RWTH

About RWTH

RWTH Aachen University is one of the leading technical universities in Europe, member of the IDEA League and one of the German universities awarded by the German Excellence Programme.
The Institute for Environmental Research at RWTH Aachen University is one of the largest university-based environmental sciences institutes in Germany, with more than 60 employees. A special excellence of the Institute for Environmental Research is seen in the combination of ecological/ecotoxicological, chemical analytical and quantitative as well as mechanistic approaches. The Department of Ecosystem Analysis within the institute develops and applies biological test systems in order to assess both acute and mechanism-specific toxicity as well as chronic toxicity of chemicals, and in different environmental compartments, such as water, sediment and soil.

Adress

Role in the SOLUTIONS project

• Part of WP8 “Communication, dissemination, and training”
• Part of WP11 “Effect-directed analysis”
• Part of WP12 “Effect-based tools”
• Part of WP13 “Ecological Assessment Tools”
• Lead Weight-of-Evidence study
• Part of WP19 “Danube River Basin case study”
• Lead Effect-based screening
• Part of WP20 “Assessment of abatement options in the River Rhine catchment”

Main scientific contributions

• Biomarker response
• In vitro bioassays

Member portraits

Henner Hollert

Henner Hollert is SOLUTIONS project leader at the RWTH Aachen University and head of the Department of Ecosystem Analysis (ESA) at the Institute for Environmental Research. The department focuses on acute and chronic effects of environmental relevant substances and mixtures in different natural compartments. These investigations include cell based in vitro methods, various test species and populations/ communities in lab- and field-based systems. Monitoring of effects and integrated strategies are also topics of the research. Henner was coordinator of DanTox, and participates among others in EDA EMERGE, Tox-Box and W3-Hydro. Furthermore, Henner leads the Working Group on Bioassays in the European Network on emerging pollutants NORMAN.

Thomas-Benjamin Seiler

Thomas-Benjamin Seiler is SOLUTIONS co-leader at the RWTH Aachen University and head of the work group Effect-related Ecotoxicology at the Institute for Environmental Research. He also participates in EDA EMERGE, Tox-Box and W3-Hydro. Thomas practically supervises the two PhD theses within the project and takes care of the project management at partner RWTH. Since he has strong interest in science communication, especially to the public, he supports the coordination in WP8 with text writing and advice.

Björn Deutschmann

Björn Deutschmann is Ph.D. student within the SOLUTIONS project. His main focus is the evaluation of biomarker response in feral and laboratory exposed fish in WP13. Within the ecological monitoring approach of the SOLUTIONS project, in collaboration with European case studies, Björn was part of the fish team of the Joint Danube Survey 3 in 2013, the biggest river expedition worldwide. He takes part in the development of a diagnostic toolbox to quantify ecological impacts on different levels of biological organization.

Ying Shao

Ying Shao is Ph.D. student within the SOLUTIONS project and is funded by the China Scholarship Council (CSC). Her main research activities are located in the area of bioassay studies within the framework of effect-directed analysis for the project. She wants to establish close links between mechanism-specific cell-based in vitro bioassays and in vivo biomarkers responses investigated by Björn Deutschmann.