Internship: Legionella control strategies in wastewater treatment plants

Internship

40 hrs/week

Compensation

Legionella pneumophila outbreaks are often linked to water systems and cooling towers, but wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) with biological systems have emerged as significant hotspots. Standard Legionella risk management strategies are lacking, and the standard detection method (ISO 11731) is unreliable in wastewater due to microbial interference and long incubation times. This internship is part of
a national project with knowledge institutions, technology providers, consultants, and wastewater companies to improve Legionella control in WWTPs.

In this internship you will be a part of the Legionella team that consists of other students and researchers. Joining this project will give you an opportunity to work with four innovative Legionella detection methods (i.e., culture-based techniques, flow cytometry, digital PCR). Moreover, you will participate in wastewater sampling and qualitative analysis, and testing Legionella removal technology in the field.

Your profile

• You are studying Biotechnology, EnvironmentalEngineering, Chemical engineering, Biomedical
  research, or other relevant fi eld on a HBO/MBO level
• You have good communication skills
• You have good organisation and planning skills
• You work well in a team

Your responsibilities

• Performing microbiological analyses using alternative Legionella pneumophila detection methods
• Participating in installation and operation of the pilot plant
• Collecting samples from various locations around the Netherlands
• Reporting results
• (Writing the final report

Enthusiastic? Send an email to studenten@cew.nl with the subject ‘Internship 2021.0026’ and tell us
why you want to do an internship or graduate at the CEW. For more information, please contact Maarten
Trilsbeek on telephone number +31 58 210 09 19.