{"id":129399,"date":"2026-09-10T08:55:27","date_gmt":"2026-09-10T08:55:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/?page_id=129399"},"modified":"2026-09-24T08:29:52","modified_gmt":"2026-09-24T08:29:52","slug":"halotrace","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/projects\/halotrace\/","title":{"rendered":"HALOTRACE"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-grid | vf-grid__col-3\"><div class=\"vf-grid__col--span-2\"><!--[vf\/content]-->\n<div class=\"vf-content\">\n\n<p class=\"vf-lede\">Tracing anthropogenic halogenated pollutants in European coastal waters<\/p>\n<!--\/vf-lede-->\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Halogenated chemicals containing fluorine, chlorine, bromine, or iodine and are widely used in industrial, medical, agricultural, and consumer products. Their chemical stability makes them useful, but can also cause them to resist biological and environmental degradation and persist in coastal ecosystems. HALOTRACE will develop a halogen-aware, high-throughput LC-MS protocol to investigate these pollutants across more than 1000 coastal water samples collected during the TREC expedition. Characteristic molecular-mass features, including isotope patterns and mass defects, will be used to identify candidate halogenated compounds, map their distribution, and detect potential pollution hotspots along the European coastline. Selected high-abundance, recurrent, or chemically unusual features will then be examined using ultra-high-resolution FT-ICR mass spectrometry and, where sufficient material is available, complementary NMR analysis. By combining large-scale screening with targeted structural investigation, HALOTRACE will provide new insight into the occurrence and fate of anthropogenic halogenated pollutants in European coastal waters.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Objectives:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Structural elucidation of selected halogenated features using FT-ICR-MS and NMR<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Scalable LC-MS screening workflow for halogenated chemicals&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Mapping diagnostic halogen signatures across European coastal-water samples&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Validate and prioritise halogenated features using FT-ICR-MS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:40px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"vf-figure wp-block-image  | vf-figure--align vf-figure--align-inline-start   size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"2560\" height=\"1440\" class=\"vf-figure__image\" src=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-scaled.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-132297\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-scaled.jpg 2560w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-768x432.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/HALOTRACE_Webpage-2048x1152.jpg 2048w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 2560px) 100vw, 2560px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vf-u-margin__bottom--800 wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<div><!--[vf\/content]-->\n<div class=\"vf-content\">\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Project lead<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-content-hub-html\" data-cache=\"c17854a0\">\n      <!-- Generated by: http:\/\/content.embl.org\/api\/v1\/pattern.html?filter-content-type=person&amp;filter-field-contains%5Bfield_person_full_name%5D=Michael%20Zimmermann&amp;filter-fields-empty=field_person_visible_internally&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Btitle%5D=&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Bfield_position_primary%5D=1&amp;hide%5Bteam%2Cemail%2Cphones%2Cmobile%5D=1&amp;limit=1&amp;pattern=vf-profile-inline -->\n                \n                            <article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline\" data-embl-js-conditional-edit=\"88612\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/content.embl.org\/\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/persons\/CP-60031476.jpg?itok=XXhmnt8h\" alt=\"image of Michael Zimmermann\" \/>\n      \n              <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/people\/person\/michael-zimmermann\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Michael Zimmermann<\/a>\n                  <\/h3>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__job-title\">\n          Group Leader\n        <\/p>\n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__uuid\">\n          <span>ORCID:<\/span>\n          <a class=\"vf-profile__link vf-profile__link--secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/europepmc.org\/authors\/0000-0002-5797-3589\">\n            0000-0002-5797-3589\n          <\/a>\n        <\/p>\n            <a class=\"vf-text vf-text--body-r vf-link embl-conditional-edit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"\/node\/88612\/88612\" target=\"_blank\">\n        Edit\n      <\/a>\n    <\/article>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Lead scientists<\/h3>\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-content-hub-html\" data-cache=\"b3a77296\">\n      <!-- Generated by: http:\/\/content.embl.org\/api\/v1\/pattern.html?filter-content-type=person&amp;filter-field-contains%5Bfield_person_full_name%5D=Vanessa%20Pahl&amp;filter-fields-empty=field_person_visible_internally&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Btitle%5D=&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Bfield_position_primary%5D=1&amp;hide%5Bemail%2Cphones%2Cmobile%5D=1&amp;limit=1&amp;pattern=vf-profile-inline -->\n                \n                            <article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline\" data-embl-js-conditional-edit=\"184359\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/content.embl.org\/\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/persons\/CP-60042995.jpg?itok=5xldGIW_\" alt=\"image of Vanessa Pahl\" \/>\n      \n              <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/people\/person\/vanessa-pahl\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Vanessa Pahl<\/a>\n                  <\/h3>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__job-title\">\n          Postdoctoral Fellow\n        <\/p>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__text\">\n          Zimmermann Group\n        <\/p>\n      \n      \n      \n      \n      \n            <a class=\"vf-text vf-text--body-r vf-link embl-conditional-edit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"\/node\/184359\/184359\" target=\"_blank\">\n        Edit\n      <\/a>\n    <\/article>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"vf-content-hub-html\" data-cache=\"ad48dc06\">\n      <!-- Generated by: http:\/\/content.embl.org\/api\/v1\/pattern.html?filter-content-type=person&amp;filter-field-contains%5Bfield_person_full_name%5D=Richard%20Paul%20Jacoby&amp;filter-fields-empty=field_person_visible_internally&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Btitle%5D=&amp;filter-ref-entity%5Bfield_person_positions%5D%5Bfield_position_primary%5D=1&amp;hide%5Bemail%2Cphones%2Cmobile%5D=1&amp;limit=1&amp;pattern=vf-profile-inline -->\n                \n                            <article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline\" data-embl-js-conditional-edit=\"119264\">\n              <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/content.embl.org\/\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/medium\/public\/persons\/CP-60036578.jpg?itok=KekzKTLv\" alt=\"image of Richard Paul Jacoby\" \/>\n      \n              <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\">\n                      <a href=\"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/people\/person\/richard-jacoby\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Richard Paul Jacoby<\/a>\n                  <\/h3>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__job-title\">\n          Postdoctoral Fellow (ARISE)\n        <\/p>\n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__text\">\n          Zimmermann Group\n        <\/p>\n      \n      \n      \n              \n              \n      \n              <p class=\"vf-profile__uuid\">\n          <span>ORCID:<\/span>\n          <a class=\"vf-profile__link vf-profile__link--secondary\" href=\"https:\/\/europepmc.org\/authors\/0000-0002-6777-7012\">\n            0000-0002-6777-7012\n          <\/a>\n        <\/p>\n            <a class=\"vf-text vf-text--body-r vf-link embl-conditional-edit\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer nofollow\" href=\"\/node\/119264\/119264\" target=\"_blank\">\n        Edit\n      <\/a>\n    <\/article>\n  <\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.assets.emblstatic.net\/vf\/v2.0.0-alpha.6\/assets\/vf-summary\/assets\/vf-icon--avatar.svg\" > \n    \n    <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\" >\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/merenlab.org\/people\/\" target=\"_self\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Jessika F\u00fcssel<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n    \n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                Helmholtz Institute for Functional Marine Biodiversity            <\/p>\n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                HIFMB            <\/p>\n    \n    \n      \n\n    \n<\/article>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Collaborators<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<article class=\"vf-profile vf-profile--very-easy vf-profile--medium vf-profile--inline | vf-u-margin__bottom--400\">\n\n            <img decoding=\"async\" class=\"vf-profile__image\" src=\"https:\/\/dev.assets.emblstatic.net\/vf\/v2.0.0-alpha.6\/assets\/vf-summary\/assets\/vf-icon--avatar.svg\" > \n    \n    <h3 class=\"vf-profile__title\" >\n                    <a href=\"https:\/\/uol.de\/en\/icbm\/marine-geochemistry\/staff\/prof-dr-thorsten-dittmar\" target=\"_self\" class=\"vf-profile__link\">Thorsten Dittmar<\/a>\n            <\/h3>\n    \n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment            <\/p>\n                <p class=\"vf-profile__text\" >\n                Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment, University of Oldenburg            <\/p>\n    \n    \n      \n\n    \n<\/article>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":0,"parent":714,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-title-left-aligned.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"embl_taxonomy":[],"class_list":["post-129399","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"embl_taxonomy_terms":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/129399","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129399"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/129399\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":132307,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/129399\/revisions\/132307"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/714"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129399"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"embl_taxonomy","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.embl.org\/about\/info\/planetary-biology\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/embl_taxonomy?post=129399"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}