News

From our interactive webinar series #microplastinar the recordings are uploaded on our very own youtube-channel and in our Media Library. You want to get new insights on Microplastics and Plastic Pollution – Check out our diverse experts!

The first  six videos, starting with Richard Thompson, are already online. The others will follow – every Wednesday we will publish the next one.

Stay tuned on twitter and linkedIn, so you don’t miss any news.

We did it – first network meeting of the LimnoPlast team in person!

The week started with a 2-day workshop about Circular Economy for all of our ESRs. The event took place at the Fraunhofer Forum in Berlin and was organized by Fraunhofer UMSICHT. After basics about plastic loss and circular economy (CE) e.g. history an concept of CE, T-Strategies in the CE, typical losses of microplastics in the life cycle, external speakers gave an explanation of value chains, state of knowledge regarding plastic emissions and environmental trade-offs in the field of tires (wdk, Wirtschaftsverband der deutschen Kautschukindustrie e.V.), textiles (University of Applied Sciences Niederrhein) and insulation materials (IHV, Industrieverband Hartschaum e.V.). Afterwards, three groups where set up and and the workshop roundtables started, in which the ESRs discussed about point of losses and interventions, derivation of measures to reduce microplastics losses and identification of stakeholders – supported by experts from Fraunhofer UMSICHT.

After two intensive workshop days, the network meeting dinner at the Zero Waste Restaurant FREA was the perfect opportunity to get to know each other with the other joining LimnoPlast-Team members from all over Europe, like supervisors and management team. After warm welcome words of the coordinator Christian Laforsch a cozy get together took place.

Even more LimnoPlasties joined the network on the following day, both in person but also online. After a status update and a look into the future by the project management team, parallel hybrid work package meetings and deliverable meetings took place – even the coffee breaks were used for intense discussions showing that those in person meetings are indispensable – especially for such an interdisciplinary, international EU project.

The reward for the busy and productive first half of the day followed the same day with a boat trip along the Spree river. Windy and cold, but another great opportunity to connect and get to know each other beside neat working facts. An eventful networking event finally came to a pleasant end in a comfortable atmosphere with food and drinks. In conclusion, everyone agreed: the LimnoPlast-Team is very much looking forward to the next time!

#microplastinar- roadmap for our exciting microplastics talks journey

In this interactive microplastinar series, we will take a closer look at the wicked problem of plastic pollution and microplastics. Our speakers are experts in plastic pollution and have diverse backgrounds in academia, policy making, civil society and beyond. They will provide unique perspectives on the causes and impacts of the problem and discuss solutions.

Get and detailed overview over all already planned #microplastinars and a brief description of the invited speakers and register as soon as possible to become part of the microplastinar community! Completely for free!

Stay in contact with us via twitter and linkedin to be always up-to-date!

Finally – Official Kick-off Meeting of LimnoPlast!

Due to Covid-19 we are conducting this meeting digitally. However, we are looking forward to seeing everyone online at least and we have created a versatile, interactive agenda to keep everyone motivated in front of the screens. We are looking forward to this official start together with our fantastic consortium – but of course, we are all the more pleased to meeting all participants face-to-face as soon this is possible in a safe way!

Let´s officially start this fantastic EU-funded ITN project all over Europe!

Stay tuned – various exciting projects are waiting in the pipeline!

The University of Bayreuth Collaborative Research Centre 1357 Microplastics Understanding the mechanisms and processes of biological effects, transport and formation: From model to complex systems as a basis for new solutions, funded by the German Research Foundation, intends to establish a new junior research group in Ecotoxicology and is therefore seeking applicants for the position

Independent Junior Research Group Leader
in Microplastics Ecotoxicology (f/m/d)

for a fixed term of six years (A13Z).

Applicants must have excellent expertise in the field of ecotoxicology and risk assessment. Additional experience in microplastics research is of benefit. Further requirements for applicants are, that they are early career researchers with max. up to 6 years after finishing their PhD. PostDoc experience and experience in supervising students is helpful.

Find out more about this position!

With great sadness we are announcing the sudden and unexpected death of Dr. Rüdiger Baunemann. He deceased on Friday, 17th of April 2020, in his home town Leuna.

In 2011 Dr. Baunemann took on the role as general manager in the Association of Plastic Industry e.V. (now PlasticsEurope Deutschland e.V.) and was Regional Director Central Europe and part of the leadership team of PlasticsEurope in Brussels.

Read the whole obituary by PlasticsEurope in German

This summer school will discuss the abundance, transport, origin, fate, effects, ecologial and perceived risks and economic impact of plastics. From nano to macro, and from society to sea. It invites you to explore the challenge from all angles, as a group, with your own discipline as a basis. Through interactive sessions, discussions, and groupwork, you and your peers will contribute to an early career scientist perspective paper on the grand challenges in plastic science.

Content
– plastic risk assessment
– plastic risk perception
– quantifying microplastics: measurements and modelling
– quanitfying effects
– writing an opinion paper

More information and registration

After a first successful visit in 2019, South-African artist Mbongeni Buthelezi will be back at the Iwalewahaus this February. A number of public events will give the interested public an opportunity to watch his artistic process live and engage with the artist while he creates art from plastic waste.

The South African artist Mbongeni Buthelezi is known for creating impressive pieces of art. Impressive due to their size – some of them span 15 metres – and impressive due to the artist’s medium of choice. Buthelezi’s preferred material is plastic waste, which he cuts down and glues onto canvases thus creating the most extraordinary artwork. By giving garbage a second life as valuable pieces of art Mbongeni Buthelezi wants to convey hope but also create awareness for socioeconomic problems.

Following an invitation of the Collaborative Research Centre (Sonderforschungsbereich/SFB) “Microplastics” of the University of Bayreuth and supported by Iwalewahaus as well as the Africa Multiple Cluster of Excellence, Mbongeni Buthelezi will spend four weeks in Bayreuth. The artist’s stay will be flanked by a number of interesting events to create awareness for both the artist’s and the SFB’s work.

Starting on 10 February 2020, the public is invited to watch the artist’s creative process live at the Iwalewahaus workshop and engage with the artist in person. The artwork that will be created during this time will be displayed in a special exhibition, the opening of which will be celebrated on 27 February 2020. The opening will also mark the beginning of a unique and interesting science rally organized by the SFB 1357 Microplastics of the University of Bayreuth: From 28 February to 4 March 2020 PhD students will be present at Iwalewahaus to give visitors an idea why plastic material is valuable and why an improper disposal of one-way plastic has become such a problem for our environment. Visitors are invited to experiment at different science tables and to find out first-hand about the different properties of common plastic materials. They will have the chance to get insights into today’s challenges of Microplastics research as well as into solutions that the University of Bayreuth is developing. Surrounded by the science rally in the centre of Iwalewahaus Mbongeni Buthelezi will work on his latest project and will be open to inquiries about his creative process.

The series of events will close with a „Bayreuther Stadtgespräch“ titled „Das Kunststoffzeitalter: Unsachliche Berichterstattungen zum Thema Mikroplastik verunsichern Verbraucher. Was Forscher wirklich (nicht) wissen und zukunftsweisende Lösungsansätze“ on 4 March 2020. Established in 2014 by the University of Bayreuth, this monthly format gives scholars a chance to interact with the interested public. In March, Mbongeni Buthelezi und Prof. Dr. Christian Laforsch (SFB 1357 Microplastics) will each give a presentation on their respective motivation and the impact they would like to have on society followed by a public discussion. (sg)

More Information & Programme

The University of Bayreuth Collaborative Research Centre 1357 Microplastics Understanding the mechanisms and processes of biological effects, transport and formation: From model to complex systems as a basis for new solutions, funded by the German Research Foundation, intends to establish a new junior research group in Ecotoxicology to commence on 1 June 2020 and is therefore seeking applicants for the position

Manager of the Junior Research Group Ecotoxicology

for a fixed term of six years (initially limited to three years with an option to an extension for additional three years as a fixed-term academic civil servant A13Z).

Applicants must have received a grade of very good for a doctorate in a subject relevant to ecotoxicology. The doctorate must have been completed at least two and at most six years before the application deadline (date of the oral examination). Persons who hold fixed-term junior or comparable assistant professorships (W1/W2) are invited to apply, provided that their doctorate was completed no more than six years ago.

Find out more about this position!

From the 25^th to the 27^th of November, the 13 LimnoPlast project partners met for the first time at the University of Bayreuth. With this Europe-wide research project on microplastic in rivers and lakes, coordinator Christian Laforsch and his team certainly make Bayreuth a centre for microplastics research.

Within these three days the international team had the chance to discuss their visions and goals, to think about how to get excellent PhD candidates and to plan the next steps for the project.

The project partners also visited the university’s aquarium and learned more about the research on coral reef. At the end of the second day the team got to experience Bavarian beer culture in the Maisel brewery museum and had time to further grow as a team, including the partner organisations.