Stefan Lips

Dr. Stefan Lips is a Researcher in the Ecotoxicology Department at the Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research (UFZ) in Leipzig, Germany. His work focuses on chemical pollution effects on microphytobenthic communities and biofilms within the Chemicals in the Environment research unit.

Dr. Lips specializes in community ecotoxicology and trophic interactions, with research interests spanning chemical pollution consequences, microphytobenthic communities, plastic leachates, and molecular-physiological endpoints in toxicology. His work investigates how chemicals cause structural and functional changes in biofilms and related food webs, with current focus on plastic leachate mixtures and trophic transfer in benthic ecosystems.

His publication record shows a strong focus on microplastic research and community-level ecotoxicology, with recent work emphasizing metagenomic analyses of plastisphere communities, chemical release from plastic products, and pollution-induced community tolerance mechanisms. The research spans environmental monitoring technologies, molecular toxicology approaches, and ecological risk assessment of chemical mixtures.

Dr. Lips is actively involved in the P-LEACH project, where he examines model chemicals to mixtures of plastic leachates while evaluating benthic primary consumers such as snails. His laboratory work integrates molecular and physiological tools to assess adverse functional effects of chemical pollution on aquatic ecosystems.