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Student Assistant LCA-Lab Couse Support (m/w/d) 

General conditions 

• Student at TUM Campus Straubing
• 10 or 20 hours per week depending on project funding
• Duration: 6 months
• Start: October 2025

Tasks

• Assist in preparing course materials for the “LCA Lab – Practical Tools and Methods in Life Cycle Assessment” module for winter semester 2025/26
• Assist with collecting and organizing datasets, case studies, and research articles
• Support creation of digital lecture notes, step‐by‐step tutorials, and multimedia exercises
• Help administer exams, quizzes, and computer‐based assessments

Skills and qualifications needed

• An advanced master’s student is strongly preferred
• Solid grasp of LCA methodology and practical experience in conducting LCA studies
• Hands‐on experience with Brightway2 and Activity Browser (or comparable open‑source LCA tools)
• Proficient in MS Office (PowerPoint, Excel) and basic understanding of Python scripting
• Excellent command of English
• High degree of responsibility, discipline, flexibility, and ability to work both independently and in a team
• Strong organizational skills, quick perception, and a careful, conscientious approach
• Motivation to support teaching activities and to gain hands‑on experience in LCA course delivery
• Remote work is possible for material preparation; on‑site presence is required during block week exercises in the computer lab

Application

We look forward to receiving your application documents (CV, cover letter, transcript of records). Please send them by e-mail to Merve Gezen (merve.gezen(at)tum.de) by 31.07.2025 at the latest. You are welcome to contact us in advance if you have any questions.

Contact

Chair of Circular Economy and Sustainability Assessment

Prof. Dr. Magnus Fröhling 
+49 9421 187 190
magnus.froehling(at)tum.de

Merve Gezen
+49 (0) 9421 187-194
merve.gezen(at)tum.de

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

In the context of this student research project, a pilot plant will be operated. This includes the preparation of feed mixtures, the analysis of samples in the laboratory, the independent planning and execution of short and long-term experiments in the pilot plant as well as the evaluation of the results with the help of the programs LabVIEW and modelling using Pyomo.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This project focuses on improving the recovery and concentration of formaldehyde from aqueous solutions through temperature swing adsorption (TSA), a promising alternative to traditional energy-intensive distillation methods.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This position involves conducting VLE and LLE experimental measurements for various systems containing salts and biological compounds. The collected data will be used to develop a phase equilibrium model that accurately accounts for the presence of these substances. The successful candidate will play a crucial role in advancing this sustainable production method.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Global warming continues to be one of the most alarming threats to humanity. As fossil fuels continue to dominate global energy production, large-scale carbon dioxide removal (CDR) technologies will become essential. The Laboratory for Chemical Process Engineering is actively researching Negative Emission Technologies (NET) and assessing their feasibility

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

This project aims to build and evaluate a lab-scale electrochemical flow reactor for the synthesis of dry formaldehyde from anhydrous methanol. The work includes reactor construction, commissioning, and performance analysis under varying electrolyte concentrations and current densities.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Bavaria’s bioeconomy strategy aims to transition from fossil-based to bio-based economic practices. As part of this effort, a collaborative project has been launched to develop a scientifically grounded Bavarian Biomass Resource Strategy (BioReSt). The objective is to collect data on biomass flows in Bavaria and develop economically and ecologically viable approaches for their provision, utilization, and circular management. The Chair of Circular Economy focuses specifically on organic waste streams, employing methodologies such as material flow analysis (MFA), potential analysis, life cycle assessment (LCA), and strategy development.

Research Tasks

Building upon the prior work conducted within the project, the student will contribute to ongoing research efforts by:

· Conducting a literature search on higher-value circular economy production processes and innovative use cases.

· Conducting a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to evaluate environmental impacts.

· Performing a comparative analysis of current vs. future utilization pathways for biogenic waste (e.g., composting, energetic recovery, pyrolysis, gasification).

Requirements

· Background in environmental sciences, sustainability, industrial ecology, or a related field.

· Familiarity with Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Material Flow Analysis (MFA).

· Experience with LCA software (e.g., Brightway, Activity Browser) is an advantage.

· Student of Campus Straubing; TUM School of Life Sciences or Management.

Background
Life science research is essential for advancing our understanding of living organisms and their processes, ultimately improving health, advancing technology, and addressing environmental challenges. Yet, involved research activities consume significant resources and generate substantial waste. “Wet labs” are laboratories that are specifically designed for conducting experiments that involve handling of liquids, biological materials, chemical etc. Typically wet labs use much more energy and water than office spaces and the generated plastic waste is connected to a plethora of environmental impacts. One central consumable used daily are serological pipettes which transfer and measure exact volumes of different types of biological and chemical solutions. They are available in two configurations, as single-use plastic or reusable glass pipettes. Reusable serological glass pipettes are known for their chemical resistance but require energy-intensive cleaning processes such as autoclaving. In contrast, single-use serological plastic pipettes are valued for their convenience and reduced contamination risk.

Methods

• Compare the environmental impacts of both pipette types in a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA)
• Key metrics include climate change impacts, water use, energy consumption, and waste generation, among others
• Perform an economic analysis to evaluate daily costs for the users

Requirements

• Ideally first experience with or background knowledge of the LCA method
• Quick wit
• Willingness to travel to both sites, Munich and Straubing, and to observe the pipette use in the wet labs
• Strong communication skills to collect data for the life cycle inventory (LCI)
• Structured way of working

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Background

Single-use packaging in the food and beverage sector contributes significantly to environmental impacts, especially at large public events. Reusable packaging systems offer a promising alternative to reduce waste and greenhouse gas emissions. However, the environmental benefits of reusable systems depend on various factors such as return rates, cleaning logistics, and transport distances. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) can help to evaluate these factors and identify environmental trade-offs and optimization potentials.

Research Challenge

During the Christmas market in Konstanz, around 40 gastronomy partners offered food and beverages using a reusable packaging system over four weeks. The packaging system was operated by Vytal, a leading provider of packaging-as-a-service solutions. The goal of this master’s thesis is to conduct a comprehensive Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the reusable system and explore opportunities to optimize the environmental impact through sensitivity analyses based on real usage data, including transport distances for washing logistics.

Your Tasks

• Conduct a Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) of the reusable packaging system used at the Christmas market in Konstanz
• Identify key environmental hotspots and levers for improvement
• Optional: Explore optimization scenarios using sensitivity analyses

Requirements

• Excellent student with a background in environmental sciences, engineering, sustainability management, or related disciplines
• Enrolled at TUM School of Life Sciences, TUM School of Management, or TUM Campus Straubing,
• Strong interest in sustainability, circular economy, and quantitative environmental assessments,
• Experience or coursework in LCA and/or environmental modeling (e.g. with OpenLCA or similar tools),
• Fluency in English (German is a plus due to stakeholder communication).

Kontaktperson/Betreuer

Background

The EU-funded project ECOMO (Electrobiocatalytic cascade for bulk reduction of CO2 to CO coupled to fermentative production of high-value diamine monomers) aims to develop innovative biotechnological pathways for converting carbon dioxide into valuable chemical products. The project explores three distinct Innovation Gates:

1. Gate 1: Electrobiocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide to carbon monoxide
2. Gate 2: Microbial carbon monoxide conversion to acetate in a trickle bed reactor
3. Gate 3: Upgrading of acetate into diamines through microbial fermentation 

To evaluate such an emerging pathway, Techno-Economic Assessment (TEA) and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) are critical methodologies. TEA assesses the economic feasibility and scale-up potential, whereas LCA focuses on the environmental impacts across the value chain. Both methods are essential for guiding product development, implementation, and policy alignment of novel technologies. 

Research Challenge

The central research challenge of this thesis is to investigate how TEA and LCA have been applied to the Innovation Gates of ECOMO and to explore the implications for future technological development. By systematically reviewing the existing literature, data, and policy documents, this work aims to address the research gap of evaluation approaches. 

Your Tasks

• Review relevant EU legislation and policy documents to identify regulatory drivers and barriers affecting the development and deployment of novel chemical processes.
• Conduct a structured review of literature and statistics on TEA and LCA approaches applied to the Innovation Gates.
• Analyze methodologies by extracting key parameters, assumptions, and reported results
• Compare and critically assess differences, limitations, and gaps in the existing body of knowledge
• Provide recommendations for further research and methodological harmonization

Requirements

• Strong interest in reviewing scientific literature and analyzing statistical data
• Good knowledge of statistics is advantageous
• Being enrolled at SoM, SoLS, TUMCS
• High motivation and ability to work independently
• Capability to work target-oriented and reliably

Please send your application, covering a short motivation letter (max. 1 page), your CV and a transcript of records, to sarah.hasslacher(at)tum.de until 15.11.2025 the latest.

In case of any further questions, please use the contact information provided below.

Kontaktperson/Betreuer