Dr. Aditi Naik, Assistant Professor in the School of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology at Goa University in India, is currently undertaking a research placement at the University of Rostock as part of the Mare Balticum Fellowship Programme. She is based at the Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde (IOW), in the Department of Marine Chemistry, where she is supervised by Professor Joanna Waniek.
Dr. Naik’s research focuses on plant sciences, particularly plant-environment interactions, phytochemistry and ecosystem processes. During her fellowship, she is working on the topic 'Plastisphere Dynamics: Biofilms and Biogeochemical Transformation of Microplastics in the Baltic Sea'. This project aims to develop a process-oriented understanding of how microplastics act as reactive surfaces in marine systems, facilitating biofilm formation and influencing biogeochemical transformation processes.
Her work at the IOW primarily involves learning and applying analytical approaches, such as FTIR-based polymer characterisation and microscopic techniques, to study surface transformations and biofilm structures on microplastics. Additionally, her research explores the interactions between microplastics and organic matter pools, addressing broader issues concerning carbon cycling and the impact of human activities on marine environments.
The fellowship provides an opportunity to engage with interdisciplinary research frameworks and advanced analytical infrastructure, supporting the transfer of knowledge to Indian coastal and wetland ecosystems, including estuarine systems and Myristica swamp habitats. This exchange is expected to foster long-term Indo-German collaboration in environmental and biogeochemical research.
- Guest Lecture "Analytical Approaches in Plastisphere Research: From Polymer Chemistry to Biogeochemical Interpretation” | 25.6.2026, 16:15, Hörsaal 001 Biologie, Albert-Einsteinstr. 3 & zoom
- >Mare Balticum Fellowship Programme – Visiting Researchers at the University of Rostock 2026<