Adolphe Merkle Institute alum Dr. Jessica Caldwell has been recognized for the quality of her PhD research after being awarded the prize for best 2024 experimental thesis by the University of Fribourg’s Faculty of Science and Medicine.

Caldwell, who was a member of AMI’s BioNanomaterials group, defended her thesis "In the Aftermath of Throwaway Living: Bridging the gap between analytical limitations and the need to assess growing concerns regarding micro-, submicron-, and nanoplastics" in October 2023. After obtaining a Bachelor’s degree in biology at Indiana University Columbus (USA), she joined the Institute in 2017 as part of the Master’s program on bio-inspired materials before pursuing a doctorate. She is currently a postdoctoral researcher at the Italian Institute of Technology in Genoa.