, H., Naden, J. and Detsi, K. 2020. Precipitation of Mn oxides in quaternary microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS), Cape Vani paleo-hydrothermal vent field, Milos, Greece. Minerals 10(6), article number: 536. (10.3390/min10060536)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2020. Trace element perspective into the ca. 2.1-billion-year-old shallow-marine microbial mats from the Francevillian Group, Gabon. Chemical Geology 543, article number: 119620. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119620)
- Diab, H., Chouabbi, A., Chi Fru, E., Nacer, J. and Krekeler, M. 2020. Mechanism of formation, mineralogy and geochemistry of the ooidal ironstone of Djebel Had, northeast Algeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences 162, article number: 103736. (10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2019.103736)
2019
- Ivarsson, M. et al. 2019. Exceptional preservation of fungi as H2-bearing fluid inclusions in an early quaternary paleo-hydrothermal system at Cape Vani, Milos, Greece. Minerals 9(12), article number: 749. (10.3390/min9120749)
- Chi Fru, E. 2019. Copper isotopes. In: Gargaud, M. et al. eds. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Berlin, Germany: Springer, (10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5398-1)
- El Albani, A. et al. 2019. Organism motility in an oxygenated shallow-marine environment 2.1 billion years ago. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(9), pp. 3431-3436. (10.1073/pnas.1815721116)
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2019. Major ions, δ18O, δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr compositions of water and precipitates from springs along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (Cameroon, West Africa): Implications for provenance and volcanic hazards. Journal of African Earth Sciences 150, pp. 12-22. (10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2018.09.025)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2019. The rise of oxygen-driven arsenic cycling at ca. 2.48 Ga. Geology 47(3), pp. 243-246. (10.1130/G45676.1)
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2019. Defluoridation of fluoride-rich groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin-Cameroon using locally produced bone char. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences 15(1), pp. 11-24. (10.4314/jcas.v15i1.2)
2018
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Arsenic and high affinity phosphate uptake gene distribution in shallow submarine hydrothermal sediments. Biogeochemistry 141(18), pp. 41-62. (10.1007/s10533-018-0500-8)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2018. Unusual microbial mat-related structural diversity 2.1 billion years ago and implications for the Francevillian biota. Geobiology 16(5), pp. 476-497. (10.1111/gbi.12296)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Sedimentary mechanisms of a modern banded iron formation on Milos Island, Greece. Solid Earth 9(3), pp. 573-598. (10.5194/se-9-573-2018)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Sedimentary mechanisms of a modern banded iron formation on Milos Island, Greece. Solid Earth 8 (10.5194/se-2017-113)
- Hemmingsson, C., Pitcairn, I. and Chi Fru, E. 2018. Evaluation of uptake mechanisms of phosphate by Fe(III)(oxyhydr)oxides in Early Proterozoic oceanic conditions. Environmental Chemistry 15(2), pp. 18-28. (10.1071/EN17124)
2017
- Callac, N. et al. 2017. Modes of carbon fixation in an arsenic and CO2-rich shallow hydrothermal ecosystem. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 14708. (10.1038/s41598-017-13910-2)
- Bonaglia, S., Brüchert, V., Callac, N., Vicenzi, A., Chi Fru, E. and Nascimento, F. J. 2017. Methane fluxes from coastal sediments are enhanced by macrofauna. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 13145. (10.1038/s41598-017-13263-w)
2016
- Chi Fru, E., Hemmingsson, C., Callac, N., Perez, N., Panova, E. G., Broman, C. and El Albani, A. 2016. Atmospheric weathering of Scandinavian alum shales and the fractionation of C, N and S isotopes. Applied Geochemistry 74, pp. 94-108. (10.1016/j.apgeochem.2016.09.006)
- Yamoah, K. A., Callac, N., Chi Fru, E., Wohlfarth, B., Wiech, A., Chabangborn, A. and Smittenberg, R. H. 2016. A 150-year record of phytoplankton community succession controlled by hydroclimatic variability in a tropical lake. Biogeosciences 13(13), pp. 3971-3980. (10.5194/bg-13-3971-2016)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2016. Cu isotopes in marine black shales record the Great Oxidation Event. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(18), pp. 4941-4946. (10.1073/pnas.1523544113)
- Chi Fru, E., Hemmingsson, C., Holm, M., Chiu, B. and Iñiguez, E. 2016. Arsenic-induced phosphate limitation under experimental Early Proterozoic oceanic conditions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 434, pp. 52-63. (10.1016/j.epsl.2015.11.009)
2015
- Chi Fru, E., Arvestål, E., Callac, N., El Albani, A., Kilias, S., Argyraki, A. and Jakobsson, M. 2015. Arsenic stress after the Proterozoic glaciations. Scientific Reports 5, article number: 17789. (10.1038/srep17789)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2015. Biogenicity of an Early Quaternary iron formation, Milos Island, Greece. Geobiology 13(3), pp. 225-244. (10.1111/gbi.12128)
2014
- El Albani, A. et al. 2014. The 2.1 Ga Old Francevillian Biota: Biogenicity, taphonomy and biodiversity. PLoS ONE 9(6), pp. e99438. (10.1371/journal.pone.0099438)
2013
- Chen, M., Walshe, G., Chi Fru, E., Ciborowski, J. J. and Weisener, C. G. 2013. Microcosm assessment of the biogeochemical development of sulfur and oxygen in oil sands fluid fine tailings. Applied Geochemistry 37, pp. 1-11. (10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.06.007)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2013. Fossilized iron bacteria reveal a pathway to the biological origin of banded iron formation. Nature Communications 4, article number: 2050. (10.1038/ncomms3050)
- Chi Fru, E., Chen, M., Walshe, G., Penner, T. and Weisener, C. 2013. Bioreactor studies predict whole microbial population dynamics in oil sands tailings ponds. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 97(7), pp. 3215-3224. (10.1007/s00253-012-4137-6)
2012
- Chi Fru, E., Piccinelli, P. and Fortin, D. 2012. Insights into the global microbial community structure associated with iron oxyhydroxide minerals deposited in the aerobic biogeosphere. Geomicrobiology Journal 29(7), pp. 587-610. (10.1080/01490451.2011.599474)
2011
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2011. Effects of copper mineralogy and methanobactin on cell growth and sMMO activity in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. Biogeosciences 8(10), pp. 2887-2894. (10.5194/bg-8-2887-2011)
- Chi Fru, E. 2011. Microbial evolution of sulphate reduction when lateral gene transfer is geographically restricted. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 61(7), pp. 1725-1735. (10.1099/ijs.0.026914-0)
- Chi Fru, E., Ofiţeru, I. D., Lavric, V. and Graham, D. W. 2011. Non-linear population dynamics in chemostats associated with live-dead cell cycling in Escherichia coli strain K12-MG1655. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 89(3), pp. 791-798. (10.1007/s00253-010-2895-6)
2009
- Chi Fru, E. 2009. Iron oxides influence bacterial community structure and the spatial distribution of the aerobic methanotrophs and sulphate reducers in granitic aquifers. Geomicrobiology Journal 26(6), pp. 415-429. (10.1080/01490450902965989)
2008
- Chi Fru, E. 2008. Constraints in the colonization of natural and engineered subterranean igneous rock aquifers by aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria inferred by culture analysis. Geobiology 6(4), pp. 365-375. (10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00164.x)
- Chi Fru, E. and Athar, R. 2008. In situ bacterial colonization of compacted bentonite under deep geological high-level radioactive waste repository conditions. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 79(3), pp. 499-510. (10.1007/s00253-008-1436-z)
2006
- Anderson, C. R., James, R. E., Chi Fru, E., Kennedy, C. B. and Pedersen, K. 2006. In situ ecological development of a bacteriogenic iron oxide-producing microbial community from a subsurface granitic rock environment. Geobiology 4(1), pp. 29-42. (10.1111/j.1472-4669.2006.00066.x)
2005
- Masurat, P., Chi Fru, E. and Pedersen, K. 2005. Identification of Meiothermus as the dominant genus in a storage system for spent nuclear fuel. Journal of Applied Microbiology 98(3), pp. 727-740. (10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02519.x)
Articles
- Ghnahalla, M. et al. 2024. Marine Fe cycling linked to dynamic redox variability, biological activity and post-depositional mineralization in the 1.1 Ga Mesoproterozoic Taoudeni Basin, Mauritania. Gondwana Research 136, pp. 33-52. (10.1016/j.gr.2024.08.012)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2024. Deciphering the U-Pb dates of sedimentary phosphates: A complex example from the Upper Cretaceous-Lower Paleogene series in northwestern Morocco. Chemical Geology 661, article number: 122178. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2024.122178)
- Al Bahri, J. et al. 2024. Clay mineral geochemistry and paleoenvironmental reconstruction across the Cryogenian Sturtian Snowball glaciation. Precambrian Research 410, article number: 107498. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107498)
- Wei, Y. et al. 2024. The early Neoproterozoic Andean-Type Orogenic and Within-Plate Magmatic events in the northern margin of the Yangtze Craton during the convergence of the Rodinia Supercontinent. Minerals 14(8), article number: 820. (10.3390/min14080820)
- Li, H. et al. 2024. A Neoproterozoic appinite rock suite records the early tectonic evolution of the northern margin of the Yangtze Block during convergence with Rodinia. Precambrian Research 409, article number: 107448. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107448)
- Chi Fru, E., Aubineau, J., Bankole, O., Ghnahalla, M., Tamehe, L. S. and El Albani, A. 2024. Hydrothermal seawater eutrophication triggered local macrobiological experimentation in the 2100 Ma Paleoproterozoic Francevillian sub-basin. Precambrian Research 409, article number: 107453. (10.1016/j.precamres.2024.107453)
- Yu, Y. et al. 2024. A brief history of metal recruitment in protozoan predation. Trends in Microbiology 32(5), pp. 465-476. (10.1016/j.tim.2023.11.008)
- Anand, P. et al. 2024. You can’t climb a broken ladder: examining underrepresentation of multiply-disadvantaged groups in secure and senior roles in UK geochemistry. Earth Science, Systems and Society 4, article number: 10098. (10.3389/esss.2024.10098)
- Anand, P. et al. 2024. You can't climb a broken ladder: Examining underrepresentation of multiply-disadvantaged groups in secure and senior roles in UK geochemistry. Earth Science, Systems and Society 4, article number: 10098. (10.3389/esss.2024.10098)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2024. Phosphate δ13Corg chemostratigraphy from the Gantour basin, Morocco: A proof of concept from the K–Pg transition to mid-Thanetian. Chemical Geology 644, article number: 121861. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2023.121861)
- Zhou, W. et al. 2024. Oceanic subduction to continental collision in the NE Proto-Tethys revealed by early Paleozoic eclogites with high-temperature granulite-facies overprinting in the East Kunlun orogenic belt, northern Tibet. GSA Bulletin 136(1-2), pp. 619-636. (10.1130/B36718.1)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2023. Transient fertilization of a post-Sturtian Snowball ocean margin with dissolved phosphate by clay minerals. Nature Communications 14(1), article number: 8418. (10.1038/s41467-023-44240-9)
- El Albani, A. et al. 2023. A search for life in Palaeoproterozoic marine sediments using Zn isotopes and geochemistry. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 612, article number: 118169. (10.1016/j.epsl.2023.118169)
- Chraiki, I., Chi Fru, E., Somogyi, A., Bouougri, E. H., Bankole, O., Ghnahalla, M. and El Albani, A. 2023. Blooming of a microbial community in an Ediacaran extreme volcanic lake system. Scientific Reports 13, article number: 9080. (10.1038/s41598-023-36031-5)
- Zhou, H. et al. 2022. Mesoarchean banded iron-formation from the northern Yangtze Craton, South China and its geological and paleoenvironmental implications. Precambrian Research 383, article number: 106905. (10.1016/j.precamres.2022.106905)
- Zhou, H. et al. 2022. Geochronology and petrogenesis of the early Silurian Zeluo mafic-ultramafic intrusion, eastern Tibet: implications for the tectonic setting and evolution of the eastern Proto-Tethys Ocean. International Geology Review (10.1080/00206814.2022.2151050)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2022. Geodynamic seawater-sediment porewater evolution of the east central Atlantic Paleogene ocean margin revealed by U-Pb dating of sedimentary phosphates. Frontiers in Earth Science 10, article number: 997008. (10.3389/feart.2022.997008)
- dos Santos, F. H., da Silva Amaral, W., Chi Fru, E., de Souza, A. C. B. and Bosco-Santos, A. 2022. Paleoproterozoic manganese oxide precipitation in oxic seawater surface and reductive enrichment in anoxic seafloor. Chemical Geology 588, article number: 120655. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120655)
- Li, Y. P. et al. 2021. Antimicrobial activity of metals and metalloids. Annual Review of Microbiology 75, pp. 175-197. (10.1146/annurev-micro-032921-123231)
- dos Santos, F. H. et al. 2021. Unraveling sedimentary precursors and metal enrichment of high-grade metamorphosed manganese-rich rocks from the Borborema Province, northeastern Brazil. Ore Geology Reviews 137, article number: 104283. (10.1016/j.oregeorev.2021.104283)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2021. Early Neoproterozoic oxygenation dynamics along the northern margin of the West African Craton, Anti-Atlas Mountains, Morocco. Chemical Geology 581, article number: 120404. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2021.120404)
- Aubineau, J., Albani, A. E., Chi Fru, E., Kipp, M. A., Ikouanga, J. N. and Bekker, A. 2021. Benthic redox conditions and nutrient dynamics in the ca. 2.1 Ga Franceville sub-basin. Precambrian Research 360, article number: 106234. (10.1016/j.precamres.2021.106234)
- Chraiki, I. et al. 2021. A 571 million-year-old alkaline volcanic lake photosynthesizing microbial community, the Anti-atlas, Morocco. Geobiology 19(2), pp. 105-124. (10.1111/gbi.12425)
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2020. Compositions and mobility of major, dD, d18O, trace, and REEs patterns in water sources at Benue River Basin-Cameroon: Implications for recharge mechanisms, geoenvironmental. Environmental Geochemistry and Health 42, pp. 2975-3013. (10.1007/s10653-020-00539-w)
- Kilias, S. P., Ivarsson, M., Chi Fru, E., Rattray, J. E., Gustafsson, H., Naden, J. and Detsi, K. 2020. Precipitation of Mn oxides in quaternary microbially induced sedimentary structures (MISS), Cape Vani paleo-hydrothermal vent field, Milos, Greece. Minerals 10(6), article number: 536. (10.3390/min10060536)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2020. Trace element perspective into the ca. 2.1-billion-year-old shallow-marine microbial mats from the Francevillian Group, Gabon. Chemical Geology 543, article number: 119620. (10.1016/j.chemgeo.2020.119620)
- Diab, H., Chouabbi, A., Chi Fru, E., Nacer, J. and Krekeler, M. 2020. Mechanism of formation, mineralogy and geochemistry of the ooidal ironstone of Djebel Had, northeast Algeria. Journal of African Earth Sciences 162, article number: 103736. (10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2019.103736)
- Ivarsson, M. et al. 2019. Exceptional preservation of fungi as H2-bearing fluid inclusions in an early quaternary paleo-hydrothermal system at Cape Vani, Milos, Greece. Minerals 9(12), article number: 749. (10.3390/min9120749)
- El Albani, A. et al. 2019. Organism motility in an oxygenated shallow-marine environment 2.1 billion years ago. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116(9), pp. 3431-3436. (10.1073/pnas.1815721116)
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2019. Major ions, δ18O, δ13C and 87Sr/86Sr compositions of water and precipitates from springs along the Cameroon Volcanic Line (Cameroon, West Africa): Implications for provenance and volcanic hazards. Journal of African Earth Sciences 150, pp. 12-22. (10.1016/j.jafrearsci.2018.09.025)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2019. The rise of oxygen-driven arsenic cycling at ca. 2.48 Ga. Geology 47(3), pp. 243-246. (10.1130/G45676.1)
- Fantong, W. Y. et al. 2019. Defluoridation of fluoride-rich groundwater in Mayo Tsanaga River Basin-Cameroon using locally produced bone char. Journal of the Cameroon Academy of Sciences 15(1), pp. 11-24. (10.4314/jcas.v15i1.2)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Arsenic and high affinity phosphate uptake gene distribution in shallow submarine hydrothermal sediments. Biogeochemistry 141(18), pp. 41-62. (10.1007/s10533-018-0500-8)
- Aubineau, J. et al. 2018. Unusual microbial mat-related structural diversity 2.1 billion years ago and implications for the Francevillian biota. Geobiology 16(5), pp. 476-497. (10.1111/gbi.12296)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Sedimentary mechanisms of a modern banded iron formation on Milos Island, Greece. Solid Earth 9(3), pp. 573-598. (10.5194/se-9-573-2018)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2018. Sedimentary mechanisms of a modern banded iron formation on Milos Island, Greece. Solid Earth 8 (10.5194/se-2017-113)
- Hemmingsson, C., Pitcairn, I. and Chi Fru, E. 2018. Evaluation of uptake mechanisms of phosphate by Fe(III)(oxyhydr)oxides in Early Proterozoic oceanic conditions. Environmental Chemistry 15(2), pp. 18-28. (10.1071/EN17124)
- Callac, N. et al. 2017. Modes of carbon fixation in an arsenic and CO2-rich shallow hydrothermal ecosystem. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 14708. (10.1038/s41598-017-13910-2)
- Bonaglia, S., Brüchert, V., Callac, N., Vicenzi, A., Chi Fru, E. and Nascimento, F. J. 2017. Methane fluxes from coastal sediments are enhanced by macrofauna. Scientific Reports 7, article number: 13145. (10.1038/s41598-017-13263-w)
- Chi Fru, E., Hemmingsson, C., Callac, N., Perez, N., Panova, E. G., Broman, C. and El Albani, A. 2016. Atmospheric weathering of Scandinavian alum shales and the fractionation of C, N and S isotopes. Applied Geochemistry 74, pp. 94-108. (10.1016/j.apgeochem.2016.09.006)
- Yamoah, K. A., Callac, N., Chi Fru, E., Wohlfarth, B., Wiech, A., Chabangborn, A. and Smittenberg, R. H. 2016. A 150-year record of phytoplankton community succession controlled by hydroclimatic variability in a tropical lake. Biogeosciences 13(13), pp. 3971-3980. (10.5194/bg-13-3971-2016)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2016. Cu isotopes in marine black shales record the Great Oxidation Event. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 113(18), pp. 4941-4946. (10.1073/pnas.1523544113)
- Chi Fru, E., Hemmingsson, C., Holm, M., Chiu, B. and Iñiguez, E. 2016. Arsenic-induced phosphate limitation under experimental Early Proterozoic oceanic conditions. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 434, pp. 52-63. (10.1016/j.epsl.2015.11.009)
- Chi Fru, E., Arvestål, E., Callac, N., El Albani, A., Kilias, S., Argyraki, A. and Jakobsson, M. 2015. Arsenic stress after the Proterozoic glaciations. Scientific Reports 5, article number: 17789. (10.1038/srep17789)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2015. Biogenicity of an Early Quaternary iron formation, Milos Island, Greece. Geobiology 13(3), pp. 225-244. (10.1111/gbi.12128)
- El Albani, A. et al. 2014. The 2.1 Ga Old Francevillian Biota: Biogenicity, taphonomy and biodiversity. PLoS ONE 9(6), pp. e99438. (10.1371/journal.pone.0099438)
- Chen, M., Walshe, G., Chi Fru, E., Ciborowski, J. J. and Weisener, C. G. 2013. Microcosm assessment of the biogeochemical development of sulfur and oxygen in oil sands fluid fine tailings. Applied Geochemistry 37, pp. 1-11. (10.1016/j.apgeochem.2013.06.007)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2013. Fossilized iron bacteria reveal a pathway to the biological origin of banded iron formation. Nature Communications 4, article number: 2050. (10.1038/ncomms3050)
- Chi Fru, E., Chen, M., Walshe, G., Penner, T. and Weisener, C. 2013. Bioreactor studies predict whole microbial population dynamics in oil sands tailings ponds. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 97(7), pp. 3215-3224. (10.1007/s00253-012-4137-6)
- Chi Fru, E., Piccinelli, P. and Fortin, D. 2012. Insights into the global microbial community structure associated with iron oxyhydroxide minerals deposited in the aerobic biogeosphere. Geomicrobiology Journal 29(7), pp. 587-610. (10.1080/01490451.2011.599474)
- Chi Fru, E. et al. 2011. Effects of copper mineralogy and methanobactin on cell growth and sMMO activity in Methylosinus trichosporium OB3b. Biogeosciences 8(10), pp. 2887-2894. (10.5194/bg-8-2887-2011)
- Chi Fru, E. 2011. Microbial evolution of sulphate reduction when lateral gene transfer is geographically restricted. International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology 61(7), pp. 1725-1735. (10.1099/ijs.0.026914-0)
- Chi Fru, E., Ofiţeru, I. D., Lavric, V. and Graham, D. W. 2011. Non-linear population dynamics in chemostats associated with live-dead cell cycling in Escherichia coli strain K12-MG1655. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 89(3), pp. 791-798. (10.1007/s00253-010-2895-6)
- Chi Fru, E. 2009. Iron oxides influence bacterial community structure and the spatial distribution of the aerobic methanotrophs and sulphate reducers in granitic aquifers. Geomicrobiology Journal 26(6), pp. 415-429. (10.1080/01490450902965989)
- Chi Fru, E. 2008. Constraints in the colonization of natural and engineered subterranean igneous rock aquifers by aerobic methane-oxidizing bacteria inferred by culture analysis. Geobiology 6(4), pp. 365-375. (10.1111/j.1472-4669.2008.00164.x)
- Chi Fru, E. and Athar, R. 2008. In situ bacterial colonization of compacted bentonite under deep geological high-level radioactive waste repository conditions. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 79(3), pp. 499-510. (10.1007/s00253-008-1436-z)
- Anderson, C. R., James, R. E., Chi Fru, E., Kennedy, C. B. and Pedersen, K. 2006. In situ ecological development of a bacteriogenic iron oxide-producing microbial community from a subsurface granitic rock environment. Geobiology 4(1), pp. 29-42. (10.1111/j.1472-4669.2006.00066.x)
- Masurat, P., Chi Fru, E. and Pedersen, K. 2005. Identification of Meiothermus as the dominant genus in a storage system for spent nuclear fuel. Journal of Applied Microbiology 98(3), pp. 727-740. (10.1111/j.1365-2672.2004.02519.x)
Book sections
- Chi Fru, E. 2019. Copper isotopes. In: Gargaud, M. et al. eds. Encyclopedia of Astrobiology. Berlin, Germany: Springer, (10.1007/978-3-642-27833-4_5398-1)
Conferences
- Hamida, D., Chouabbi, A., Chi Fru, E., Nacer, J. and Krekeler, M. 2024. Mechanism of formation, mineralogy and geochemistry of the ooidal ironstone of Djebel Had, Northeast Algeria. Presented at: EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition, Oslo, Norway, 10-13 June 2024Proceedings of 85th EAGE Annual Conference & Exhibition. EAGE Publishing pp. 1-5., (10.3997/2214-4609.202410967)
Research
- Microbe-Mineral Interactions: This research delves into the interactions between microbes and minerals, particularly how microorganisms can transform and stabilize minerals. This has implications for understanding ancient biosignatures and the potential for life to impact mineral formation.
- Iron and nutrient cycling: I study how biotic and abiotic processes mediate the oxidation and reduction of iron, linked to the formation of iron deposits and the cycling of nutrient trace elements in past and present marine environments. This work helps to explain the formation of Precambrian banded iron formations (BIFs), coupled with ocean-atmosphere oxygenation and key marine nutrient cycles through geological time.
- Microbial Geochemistry: I conduct extensive research on the role of microbes in controlling geochemical cycles, such as sulfur, arsenic, phosphorus and iron, and their impact on ocean-atmosphere evolution, including insights into how microorganisms influenced the oxidation state of ancient environments.
- Methane and Metal Cycling: The study of aerobic methane oxidation (methanotrophy), particularly focusing on the role of trace metals like copper in supporting microbial processes that regulate methane oxidation levels, essential in controlling atmospheric concentrations.
- Earth's Geochemical Evolution and Plastics: My background in studying the broader biogeochemical evolution of Earth's early history has brought me to how plastic pollution would affect the long-term biogeochemical evolution of the modern ocean-atmosphere system.
Biography
- PhD Geomicrobiology, Gothenburg University (2006).
- MSci Biology, Gothenburg University (2002).
- MSc Microbiology, University of Buea, Cameroon (1999).
- BSc Microbiology, University of Buea, Cameroon (1997).
Honours and awards
- Marie Curie Fellowship (2011-2013)
- European Research Council Starting award grant (2013-2018)
Professional memberships
- European Association of Geochemistry
Academic positions
- Reader (Associated Professor) Geomicrobiology/Biogeochemistry, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2023-)
- Senior Lecturer in Geomicrobiology/Biogeochemistry, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Cardiff University (2016-).
- Senior Researcher in Geomicrobiology/Biogeochemistry, Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University (2013-2016).
- Marie Curie Research Fellow-Swedish Museum of Natural History, Stockholm (2011-2013).
- Postdoctoral Fellow, Grea Lakes Institute for Environmental Research, University of Windsor, Canada. (2011).
- Postdoc fellow, School of Engineering and Geosciences, Newcastle University (2008-2011).
- Senior Research Associate, Department of Environmental Sciences, University of East Anglia 2007-2008).
