Denise Mitrano receives Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize 2021
Geochemist Denise Mitrano has been awarded this year's Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). She has developed a method for tracking micro- and nanoplastic particles in waters, soils and organisms.
Man-made plastic pollutes the environment. For a long time, it was barely possible to track these particles, which are as small as a few millionths of a millimetre in size. Denise Mitrano, a geochemist at ETH Zurich, has now succeeded in doing this: she has developed a method to track micro- and nanoplastics in water, soil and even organisms.
For this achievement, she has been awarded this year's Marie Heim-Vögtlin Prize by the Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). The prize is endowed with 25,000 Swiss francs and recognises outstanding young female researchers, who in turn should inspire other young female scientists. The ceremony will take place at the event "Building hope for the future – Celebrating progress in sustainability" in Zurich on 14 December 2021.