CRC Microplastic Seminar Series

Monday, 13th December 2021
5:00 pm, Virtual ZOOM

Spectroscopic Detection of Microplastics
Prof. Dr. Martin Koch, Semiconductor Photoniccs, University Marburg

Several different spectroscopic methods exist to distinguish microplastics particles and natural materials typically found in the environment. We discuss the operation principles and the advantages and drawbacks of these different methods.

Link to Homepage: Martin Koch
Link: Posterankündigung

Montag, 15th November 2021
5:00 pm, H33, AI

Assessing origin and fate of airborne (microplastic) particles via molecular-level composition analysis
Prof. Dr. Anke Nölscher, Atmosphärische Chemie, Universität Bayreuth

The chemical composition of airborne particles can aid to diagnose their origin, atmospheric age and impact on air quality, weather and climate. This seminar talk will highlight the potential of a molecular-level composition analysis for studying sources and impact of (microplastic) particles in the atmosphere

Link to Homepage: Anke Nölscher
Link: Posterankündigung

Monday, 8th November 2021

Microplastics interactions with biomolecules and daphnids
Prof. Dr. Iseult Lynch, Environmental Nanosciences, University of Birmingham

The talk will present some of our work on understanding the interactions of Microplastics with Daphnia magna, a key indicator species for pollution, including the importance of mode of dispersion, impacts of medium composition, and role of the acquired biomolecule corona in mediating ingestion and retention of microplastics and co-pollutants such as triclosan (a representative antibacterial found in handwashes) and diclofenac (an exemplar pharmaceutical).

Link to Homepage: Iseult Lynch
Link: Posterankündigung

Monday, 25th October 2021

Possibilities to group micro- and nanoplastic particles: Insights from the perspective of the BMBF project InnoMat.Life
PD Dr. Andrea Haase, Chemical and Product Safety, German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR)

Compared to grouping of conventional substances or nanomaterials, establishing grouping approaches for micro- and nanoscaled plastic particles (MNPs) is much more challenging. The description of the chemical composition is more complicated for polymers and these particles are inherently heterogenous in many key properties.

This talk will provide an overview on the experimental work conducted within the InnoMat.Life consortium (www.innomatlife.de) to challenge possible grouping criteria using a variety of selected MNPs including several types of polyethylene, polyamide, polyurethane, polymethyl methacrylate and a rubber material obtained from recycled truck tires. As potential grouping criteria we assessed, among others, surface reactivity and biological effects considering human and environmental model systems, transport of different environmental contaminants, sedimentation and flotation behavior as well as ageing and fragmentation rates.

Based on our current data first conclusions concerning suitable approaches and criteria for grouping of different MNPs are possible. Our work is important for developing approaches to assess risks for human health and the environment.

Link to Homepage: Chemicals and Product Safety, BfR
Link: Posterankündigung

Monday, 04th October 2021
5:00 pm, Virtual Seminar (ZOOM)

Protein Engineering for Plastic Management
Prof. Dr. Ulrich Schwaneberg, Biotechnologie, RWTH Aachen

Plastics production reached ~370 million tons worldwide and our environment is massively contaminated with plastic waste. Microplastic contaminations alone are estimated to be in total 1.8-5.0 Mio tons with a yearly increase of 42 000 t (source European Chemical Agency; ECHA). Microplastic-particles can still be found in daily-used products such as cosmetics, cleaning/laundry products, and fertilizers. Based on bioaccumulation studies of Microplastic-particles the ECHA recommends wide-ranging restrictions on Microplastic in products to ensure human and environmental health. This ‘ban on microplastic’ is expected to be adopted into EU legislation till 2022, however, so far no ‘holy grail’ analytics has been developed to enable material-specific quantification of Microplastic-particles in high-throughput. In the presentation I will outline the advancement that we have achieved in designing by material-specific binding through protein engineering methodologies and their application in microplastic quantification and degradation.

Link to Homepage: Ulrich Schwaneberg
Link: Posterankündigung

27-29th July 2021
Hotel The Monarch, Bad Gögging

CRC 1357 Retreat, Internal CRC Event

Monday, 19th July 2021
17:00 Uhr, Virtual Seminar (ZOOM)

Assessment of health risks of high aspect ratio materials (HARM): New techniques for material control and testing
Dr. Dirk Broßell, Partikelförmige Gefahrstoffe, Bundesanstalt für Arbeitsschutz und Arbeitsmedizin, Dortmund

Dust of high aspect ratio materials (HARM) can be hazardous to human health when inhaled. The classical fibre pathogenicity paradigm (FPP) predicts a carcinogenic potential in humans for inhalable biodurable fibres. Innovative testing methods and the availability of materials with narrow diameter distributions like carbon nanotubes and synthetic polymer fibres will and have already contribute(d) to a better understanding of the underlying pathomechanical cell effects that motivate a revision and extension of the FPP. Apart from implementing appropiate safety measures for workers, risk prediction enables the identification of parameters for designing and manufacturing safer HARM.

Link to Homepage: Fachgruppe 4.5 Partikelförmige Gefahrstoffe und Innovative Materialien

Monday, 28th June 2021
17:00 Uhr, Virtual Seminar (ZOOM)

Modelling microplastic input into agricultural soils – first results and a perspective
Dr. Elke Brandes, Institute for Rural Studies, Thünen-Insitut, Braunschweig

In both science and society, agriculture has been featuring prominently as an emitter of microplastics into soils, but its relevance compared with other sources (industry, littering, etc.) remains largely unknown. The talk will include some spatially explicit modelling results of MP emission distributions from the BMBF funded projects PLAWES and MicroCatch_Balt, and discuss these in context with the whole transport pathway chain from terrestrial to marine environments. It will also highlight the importance of multi-scale modelling approaches towards a holistic understanding as a basis for political decision-making.

Poster: CRC 1357 Seminar Dr. Elke Brandes
Link to Homepage: Elke Brandes

Monday, 14th June 2021
05:00 pm, Virtual Seminar (ZOOM)

Nano- and Microplastics, Oil or Toxins – how Smart Rust can clean up our water
Prof. Dr. Marcus Halik, Organic Materials & Devices, Friedrich Alexander Universität Erlangen - Nürnberg

Chemically surface-functionalized SuperParamagnetic Iron Oxide Nanoparticles (SPIONs) – or smart rust – serve excellent vehicles to attract water contaminants and to allow a simple magnetic remediation of such loaded SPIONs. The surfaces of SPIONs matters in order to achieve magnetic responsive sorbents to collect efficiently different brands of nano/microplastics, different liquid hydrocarbons (oil) or special contaminants (PCBs, glyphosate). An overview of recent developments will be presented.

Poster: CRC 1357 Seminar Prof. Marcus Halik
Link to Homepage: Marcus Halik

Monday, 24th February 2020
17:00 o'clock, NWIII, H36

Synthesis of functionalized, monodisperse microparticles from different plastic materials
Dr. habil Lars Dähne, Surflay Nanotec GmbH, Berlin

Link zu Homepage: Surflay

Monday, 3rd February 2020
17:00 o'clock, NWIII, H36

Microplastic effects in terrestrial ecosystems
Prof. Dr. Matthias Rillig, Plant Ecology, Freie Universität Berlin

Microplastic effects have only relatively recently become a concern in terrestrial ecosystems, with research having initially focused on aquatic systems. In this talk I discuss the role of microplastic as a global change factor affecting soils and plants.

Link Homepage: Prof. Rillig
Announcement: Poster

Monday, 27th January 2020
17:00 o'clock, NWIII, H36

Science Communication: Sustainability and Microplastics
Prof. Dr. Marco Beeken, Didactics of Chemistry, University of Osnabrück

The topics environment protection and sustainability are currently being intensively discussed  in society, the media, sciences and politics. “Fridays for Future” may act as a prominent example here. However, on closer inspection, it becomes clear that many citizens show great interest in these topics, but are often rather uninformed with regard to details.

For this reason, science communication is of great significance. In this lecture, first some theoretical basic knowledge on science communication based on the example of microplastics is presented, after which some concrete event formats and their evaluation results are discussed.

Link Homepage: Prof. Beeken
Announcement: Poster

Wednesday, 18th December 2019
16:15 o'clock, NWI, H11

Towards non-persistent polyethylene-like materials by polymerization catalysis methods
Prof. Dr. Stefan Mecking, Chemische Materialwissenschaften, Universität Konstanz

Polyethylene is the most important plastic with excellent materials properties due to its crystallinity, yet it is persistent in a natural environment. We pursue approaches to endow polyethylene-like materials with a non-persistent nature by introducing low densities of functional groups as break points in the chain. Key are polymerization catalysis methods that are compatible with such functional groups. These also provide access to unique polymer micro- and nanoparticles for studies of the fate of microplastics in the environment.

Link Homepage: Prof. Mecking
Announcement: Poster

Wednesday, 11th December 2019
16:15 o'clock, NWI, H11

Prof. Dr. Eva Lehndorff, Department Soil Ecology, University of Bayreuth

Prof. Dr. Tillmann Lüders, Ecological Microbiology, University of Bayreuth

SFB-internal Seminar for PIs and PhDs.

Wednesday, 04th December 2019
16:15 o'clock, NWI, H11

Polymers in the underground: on the biodegradation of synthetic polyesters in soils
Dr. Michael Sander, Department of Environmental Systems Science, ETH Zürich

Biodegradable plastics have been heavily used in agricultural applications for years, while the biodegradation of these materials in soils remained poorly understood on a fundamental level. This contribution will present highlights on our past and ongoing work on the key steps involved in polyester biodegradation in soils: microbial polymer surface colonisation, polyester hydrolysis by extracellular microbial esterases, and the microbial utilisation of polyester hydrolysis products. The talk will also summarise remaining knowledge gaps on polyester biodegradation in soils and present some ideas of how these can be addressed.

Link Homepage: Dr. Sander
Announcement: Poster

Wednesday, 27th November 2019
16:15 o'clock, NWI, H11

Microbial Degradation of Plastics: Searching the Needle in the Haystack
Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Streit, Microbiology und Biotechnology, Universität Hamburg

Bacteria as plastic waste disposal? Will microorganisms be able to eat microplastics in the future and thus remove them from the environment? What is behind the microorganisms, what effect they have and what opportunities there are for the reduction of nano- and microplastics will be explained here. Further I will address our latest attempts to identify plastic-degrading enzymes and bacteria by mining global metagenomes.

Link Homepage: Prof. Streit
Announcement: Poster

Public Seminar - All interested parties are cordially invited!