Area of research:

Diploma & Master Thesis

Part-Time Suitability:

The position is suitable for part-time employment.

Job description: Master thesis: Towards Standardized Workflows — Method Development for Microplastic Analysis of Polar Environmental Samples (f/m/d/x)BackgroundMicroplastics are a growing global concern and have reached even the most remote regions of the planet, including the Arctic and Antarctica, where they may interact with marine organisms in ways that are not yet fully understood. To improve our understanding of their distribution and potential impacts on polar ecosystems, reliable identification and quantification are essential. However, there is currently no clear consensus on standardized sampling strategies or analytical methodologies for microplastic detection. The analysis of polar samples is particularly challenging, as the high lipid content in many organisms can interfere with the accurate identification of microplastics.

This project focuses on the development of a reproducible analytical workflow for the extraction and characterization of microplastics in heterogeneous sample matrices, such as zooplankton, fish tissue, and sediments. It builds on a previous Master’s thesis within the Helmholtz Young Investigator Group Double-Trouble (Junior Research Group - AWI).
Your Tasks

You will optimize existing workflows for the extraction of microplastics from biological material to ultimately establish reliable methods for varying matrices
You will extract microplastic polymers from different matrices (e.g., zooplankton, fish tissues) and analyse the composition via micro-Fourier Transform Infrared (µFTIR) and/or Raman microscopy
You will analyse and interpret your data and present your findings in a written thesis and scientific presentation

Your Profile

You are enrolled in a Master’s programme (e.g. Marine Biology, Ecotoxicology, Environmental Science, or related fields)
You are interested in method development, polar ecosystems and environmental stressors
You have good organisational and problem-solving skills
You are able to work independently and carefully in a lab environment
You have experience with laboratory work

Further InformationYou are interested?You are interested?Then please send your application (cover letter, resume and a reference contact merged into one PDF file) by e-mail to Dr Sebastian Primpke (Sebastian.Primpke@awi.de) and Dr Doreen Kohlbach (Doreen.Kohlbach@awi.de).

For further information please contact Dr Doreen Kohlbach.

This research center is part of the Helmholtz Association of German Research Centers. With more than 42,000 employees and an annual budget of over € 5 billion, the Helmholtz Association is Germany's largest scientific organisation.

Company

The Helmholtz Association contributes to solving major challenges to assure the future of our society. With more than 47.500 people on staff in 18 national Research Centers and an annual budget of more than 6 billion euros, the Helmholtz Association is Germany’s largest scientific organization. The name Helmholtz stands for concerted research, in which networks form the key principle behind inquiring thought and action.

The profile of the Helmholtz Association

The Helmholtz Association performs cutting-edge research which contributes substantially to solving the grand challenges of science, society and industry. To succeed in meeting these responsibilities, Helmholtz concentrates its work in six research fields: Energy, Earth and Environment, Health, Information, Matter, as well as Aeronautics, Space and Transport. Within each of these fields, research programs are developed by our scientists and regularly evaluated by renowned international experts. Their evaluation forms the basis for the program-oriented funding that is allocated to Helmholtz research. Within the six research fields, Helmholtz scientists cooperate with each other and with external partners – working across disciplinary, organizational and national borders.

Moreover, Helmholtz specializes in large-scale research infrastructures – from accelerator facilities, earth observation satellites, research ships to supercomputers. They form the basis for scientific advances in tackling global societal challenges. Managing national research infrastructure is part of the Helmholtz Association's mission.

Promoting young academics

Helmholtz scientists, a high-performance infrastructure and modern and efficient research management are the ingredients to the Helmholtz Association‘s success and global impact.
Promoting young researchers is a major priority for the Helmholtz Association. Its qualification schemes for young researchers are geared mainly towards PhD students, postdocs and young managers. The Helmholtz Association has set high standards for its talent management. Its strategy begins with targeted recruitment of highly qualified staff at all levels, followed by comprehensive support aimed at further developing their potential. Ensuring equal opportunities is an essential element in all talent management activities undertaken by the Helmholtz Association.

The Helmholtz Graduate Schools and Research Schools at almost all Helmholtz Centers provide doctoral students with the general and specific skills and training they need, as well as ample opportunity to network. The period following a doctorate is decisive in determining the direction and success of a scientific career. For this reason, we established Career Development Centers for postdoctoral researchers in the Helmholtz Centers. This equips young researchers with the skills they need to go on to head a Helmholtz Investigator Group , for example. As an Investigator Group leader, junior scientists can independently set up their own group to conduct research in their specialist field and acquire management skills.

Within its talent management strategy, the Helmholtz Association pays special attention to the increased recruitment of talented female scientists both from Germany and abroad. To this end, there are currently two funding programs supporting this policy: and Helmholtz Distinguished Professorship – Funding for the recruitment of leading international female scientists (W3) .

The increasing complexity of the content, structures and framework conditions of scientific work today requires researchers to organize their projects, their employees and, of course, themselves in a highly professional and effective way. In response to these demands, we have set up the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to provide leaders in science with professional management training. Furthermore, the Helmholtz network provides a platform for the alumni of the Helmholtz Leadership Academy to come together and share their experiences of leadership, career development and lifelong learning.

All of this combined makes the 18 Research Centers of the Helmholtz Association a highly attractive environment for talented researchers from all over the world.

Company info

Telephone: 0049-30-206329-0
Location: Anna-Louisa-Karsch-Str. 2
Berlin
Berlin
10178
Germany

Master thesis: Towards Standardized Workflows — Method Development for Microplastic Analysis of...

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