Master projects and theses

Biophysics of bacteria-phytoplankton interactions

Contact: Riccardo Foffi, Dr. Jonasz Słomka

Perform agent-based simulations of bacteria-phytoplankton systems, investigating how different physical properties (bacterial speed, swimming strategy, phytoplankton shape and size…) modulate uptake and interaction rates. There is flexibility for the student to suggest complementary studies.

Microfluidic investigation of bacterial interactions in the leaf microbiome

Contact: Dr. Stefano Ugolini

The goal is to screen a collection of natural isolates from leaves for potential interactions, monitor their growth patterns in space and time, and correlate them with physical aspects. There is flexibility for the student to suggest complementary experiments using the microfluidic platform.

Measuring transport and mechanics in biofilms via cryosuction-based microscopy

Contact: Dr. Eleonora Secchi, Dr. Robert Style

The goal of this project is to adapt a cryosuction-based microscopy platform to measure compressibility and permeability in biofilms. The student will adapt the experimental setup to biological samples and quantify how biofilm structure and composition influence fluid transport by measuring pressure–volume responses and permeability using microscopy and image analysis. The project lies at the interface of microbiology, soft matter physics, and environmental engineering and will contribute to a better understanding of transport processes in microbial materials.

Characterization of the synergistic effects of methyl-group-containing molecules in enhancing bacterial chemotaxis in the ocean

Contact: Valerio Anelli

This project aims to characterize how widespread the effect of methyl-group–containing molecules is in enhancing bacterial chemotaxis towards ecologically relevant compounds in the ocean.

Investigating the motility and chemotaxis of Symbiodiniaceae: Implications for the establishment of coral symbiosis

Contact: Isobel Short

This project aims to determine whether motility and chemotaxis enable Symbiodiniaceae to actively locate and associate with their coral hosts.

Oxygen on the Horizon: Unraveling Aerotaxis in Marine Bacteria

Contact: Dr. Johannes Keegstra, Dr. Richard Henshaw

The aim of this project is to study the Marine bacteria play a pivotal role in regulating oceanic oxygen levels and biogeochemical cycles. While bacterial chemotaxis—movement toward chemical gradients—has been widely studied, much less is known about aerotaxis, the directed movement toward oxygen. Yet, receptors involved in aerotaxis are among the most widespread in marine bacteria, highlighting their ecological importance. This project aims to characterize aerotaxis behaviors in marine bacteria, uncovering the molecular mechanisms and ecological implications of their ability to sense and respond to oxygen gradients.

Survival of the Slowest: Long-Term Adaptations of Marine Bacteria

Contact: Dr. Johannes Keegstra

Marine bacteria play an important role as gatekeepers of carbon storage in the oceans. Understanding their behavior better will allow us to better understand how oceans can continue to take up CO2. Motility is known to confer an advantage to bacteria in localizing resources, but the high energy demands of motility may reduce survival over longer timescales (weeks). This project will test the hypothesis that non-motile or low-motility bacterial strains are better suited for long-term survival under starvation, shedding light on the trade-offs between motility and endurance.

Quantifying the effects of hydropeaking on the dispersal of brown trout larvae (Salmo trutta) in the Poschiavino river (GR)

Contact: Joël Wittmann, Dr. Luiz Silva

The aim of the Master Thesis or Project is to measure the dispersal of brown trout larvae and identify differences between reaches affected by hydropeaking and residual flow reaches.

Numerical modeling of column experiments to study arsenic immobilization in groundwater from Yinchuan Basin, China

Contact: Prof. Joaquin Jimenez-Martinez (jjimenez@ethz.ch)

Perform numerical simulations of arsenic immobilization to represent column experiments and use numerical modeling to investigate different in-situ remediation approaches to mitigate arsenic contamination in groundwater.

We are always open to project proposals.

Just send us an email.