Award for the best Master's theses in food chemistry
The € 1000 prize for the best Master's thesis in food chemistry at the University of Münster was awarded to Stephanie Rochau at the 2025 Master's graduation ceremony. The prize, sponsored by ALS Germany GmbH, based in Altenberge, was presented by Dr. Henning Kuchenbuch as representative of the company during the ceremony on 29.11.2025.
Stephanie Rochau focused on microbial processes in modern water treatment in her master's thesis. The award-winning work highlights bacteria that play a crucial role in removing organic trace substances such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides from wastewater treatment plants on activated carbon filter surfaces.
Application of bacteria for contaminants and residues degradation
Ms. Rochau demonstrated that certain bacterial strains are capable to absorb and metabolize aromatic compounds adsorbed on activated carbon. Using molecular biological methods, she identified genes responsible for this degradation process, which will now be further researched.
Application in the PREWAPHARM project
The findings provide valuable contributions to a better understanding of microbial processes in modern water treatment and can contribute to increasing the efficiency and lifespan of activated carbon filters in the long term.
The results are already being applied in the international project PREWAPHARM, which aims to break down pharmaceuticals in wastewater and involves the University of Münster and the University Hospital Münster. The study was carried out at the Institute for Molecular Microbiology and Biotechnology under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Bodo Philipp in cooperation with the Institute of Food Chemistry of the University of Muenster.