Portrait photo of Malin Olofsson

Malin Olofsson

Researcher (docent), Division of Microbial Ecology
E-mail
malin.olofsson@slu.se
Aquatic biologist focusing on phytoplankton-bacteria interactions and nutrient fluxes. My research questions My research focus on various groups of phytoplankton from diatoms to filamentous cyanobacteria, from single-cells to large scale monitoring.

Presentation

I both lead and are involved in several projects related to phytoplankton including cyanobacteria of various types, here are a few examples:

  • Local adaptation of filamentous cyanobacteria to salinity gradients in aquatic regions around the Baltic Sea (VR Establishing grant 2025-2028, main applicant).
  • Nitrogen fixing cyanobacteria in the Baltic Sea including the use of stable isotope incubation experiments, biogeochemical models, and monitoring data (ÅForsk repatriation grant, main applicant).
  • Two projects on monitoring and anlyses of algal toxins, both in freshwater and seawater, mainly focusing on cyanobacteria and assimilated in mussels (Board of Agriculture, 2023-2026, main applicant, 2024-2027, co-applicant).
  • One project on how temperature will affect seasonality and toxin production and transfer in aquatic food webs, using the heated lake at Forsmark power plant (Oscar Lilli Lamm, 2024-2025). 

 

Supervision

Bachelor students
Co-supervised Amanda Wise and William Fang, High School Internship, 2 weeks, May 2021
Supervision of Bachelor Thesis project by Freja Westermark March-June 2023
 
Master students
Co-supervised Rickard Stenow, Master student, GU (SE), 2017-2018
Co-supervision 3 MSc students within the Master Thesis Training Program (UU), Spring 2023
Co-supervision of MSc Thesis project by Sajani Hansana, spring 2025
 
PhD students
Co-supervised McKenzie Powers, PhD student, UGA (US), 2020-2021
PhD main supervisor, Manuela Seehauser, starting March 2024
Co-supervision of PhD student Manne Larsson, from December 2023
PhD main supervisor, to be decided, starting May 2025
 
Post docs
Supervision of Mihriban Ozen, 1 year, 2023-2024.
Supervision of Mohanad Abdelgadir, 4 months, 2024-2025

Research

I use many different methodological approaches in my research including metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, toxin analyses (ELISA; LC-MS), spatial modeling, and secondary ion mass sperometry S(IMS) for single cell stable isotope analyses.

I collaborate both within SLU but also with many affiliations outside of the Univeristy, including SMHI, Swedish Food Agency, SwAM, and municipalities. 

Research projects

Research groups

Teaching

I am the course coordinator of seven Thesis courses in Biology and Environmental Sciences. 

Educational credentials

Docent since November 2022.