Alfred M. Spormann received his PhD at Philipps University in Marburg, Germany, and conducted postdoctoral work in the Departments of Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, and at Stanford University. 

Primary research interest is on metabolism, in particular on CO₂ metabolism, of anaerobic microorganisms. The research group has been studying extensively acetogenic bacteria, methanogens, and chain-elongating bacteria including for direct and indirect electron uptake via electrosynthetic systems. Ongoing research includes metabolic fluxes of electrons and network wiring, electron transfer in redox enzymes, cellular resource allocation as a function of growth, the metabolic basis of parallel metabolism as well as slow growth and stationary phase physiology.  

Other research is investigating the molecular interactions of redox-active enzymes at the enzyme-electrode interface, as well as the metabolism of anaerobic H₂S-forming microorganisms in the human gut and their role in colon rectal cancer.

All research approaches use quantitative biochemical, genetic, proteomic, and transcriptomic approaches.