Master Thesis - Chemical and Biodiversity Data

About UFZ

The Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) with its 1,100 employees has gained an excellent reputation as an international competence centre for environmental sciences. We are part of the largest scientific organisation in Germany, the Helmholtz association.

Our mission: Our research seeks to find a balance between social development and the long-term protection of our natural resources.

Job Description

Research on chemicals in our environment has revealed their significant role in shaping biodiversity patterns, yet integrating this data with biodiversity information remains a challenge. This project aims to bridge that gap by developing an automated data integration workflow that combines chemical exposure data with biodiversity records. The focus is purely computational, leveraging advanced data science techniques to streamline the process of gathering, organizing, and visualizing complex datasets from both domains. The project will enable researchers to explore the relationships between chemicals and biodiversity more effectively by providing sophisticated, easily extractable visuals.

Ultimately, this tool will demonstrate the importance of chemical research in understanding and preserving biodiversity. The mission of this project is to develop a data-driven platform that integrates chemical exposure and biodiversity data, creating sophisticated visual insights into the regions where chemical concentrations impact biodiversity. By analyzing these patterns across chemical types, environmental matrices, and species, the project will help reveal the critical role of chemical pollution in biodiversity loss, supporting evidence-based decision-making for sustainable chemical management.

Overall Vision: To contribute to a future where chemical use and design are driven by a profound understanding of their ecological impacts, ensuring the preservation of biodiversity and fostering a more sustainable relationship between human activities and the natural environment.

Position: The position to prepare the Master’s thesis will be supervised at the site in Leipzig.

Your Tasks

In this Master’s thesis, a ChatBot Python package will be developed. Large language models (LLMs) will be used and grounded with a knowledge graph of information on the researchers of our research unit, their roles, and their research, technologies, and devices. Retrieval augmented generation (RAG) will mitigate knowledge gaps, factuality issues, and hallucinations of (ungrounded) LLMs with external/domain-specific knowledge. The ChatBot will serve as a user-friendly, human-like interface for non-computer scientists involved in strategic processes, making it easier for them to access and understand these data.

1. Identify relevant chemical exposure and biodiversity databases with identical/similar spatial annotation
2. Develop a tool to collect these data automatically
3. Develop a workflow to integrate both datasets
4. Develop compelling, partially interactive visuals to demonstrate the potential impact of chemicals in our environment on changes in biodiversity

We Offer

• Excellent supervision that supports your personal and professional development
• Exciting insights into the work of a leading research institute
• The chance to work in interdisciplinary, international teams and benefit from a wide range of perspectives
• The opportunity to contribute and actively shape your own ideas and impulses right from the start
• Modern technical equipment and IT service to optimally support your work

Your Profile

• Background in Computer Science
• Solid programming skills in Python and/or R
• Experience with software development in an IDE (JetBrains PyCharm)
• Experience with collaborative software development and agile project management with Git
• Fluent in spoken and written English

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