Dr. Benjamin Daniels
"It is in my nature to bring things together."
Motivation
"As an environmental scientist, I want to explore relationships. To do this, it helps that I am not only familiar with biology and ecotoxicology, but also with statistics and modeling. I enjoy the numerics behind nature. That's why I already oriented myself towards quantitative ecology during my biology studies at RWTH Aachen University.
Based on these roots, I have also broadened my horizon towards sustainability topics. A very exciting experience in this context was my work as coordinator of the grassland renaruration project FLIP at RWTH Aachen University. Working at the university offered me another creative task: As a lecturer, I can pass on my knowledge and constantly improve teaching. Consequently, I am now responsible for the courses and training programmes at ToxRat.
Privately, I am also involved sustainability initiatives, for example in an aquaponics project. This is, so to speak, lettuce cultivation in an aquarium, i.e. crops combined with aquaculture. This creative implementation of ecological cycle principles is an example of "bringing things together" that shows: you don't have to instantly reinvent the world - just by combining what already exists, you can create a lot of new things.
This is exactly why I like working at the interface of statistics and biology. With ToxRat, I can apply my passion for linking methods and disciplines in a concrete way, think outside the box on a permanent basis, and moreover creatively implement various ideas for further development."
Professional background
Born 1986
Study of biology and doctorate at RWTH Aachen University, specialization in environmental sciences / ecotoxicology
Research associate at RWTH Aachen University
Working groups Stress Ecology, Computational Ecology, Ecology and Ecotoxicology of Biotic Communities
Project coordinator and team leader Institute for Environmental Research, RWTH Aachen University
2022 Joining ToxRat Solutions
Awards and scholarships
Awarded the Borchers Plakette of RWTH Aachen University for passing the doctoral examination with distinction.
Scholarship holder in the scholarship program "Personality and Leadership" of Rheinisches FührungsColleg e.V.
Springorum Gedenkmedaille of RWTH Aachen University for passing the Master's examination with distinction
Teaching, boards, reviewer activities
Part of the course Statistics in Ecotoxicology of the postgraduate study Ecotoxicology of the SETAC GLB & GDCh, since 2019 head of the course.
Member of the committee of the postgraduate course Ecotoxicology of the SETAC GLB & GDCh
Founding and board member of the sustainability initiative Aachen.Eden e.V.
Member of the DIN working group "Cross-cutting issues in ecotoxicology" as biostatistician
Expert activities on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency
Publications (selection)
Daniels B., Jaensch S., Roembke J., Roß-Nickoll M., Scholz-Starke B., Ottermanns R. (2021) Application of the CPCAT approach to assess ecotoxicological field studies: Meta-analysis using earthworm field test abundance data. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. doi: 10.1002/etc.5015
Toschki A., Oellers J., Rumohr Q., Roß-Nickoll M., Daniels B., Schäffer A., Sybertz A. (2021) Integriertes Monitoring in der Agrarlandschaft - Erfassung der ökologischen Auswirkungen des chemischen Pflanzenschutzes. UBA Texte Berlin, 136/2021. ISSN: 1862-4804 , pp 114.
Knillmann S., Liess M., Scholz-Starke B., Daniels B., Ottermanns R., Schäffer A., Sybertz A., Roß-Nickoll M. (2021) Environmental risks of pesticides between forecast and reality: How reliable are results of the environmental risk assessment for individual products in the light of agricultural practice (tank mixtures, spray series)? UBA Texte Berlin, 82/2021. ISSN: 1862-4804 , pp 196.
Daniels B. (2020) Ecological Functions and Services in the Context of a Multidimensional Assessment for Urban Green Spaces. Dissertation. doi: 10.18154/RWTH-2020-01824
Daniels B., Jedamski J., Ottermanns R., Roß-Nickoll M. (2020) A “Plan Bee” for Cities: Pollinator Diversity and Plant-Pollinator Interactions in Urban Green Spaces. PLOS ONE, doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0235492
Sybertz A., Ottermanns R., Schäffer A., Scholz-Starke B., Daniels B., Frische T., Bär S., Ullrich C., Roß-Nickoll M. (2020) Simulating spray series of pesticides in agricultural practice reveals evidence for accumulation of environmental risk in soil. Science of the Total Environment, 710: 135004
Sybertz A., Roß-Nickoll M., Schäffer A., Scholz-Starke B., Daniels B., Ottermanns R. (2020) MITAS: A model for assessing the time-dependent risk of sequential applications of pesticides for soil organisms by consideration of exposure, degradation and mixture toxicity. MethodsX, 7: 100763
Römbke J., Förster B., Jänsch S., Kaiser F., Scheffczyk A., Roß-Nickoll M., Daniels B., Ottermanns R., Scholz-Starke B. (2020) Necessary adaptations for a harmonized fieldtesting procedure and risk assessment of earthworms (terrestrial). UBA Texte Berlin, 193/2020. ISSN: 1862-4804, pp 117.
Daniels B., Zaunbrecher B.S., Paas B., Ottermanns R., Ziefle M., Roß-Nickoll M. (2018) Assessment of urban green space structures and their quality from a multidimensional perspective. Science of the Total Environment 615(2018):1364-1378. doi: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.09.167
Zaunbrecher B.S., Daniels B., Roß-Nickoll M., Ziefle M. (2018) The social and ecological footprint of renewable power generation plants. Balancing social requirements and ecological impacts in an integrated approach. Energy Research and Social Science. doi: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.erss.2018.07.015
Ottermanns R., Cramer E., Daniels B., Lehmann R., Roß-Nickoll M. (2018) Uncertainty in site classification and its sensitivity to sample size and indicator quality - Bayesian misclassification rate in ecological risk assessment. Ecological Indicators 94: 348-356. doi: 10.1016/j.ecolind.2018.06.024
Jedamski J., Daniels B., Roß-Nickoll M. (2017) Bestäuber in der Stadt – Parks und Friedhöfe als grüne Inseln. In: Der Aachener Ostfriedhof- Wissenswertes aus Vergangenheit und Gegenwart, Förderkreis Ostfriedhof e.V., Aachen, Germany
Daniels B., Ottermanns R., Roß-Nickoll M. (2017) Towards a multidisciplinary evaluation of ecosystem services for urban greens and their structural elements. Proceedings of the BfN/ENCA European Conference on "Nature-based solutions to climate change in urban areas and their rural surroundings". BfN-Skripte 456, S.129f
Maes H., Stibany F., Giefers S., Daniels B., Deutschmann B., Baumgartner W., Schäffer A. (2014) Accumulation and distribution of multiwalled carbon nanotubes in zebrafish (Danio rerio). Environmental Science and Technology, 48(20):12256-64. doi: 10.1021/es503006v
Kulkarni D., Daniels B., Preuss T.G. (2013) Life-stage-dependent sensitivity of the cyclopoid copepod Mesocyclops leuckarti to Triphenyltin. Chemosphere, DOI: 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2013.01.076
Schäffer A., von Lochow H.E.C., Baumgartner W., Daniels B., Deutschmann B., Rhiem S., Simon A., Stibany F., Maes H.M. (2011). Umweltverhalten und -effekte von kohlenstoffbasierten Nanopartikeln. Skript zur Präsentation auf der Tagung Nanotechnologie und Wasserwirtschaft, Düsseldorf