Marine Biologist, Erasmus+

I am a marine biologist from Italy, currently working as a postgraduate intern in molecular ecotoxicology at RWTH Aachen University. I joined the Institute through an exchange programme and found an international and collaborative research environment that has been both stimulating and enriching for my professional development.

My project focuses on molecular ecotoxicology and microbial community analysis in freshwater systems, investigating how human-derived stressors influence microbial community structure across different biological matrices. Using amplicon-based DNA approaches, I analyse changes in microbiome composition along environmental impact gradients, characterising community structure through α- and β-diversity metrics. Although my current research is not marine-focused, I chose this project to strengthen my background in microbial and molecular ecotoxicology as a valuable tool for understanding anthropogenic pressures on aquatic ecosystems.