Laura M. Otter, PhD
Research Fellow in biomineralization at the Australian National University
Publications:
An asterisk (*) denotes shared first authorship
Underlined names denote supervised / trained student authors
Preprints of articles currently under review:
Published peer-reviewed journal articles:
21.
Medd, O.M.*, Otter, L.M.*, Williams, I.S., Stern, R.A., Förster, M.W., Eggins, S., Rodrigues-Sanz, S.L., Abram, N.J., He, M., Ellwood, M.J., Hargreaves, J.A., Fallon, S.J. and Knowles B.M., 2024. Matrix corrected SIMS in-situ oxygen isotope analyses of marine shell aragonite for high resolution seawater temperature reconstructions. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems,25, e2024GC011577
20.
Otter, L.M., Eder, K., Kilburn, M.R., Yang, L., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B., Cairney, J.M. and Jacob, D.E., 2023. Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre. Nature Communications 14 (1), 11
>>> Click here to watch an animation visualizing time-resolved nacre growth based on NanoSIMS images of Sr-labelled nacre
19.
Weis, U., Stoll, B., Förster, M.W., Hell, K., Kaiser, V., Otter, L.M., and Jochum, K.P., 2022. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Bibliographic Review 2020. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research. 46(1), 129 – 134
18.
Gim, J., Koch, A., Otter, L.M., Savitzky, B.H., Erland, S., Estroff, L.A., Jacob, D.E., and Hovden R., 2021. The Mesoscale Order of Nacreous Pearls. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Vol. 118 (42)
17.
Otter, L.M.*, Förster*, M.W., Belousova, E., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B., Park, S., Clark, S., Foley, S.F. and Jacob, D.E., 2021. Nanoscale Chemical Imaging by Photo-Induced Force Microscopy: Technical Aspects and Application to the Geosciences. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Vol. 45(1), p. 5 – 27 - article listed in the "Editor's Choice" collection
16.
Weis, U., Stoll, B., Arns, J., Förster, M.W., Kaiser, V., Otter, L.M., Reichstein, L., and Jochum, K.P., 2021. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Bibliographic Review 2019. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Vol. 45(1), p. 29 – 35
15.
Otter, L.M., Macholdt, D.S., Jochum, K.P., B. Stoll, U. Weis, Weber, B., Scholz, D., Haug, G.H., Al-Amri, A.M., and Andreae M.O., 2020. Geochemical Insights into the Relationship of Rock Varnish and Adjacent Mineral Dust Fractions. Chemical Geology, 551, 119775
>>> Click here for the erratum concerning Figure 3.
>>> Click here to see the supplementary PDF containing details on the new LA-ICP-MS depth profiling strategy, XRD protocol, and additional geochemical plots and sample photos
14.
Förster, M.W., Zemlitskaya, A., Otter, L.M., Buhre S. and Sirocko F., 2020. Late Pleistocene Eifel eruptions: insights from clinopyroxene and glass geochemistry of tephra layers from Eifel Laminated Sediment Archive sediment cores. Journal of Quaternary Science, special issue: Intav Tephra, 35 (1-2), 186-198
13.
Otter, L.M., Agbaje, O., Kilburn, M.R., Lenz, C., Henry, H., Trimby, P., Hoppe, P. and Jacob, D.E., 2019. Insights into architecture, growth dynamics, and biomineralization from pulsed Sr-labelled Katelysia rhytiphora shells (Mollusca, Bivalvia), Biogeosciences, 16, 3439–3455
>>> Click here for the Corrigendum concerning Figure 2
12.
Eder, K., Otter, L.M., Yang, L., Jacob, D.E. and Cairney J.M., 2019. Overcoming Challenges Associated with the Analysis of Nacre by Atom Probe Tomography. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, 43(3), p. 385–395
11.
Sturman, N., Otter, L.M., Homkrajae, A., Manustrong, A., Nilpetploy, N., Lawanwong, K., Kessrapong, P., Jochum, K.P., Stoll, B., Götz, H. and Jacob, D.E., 2019. A Pearl Identification Challenge. Gems & Gemology, 54(2), 229–243
10.
Gim, J., Schnitzer, N., Otter, L.M., Cui, Y., Motreuil, S., Marin, F., Wolf, S.E., Jacob, D.E., Misra, A. and Hovden, R., 2019. Nanoscale deformation mechanics reveal resilience in nacre of Pinna nobilis shell. Nature Communications, 10 (1), 1-8
>>> Movie 1 - 35.3 MB .avi - shows nacre cross-section rotation and deformation of nanograins and organic inclusions
>>> Movie 2 - 28.1 MB .avi shows nacre cross-section with strain contours being deflected by organic inclusions and organic membranes
>>> Movie 3 - 27.1 .avi - shows the prismatic calcite shell layer of P. nobilis behaving stiffer than nacre and absorbs less mechanical energy
>>> Movie 4 - 271 MB .avi - shows abiotic, monolithic aragonite behaving stiff and absorbs less mechanical energy
9.
Jacob, D.E., Ruthensteiner, B., Trimby, P., Henry, H. Martha, S.O., Otter, L.M. and Scholz, J., 2019. Architecture of Anoteropora latirostris (Bryozoa, Cheilostomata) and implications for their biomineralization. Scientific Reports, 9:11439, 1–13
>>> Click here to see the EBSD map shown in Figure 6c in higher resolution - 6.2 MB ZIP
8.
Huong, L.T.T, Otter, L.M., Foerster, M.W., Hauzenberger, C.A., Krenn, K., Alard, O., Macholdt, D.S., Weis, U., Stoll, B. and Jochum, K.P., 2018. Femtosecond laser ablation-ICP-mass spectrometry and CHNS elemental analyzer reveal trace element characteristics of danburite from Mexico, Tanzania, and Vietnam. Minerals, 8 (6), 234 - invited article
7.
Otter, L.M., Agbaje, O.B., Huong, L.T.T., Häger, T. and Jacob, D.E., 2017. Akoya Cultured Pearl Farming in Eastern Australia, Gems & Gemology, 53 (4), 423–437
6.
Huong, L.T.T, Otter, L.M., Weis, U., Ullmann, T., Hofmeister, W., Weis, U. and Jochum, K.P., 2016. A New Find of Danburite in the Luc Yen Mining Area, Vietnam. Gems & Gemology, 52 (4), 393–401
5.
Macholdt, D.S., Jochum, K.P., Wilson, S.W., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B., Weis, U., and Andreae, M. O., 2016. Investigation of the suitability of Mn- and Fe-rich reference materials for microanalytical research. Geostandards & Geoanalytical Research, Vol. 40(4), p 493–504
4.
Weis, U., Schwager, B., Nohl, U., Karlowski, P., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B. and Jochum, K.P., 2016. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Bibliographic Review 2015. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Vol. 40(4), p. 599–601
3.
Jochum, K.P., Wilson, S.A., Becker, H., Garbe-Schönberg, D., Groschopf, N., Kadlag; Y., Macholdt, D.S., Mertz-Kraus, R., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B. and Stracke A., 2016. FeMnOx-1: A microanalytical reference material for the investigation of Mn-Fe rich geological samples. Chemical Geology, Vol. 432, p. 34–40
>>> Click here to access the FeMnOx synthesis "recipe" - 19.4 KB .docx
2.
Weis, U., Schwager, B., Nohl, U., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B., Karlowski, P. and Jochum, K.P., 2015. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research Bibliographic Review 2014. Geostandards and Geoanalytical Research, Vol. 39(4), p. 497–500
1.
Otter, L.M., Wehrmeister, U., Enzmann, F., Wolf, M. and Jacob, D.E., 2014. A Look inside a Remarkably Large Beaded South Sea Cultured Pearl Gems & Gemology, 50(1), 58-62
Other publications:
3.
Otter, L.M., 2025. Research report: Growing Anadara trapezia bivalves in aquaculture experiments to improve paleo seawater temperature reconstructions. The Malacological Society of Australasia Newsletter, No 192, 11-12
2.
Huong, L.T.T, Otter, L.M., Häger, T., .Ullmann, T., Hofmeister, W., Weis, U. and Jochum, K.P., 2016. Charak-terisierung gelber Danburite aus Luc Yen, Vietnam. Zeitschrift Deutsche Gernmologische Geselschaft, 52 (4), 41–52
1.
Otter, L.M., Wehrmeister, U., Enzmann, F., Wolf, M. and Jacob, D.E., 2014. Einblicke in eine auflergewohnlich grofle Siidseezuchtperle mittels Rontgen-Mikro-Computertomographie, Zeitschrift Deutsche Gernmologische Geselschaft, 66/1-2, 69-80
Selected international conference abstracts:
Underlined names denote supervised or otherwise trained HDR student authors
17.
Otter, L.M., Medd, O.M., Williams, I.S., Stern, R.A., Förster, M.W., Rodrigues-Sanz, S.L., He, M. and Abram, N.J., 2024. Advancements in SIMS oxygen isotope calibration of marine biogenic aragonite. Geoanalysis2024, Wuhan, China
16.
Dong, B., Prendergast, A., Otter, L.M., Drysdale, R. and Alidoostsalimi, M., 2023. Investigating seawater-shell relationships using tank experiments with living Tridacna to inform palaeoenvironmental reconstructions. 6th Sclerochronology Conference, Tokyo, Japan
16.
Stolarski, J., Cisneros-Lazaro, D., Otter, L. M. and Meibom, A., 2023. Biological control over CaCO3 polymorphism and the evolution of biomineralization: Insights from the bi-mineralic skeleton of Paraconotrochus antarcticus scleractinian coral. 14th Symposium of the International Fossil Coral and Reef Society, Warsaw, Poland
15.
Otter, L.M., Eder, K., Kilburn, M.R., Yang, L., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B., Cairney, J.M. and Jacob, D.E., 2023. Visualizing nacre growth and the amorphous to crystalline phase transformation in strontium-labelled bivalve shells. Goldschmidt2023, Lyon, France
14.
Cisneros-Lazaro, D., Otter, L. M., Adams, A., Daval, D., Vennemann, T., Baumgartner, L. P., Stolarski, J., Bernard, S., Baronnet, A., Grauby, O. Raut, H.K. and Meibom, A., 2023. In-situ identification of the biomacromolecules relevant to diagenetic isotope exchange in biocalcites. Goldschmidt2023, Lyon, France
13.
Otter, L.M., Eder, K., Kilburn, M.R., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B., Cairney, J.M. and Jacob, D.E. 2022. Growth dynamics and amorphous-to-crystalline phase transformation in natural nacre. Gordon Research Conference on Biomineralization, Barcelona, Spain
12.
Otter, L.M., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B. and Jacob, D.E., 2022. Chemical imaging of biominerals at nano-length scales via photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM). Geoanalysis 2022, Freiberg, Germany
11.
Otter, L.M., Förster, M.W., Belousova, E., O’Reilly, P., Nowak, D.B., Clark, S., Foley, S.F. and Jacob, D.E., 2021. Photo-induced force microscopy (PiFM): A new technique at the (bio)mineralogist’s fingertips. Goldschmidt2021, Virtual
10.
Mazumdar, S., Otter, L.M. and Jacob, D.E., 2021. Microstructure and Trace Element Composition of Organophosphatic Brachiopod Shells. Goldschmidt2021, Virtual
9.
Otter, L.M., Eder, K., Gim, J., Hovden, R., Kilburn, M.R., Yang, L. Cairney, J.M., and Jacob, D.E. 2020. New Perspectives On The Nacre-Organic Interface In Bivalve Shells. Goldschmidt2020, Virtual
8.
Otter, L.M., Trimby. P., Henry, H., Kilburn, M.R., Eder, K., Agbaje, O.B.A., Gim, J., Hovden, R., Cairney, J.M., Mazumdar, S. and Jacob, D.E. 2019. Bivalve shell architectures: new insights from pulsed Sr-labelling and correlative micro/nanoanalysis. Goldschmidt2019, Barcelona, Spain
7.
Otter, L.M., Eder, K., Branson, O., Cairney, J.M., Yang, L. and Jacob, D.E., 2018. Nanoscale Inhomogeneities in Nacre: New Analytical Challenges for the Atom Probe. Geoanalysis2018, Sydney, Australia
6.
Otter, L.M., Kosnik, M.A., M.R. Kilburn, M.R., Sorowka, A., Hoppe, P., Williamson, J.E. and Jacob, D.E., 2017. Submicron Architecture of Bivalve Shells revealed by Microbeam Techniques. Goldschmidt2017, Paris, France
5.
Jochum, K.P., Macholdt, D., Zipfel, J.O., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B., Weis, U. and Andreae, M.O., 2015, Highly Resolved Microanalyses in Varnish from Well-dated Meteorites Collected in the Libyan Desert for Paleoclimate Reconstruction. In AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
4.
Otter, L.M., Macholdt, D.S., Jochum, K.P., B. Stoll, U. Weis, Weber, B., Scholz, Al-Amri, A.M. and Andreae M.O., 2015. Desert varnish and dust: Nano- and femtosecond LA-ICP-MS studies of major and trace elements. Goldschmidt 2015, Prague, Czech Republic
3.
Macholdt, D., Jochum, K.P., Otter, L.M., Stoll, B., Weis, U., Pöhlker, C., Müller, M., Kappl, M., Weber, B., Kilcoyne, A.D. and Weigand, M., 2015. Relationship between Rock Varnish and Adjacent Mineral Dust Compositions Using Microanalytical Techniques. AGU Fall Meeting, Vol. 2015, pp. EP53A-0971
2.
Otter, L.M., Wehrmeister, U., Enzmann, F. and Jacob, D.E., 2014. High resolution computed micro-tomography: Insights into a hollow beaded cultured pearl. GIT Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand
1.
Wehrmeister, U., Gluhak, T.M., Götz, H., Otter, L.M. and Jacob, D.E., Non-Destructive Differentiation of African and Asian Ivory by FT-Raman Spectroscopy and Chemometric methods. GIT Thailand, Chiang Mai, Thailand
Other contributions:
Acknowledgements in peer-reviewed publications:
2.
Lang‐Yona, N., Maier, S., Macholdt, D.S., Müller‐Germann, I., Yordanova, P., Rodriguez‐Caballero, E., Jochum, K.P., Al‐Amri, A., Andreae, M.O., Fröhlich‐Nowoisky, J. and Weber, B., 2018. Insights into microbial involvement in desert varnish formation retrieved from metagenomic analysis. Environmental microbiology reports, 10(3), pp.264-271
1.
Macholdt, D.S., Jochum, K.P., Pöhlker, C., Arangio, A., Förster, J.D., Stoll, B., Weis, U., Weber, B., Müller, M., Kappl, M. and Shiraiwa, M., 2017. Characterization and differentiation of rock varnish types from different environments by microanalytical techniques. Chemical Geology, 459, pp.91-118.
Open-source contributions:
2.
Förster, M.W., Otter, L.M., Brocks, J.J., Jayasoma, K., Cisneros-Lazaro, D., Nowak, D., Stolarski, J., Knowles, B., 2024. A PiFM spectral library for the identification of molecular contaminants in geochemical laboratories. Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/zmxssj8w38.1
1.
Medd, O.M., Otter, L.M., Williams, I.S., Stern, R.A., Förster, M.W., Eggins, S., Rodrigues-Sanz, S.L., Abram, N.J., He, M., Ellwood, M.J., Hargreaves, J.A., Fallon, S.J. and Knowles B.M., 2024. Environmental and seawater chemistry parameters of temperature-controlled bivalve aquaculture experiments and the resulting geochemical compositions of the shells. Mendeley Data, V1, doi: 10.17632/bywms32stn.1
Acknowledgements in open-source contributions:
2.
Stern, R.A (2024). CCIM-SIMS microbeam reference material chemistry: aragonite S0436, data release 06-2024. Canadian Centre for Isotopic Microanalysis, Research Report 24-02. University of Alberta, Education and Research Archive. https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-d5tc-x642
1.
Stern, R.A., 2024. CCIM-SIMS microbeam reference material chemistry: calcite S0161, data release 06-2024. Canadian Centre for Isotopic Microanalysis, Research Report 24-01. University of Alberta, Education and Research Archive. https://doi.org/10.7939/r3-dvxt-cy70