iFZ Masters awards 2024
A large number of bachelor and master projects in the fields of biology, agricultural, nutritional and environmental sciences are carried out at the Interdisciplinary Research Center (iFZ) at Justus Liebig University Giessen (JLU). The iFZ Masters awards go to three particularly outstanding theses at the end of each year. This year's iFZ Masters were awarded on December 11, 2024 as part of the iFZ Lunchtime Seminar.
In food production, large quantities of non-recyclable residues are produced that can serve as a source of nutrients for edible fungi. Such innovative processes for the utilization of so-called side streams carry the risk of harmful metabolic products in the food. This is why they should be safeguarded with effect-related, undirected analysis - a task for food scientists. The edible summer oyster mushroom (Pleurotus pulmonarius) can be cultivated on a mixture of the side streams like potato pulp. In her masters thesis, Gala Gottschalg analyzed various fungal components for possible harmful metabolites in comparison to the original products. Using high-performance thin-layer chromatography and planar bioassays, she examined the samples for antibacterial, endocrine, neurotoxic/modulating and genotoxic effects, with the fruiting body showing the lowest concentrations of harmful metabolites.
Gala Gottschalg clamping a high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC) plate for the automated chromatographic separation of samples. She analyzed various fungal components for possible harmful metabolic products. Photo: Annika Haase
Climate change poses a global challenge for the proper storage of grain and other foods. In her bachelor thesis, Johanna Krome showed that the rise in temperature and the increase in extreme weather events lead to changes in harvesting and drying conditions, which in some cases also have a strong negative impact on the subsequent storage and quality of the harvested products. The rise in temperature also leads to a change in the geographical distribution and development cycles of storage pests. Johanna Krome's work makes clear that current methods often reach their limits and that new, sustainable protection strategies are urgently needed to ensure the quality and quantity of stored stocks in the long term.
Johanna Krome researching her bachelor thesis on the impact of climate change on stock protection. Photo: Paul Böckmann
In his master's thesis, Max Weißenborn investigated the technical feasibility of hydrological forecasts using alternative approaches from artificial intelligence (AI), in particular machine learning. In his work, he demonstrates that AI methods can significantly outperform the conventional performance of classic process-oriented hydrological models. In addition, he shows that his method can also be used outside of officially defined water levels, enabling improved simulation of the water balance in unmonitored catchment areas. This opens up new perspectives, such as the development of area-wide flood early warning systems that are no longer limited to individual water level locations. With his master's thesis, he is making a valuable contribution to the discussion on future hydrological forecasting methods.
In his masters thesis, Max Weißenborn investigated the technical feasibility of hydrological forecasts using alternative approaches from artificial intelligence. Photo: Weißenborn