Stage of scriptie: Experiment on the effects of nitrogen limitation and warming on cyano-toxin concentrations (vacature in het Engels)

Toxic cyanobacterial blooms threaten freshwater quality, exacerbated by climate change and eutrophication. The toxicity of these blooms depends not only on cyanobacteria quantity but also on the presence of potentially toxin-producing species and genotypes, and the variation in their toxin production. While we understand the individual factors driving these changes, contrasting effects on different components of bloom toxicity make predicting toxicity levels challenging.

In the Netherlands, eutrophication and climate change are predicted to aggravate cyanobacterial blooms. Yet, the impact on toxin concentrations, and therefore human health risks, remain uncertain. This project delves into the combined effects of nitrogen limitation and warming on cyanobacterial biomass and associated toxin concentrations in twelve 1,000L indoor mesocosms. We will use water from a Dutch lake to run this experiment from May to October 2025. 

Your Role:

• Helping to sample the mesocosms and processing samples (e.g. biomass, toxins, etc.).
• Setting up your own, smaller experiment (e.g. nitrogen fixation assays).
• Conducting lab work and performing data analysis.
• Collaborating closely with the supervisory team to interpret the findings. 

Application

If you are interested in this project, please contact Annemieke Drost, PhD-candidate at the Netherlands Institute of Ecology.

• Type of work: Experimental work, lab work and data analysis
• Level: MSc & University of Applied Sciences
• Location(s): Wageningen 
• Duration: 5+ months, preferably starting in May 2025