I am a postdoc in the Microbial Community Assembly Group in the Environmental Microbiology Department at Eawag, working on the development of a predictive metabolic pipeline that matches potential bacterial strains to predicted degradation pathways of organic pollutants.

I grew up in the suburbs of Istanbul (Turkey), but in the last 12 years I have also called Santander (Spain), Hamburg, Berlin, Munich (Germany) and now Zurich (Switzerland) my home. Since then, my path has led me from process engineering to environmental microbiology and chemistry, always working on solutions for the sustainability of water resources.

In 2023, I joined the coordination team of the 500WS Zurich Pod to support the Pod in providing a structured space for inspiration, guidance, support and networking with women scientists from different institutions, disciplines and career stages. As a mother of a three-year-old daughter and a first-generation student in a STEM field, I have personally experienced the transformative power of mentorship. Therefore, I am also committed to sharing my experiences, offering some concrete tips and promoting diversity in science by mentoring women and marginalized groups in science at all levels.

To get in touch: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sema-karakurt-fischer-1600a9189/