All projects

Iron-based nanoparticles and nanocomposite structures for removal of contaminants from groundwater and sewage

In the project ‘Iron-based nanoparticles and nanocomposite structures for removal of contaminants from groundwater and sewage’ (Fe-Nanosit), Carbo-Iron®, a nanocomposite for remediation of contaminated groundwater and Pd-doted magnetite and magnetite-zeolith for treatment of industrial wastewater were developed. Since no data on ecotoxicity of these particles were available, ecotoxicity of the nanocomposites was investigated using standard […]

GBIF Information system soil organisms: Coordination for the national and international assessment of the animal groups of Lumbricidae and Enchytraeidae

Edaphobase is a database project aiming to bring together information concerning taxonomy and ecology of important soil invertebrate taxa. Data will be extracted from literature, collections and unpublished material from research institutions with a focus on Germany and its neighboring countries. Linking such data on different soil organism groups from several trophic levels with climatic, […]

Sediment contact tests as tool for the assessment of sediment quality in rivers and lakes (SeKT)

In current bioassay approaches for assessing sediment toxicity, whole organisms or in vitro systems are exposed to various sediment fractions (e.g. whole sediment, pore water, extracts) considering different exposure scenarios. Whole-sediment exposure protocols represent the most realistic scenario. However, until now the interpretation of sediment contact test results is associated with uncertainties due to the […]

Development of a gene expression fish embryo test as an alternative for chronic fish tests: analysis of toxic effects using differential gene expression in the Danio rerio embryo test (Gene-DarT)

Acute and chronic fish tests are performed for the registration of chemicals, pesticides, biocides and pharmaceuticals. While the fish embryo test has been developed as an alternative to the acute fish test, so far no alternatives for chronic fish tests are available. Therefore, the fish embryo test with the zebrafish (Danio rerio) was extended by […]

Soil biota and biogeochemistry in the Atlantic rainforest of Brazil – evaluation of diversity and soil function under anthropogenic influence (SOLOBIOMA)

One of the main threats of global biodiversity is the wide destruction of tropical rain forests. However, the portion of secondary forests will continue to increase. For the tropics, data on the recovery of faunal communities in the course of forest regeneration and knowledge on the suitability of secondary forests as refugial areas for old-growth […]