Student Projects and Job Openings
Dear Students,
If you’re looking for a topic for your project or thesis, you’ll find current topic suggestions from our section below—provided any are currently available. You’re also welcome to contact Prof. Fabian Weber with your own ideas.
We appreciate your interest and look forward to your exciting proposals!
Systematic Design of a Brewing System and Development of a Brewing Course Concept
Description:
Brewing beer is a traditional craft based on an understanding of biochemical, microbiological, and process engineering principles. Throughout the brewing process, theoretical knowledge about raw materials and process steps can be directly experienced. The 30L Mirko brewing system available for this purpose must be commissioned and tested, as process parameters need to be systematically tested, documented, and standardized to ensure reproducible operation. A structured guide is essential for this purpose to ensure process reliability, product quality, and reproducibility—even with changing user groups. This guide is intended to serve as the basis for integrating the brewing system into the section’s curriculum.
As part of a standalone brewing course and/or within existing modules, students are to be introduced to the fundamentals of the brewing process in a hands-on manner. This raises the question of how technical content (understanding of the process, operation of the system, quality control) can be meaningfully combined with didactic principles to design a practice-oriented and effective course.
The thesis therefore focuses on the question of how a brewing system can be safely and reproducibly commissioned and, building on this, how a structured, pedagogically sound course concept for students can be developed that appropriately addresses both the technical implementation and the transfer of knowledge.
Procedure:
First, the brewing system will be assembled and commissioned, including the installation, calibration, and functional testing of all relevant components. Subsequently, several test brews will be conducted to evaluate and optimize the individual process steps in terms of reproducibility, time requirements, temperature profiles, and final product quality. Based on the experience gained, detailed instructions will be created that document all essential process steps (preparation, mashing, lautering, boiling, cooling, fermentation, aging, bottling, cleaning) in a structured and transparent manner, including safety and hygiene requirements.
Objective:
The objective of this project is the successful commissioning and testing of a brewing system, as well as the creation of a practical SOP that ensures safe and reproducible operation of the system. Building on this, a structured and pedagogically sound concept for a multi-day brewing course will be developed, taking technical and educational aspects into account in equal measure. The project thus makes a practical contribution to establishing a sustainable and educational use of the brewing system within the framework of academic training and lays the foundation for the long-term integration of the brewing course into the curriculum.
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Weber: Fabian.weber@uni-kassel.de
Topic: The Influence of Variety on the Content of Secondary Plant Compounds and the Sensory Properties of Rosemary and Sage—in collaboration with Volmary GmbH
Effect of Variety on the Content of Secondary Plant Compounds and Sensory Properties in Rosemary and Sage
Description:
Sage (Salvia officinalis L.) and rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) are among the most important aromatic and medicinally significant medicinal and culinary herbs in Europe. Their valuable properties are largely based on the content and composition of phytochemicals—particularly essential oils and polyphenols such as flavonoids, phenolic acids, and terpenes—which are responsible for their antioxidant effects, sensory properties, and pharmacological relevance
. In practice, however, only a few varieties are used, even though there is considerable genetic and biochemical diversity within and between species. This diversity offers great potential for targeted variety selection in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries. The selection of suitable varieties depends in particular on the intended use, as different application areas (food vs. pharmaceuticals) sometimes have different requirements.
The focus is on the extent to which different sage and rosemary varieties differ in terms of their chemical composition (essential oils, polyphenols) and sensory properties, and which characteristics are crucial for differentiated variety profiling. Based on this, we aim to assess whether certain varieties are distinguished by a unique profile of bioactive compounds and sensory properties that justifies their use in specific areas (e.g., food, dietary supplements, medicinal teas).
Procedure:
Eight rosemary varieties and seven sage varieties (clones) grown under controlled conditions will be examined. After harvest, the leaves will be dried and prepared for analysis. In the laboratory, quantitative and qualitative analysis of the essential oils will be performed using steam distillation followed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and the polyphenol composition will be determined using
HPLC-MS. In addition, a standardized sensory tasting is conducted by trained panelists to record and evaluate characteristics such as aroma, bitterness, aftertaste, and overall impression.
Objective:
Systematic analysis and profiling of various sage and rosemary varieties based on their essential oils, polyphenols, and sensory properties. The study aims to evaluate variety quality not only based on yield or biomass, but primarily through chemical and sensory characteristics. This is intended to make a nuanced contribution to understanding varietal differences—with practical relevance for breeding, sustainable cultivation, variety selection, and the industrial utilization of medicinal plants.
Desirable experience:
Experience working in a chemistry laboratory
Contact person:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Weber: Fabian.Weber[at]uni-kassel[dot]de
Topic: The Effect of Drought Stress and Waterlogging on Value-Adding Secondary Metabolites in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)
Effects of Drought Stress and Waterlogging on Value-Adding Secondary Metabolites in Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.)
Description:
Spinach (Spinacia oleracea L.) is one of the most important leafy vegetables in terms of cultivation and human nutrition. In addition to its high content of vitamins and minerals, spinach is particularly characterized by a range of phytochemicals, including flavonol glycosides and other phenolic compounds, which contribute to its antioxidant capacity as well as its nutritional and sensory quality. At the same time, spinach is sensitive to abiotic stress factors such as drought and waterlogging, which are becoming increasingly significant in practical cultivation. While drought stress has already been extensively studied in many crops, waterlogging in particular—due to limited oxygen supply in the root zone—poses a critical stress that can trigger profound physiological and biochemical changes.
The focus is on how different water stress conditions affect the concentration and composition of relevant groups of bioactive compounds and what relationships exist between stress intensity, physiological plant response, and crop quality. Based on this, the study aims to assess whether waterlogging, compared to drought stress, leads to more pronounced or different changes in bioactive compounds.
Methodology:
Experimentally under controlled conditions. To this end, spinach plants are exposed to defined water supply regimens, such as an unstressed control, drought stress, and waterlogging. Subsequently, morphological and physiological parameters such as biomass, leaf area, and visible stress symptoms are recorded. In the laboratory, selected secondary plant compounds—in particular flavonols and, where applicable, other constituents—are analyzed.
Objective:
To investigate the influence of drought stress and, above all, waterlogging on the formation and changes in value-adding secondary plant compounds in spinach.
This work aims to evaluate the stress-dependent quality of spinach not only based on yield and biomass but, above all, on value-adding compounds. This is intended to provide a nuanced contribution to understanding the interactions between water stress, plant metabolism, and food quality.
Desirable experience:
Work in a chemistry laboratory
Contact person:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Weber: Fabian.weber@uni-kassel.de
Topic: Comparison of Analytical and Sensory Methods for Determining the Astringency of Red Wine
Comparison of Analytical and Sensory Methods for Determining the Astringency of Red Wine
Description:
Astringency is a characteristic feature of red wine and other foods such as tea, chocolate, or berries. It is described as a drying, tightening, or rough sensation in the mouth and is considered a key quality attribute. The physiological cause lies in the complex formation between proteins in saliva and polyphenolic compounds, primarily tannins (also known as astringents). This interaction leads to a reduction in mucosal moisture and thus to the typical “dry” sensation in the mouth.
Tannins are high-molecular-weight polyphenols whose composition in wine depends heavily on grape variety, climate, aging conditions, and, above all, winemaking practices. During winemaking, the winemaker can specifically influence the amount of tannins and their physical and chemical properties by adjusting maceration time, temperature, pressing pressure, and mechanical processing. Precise control of these factors is crucial for achieving a balanced, pleasant astringency—neither too dominant nor too weak.
Despite their central importance, the quantitative determination of tannins in wine has so far been challenging. Consequently, there are only limited correlations between the tannin values measured in the laboratory and the astringency actually perceived.
Approach:
To combine existing analytical methods for tannin determination with a standardized, sensory assessment of astringency by a trained panel. This will build upon established protocols that encompass both chemical analysis and sensory evaluation.
Objective:
This study aims to enable a systematic comparison of various analytical parameters with sensory data and to potentially provide new, practical correlations or predictive models for astringency development in viticulture. The results could be of great benefit to wine production: They would offer winemakers and cellar masters a tool to specifically control the tannin structure—and thus the sensory quality of the wine—already during production. The work thus combines analytical chemistry, sensory science, and practical application—an exciting and relevant topic for modern wine science.
Desirable experience:
Working in a chemistry laboratory
Contact:
Prof. Dr. Fabian Weber: Fabian.weber@uni-kassel.de