Continuing Education
The Ecotox Centre is engaged in practice-oriented continuing education and training in the field of ecotoxicology with the goal of passing on expert knowledge and thus imparting professional skills. Selected courses are held in collaboration with the new Swiss Centre for Applied Human Toxicology (SCAHT).
The further education courses are primarily intended for experts from administration, practice, research and industry. Every year, the Ecotox Centre usually offers a basic course on ecotoxicology and an application course and/or course on the impact on natural systems. Moreover, ad hoc workshops are held where the results of completed projects are presented and current topics are discussed.
In addition, the Ecotox Centre participates in education courses at university level and contributes its expertise in the field of applied ecotoxicology wherever needed. Teaching is done in close collaboration with ETH Zurich, EPF Lausanne, universities and technical colleges.
Course programme 2025
Webinar: Antimicrobial resistances in the environment
20. January 2026, no registration necessary
Course management:
The Ecotox Centre invites you to a webinar with Prof. Ed Topp (INRAE) on Tuesday, 20 January 2026, at 4 p.m. on the topic of ‘The environmental dimension of antimicrobial resistances’
The webinar will be held in French with simultaneous translation into German.
Location: Zoom
(Access code: 143185)
Summary: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a major public health problem worldwide. As part of the ‘One Health’ approach, measures are being implemented in policy and practice to slow down its development. The environmental aspect of AMR mainly concerns the management of contamination from human or animal faeces and from the production of antibiotics. The transmission of AMR to humans via the environment, particularly via water, is problematic, especially in low-income countries where wastewater treatment infrastructure is often inadequate. This presentation will cover various aspects of AMR in the environment, with a focus on wastewater treatment, wastewater disposal and agriculture. The main knowledge gaps and research recommendations will be presented.
Evaluation of ecotoxicological tests
25./26. March 2026, in German, in Dübendorf, course fee: CHF 650
Course management:
Cornelia Kienle
In addition to standard ecotoxicologal tests (e.g. tests on algae or water fleas), there are a multitude of other test systems using aquatic and terrestrial organisms. The course provides an overview of the various ecotoxicological methods and presents certain test procedures in more detail in practical demonstrations. Using application examples, it shows which tests are suitable for which questions, how relevant they are and how they can be combined. As the course focuses primarily on the practical application of biotests, basic knowledge of ecotoxicology and ecotoxicological testing is an advantage.
The course focuses on:
- In vitro tests for the detection of substances with specific mechanisms of action (e.g., oestrogenic effect, inhibition of photosynthesis)
- Promising species for assessing water samples (e.g., duckweed, gammarids, chironomids) and overview of species used for soils
- Alternatives to conventional reproduction or mortality tests. These include, for example, ecotoxicity tests that provide data on behaviour (e.g. movement patterns, avoidance).
- Promising methods for field applications (e.g., gammarid feeding activity, online biomonitoring, Bait Lamina test)
One Health – The connection between human and animal health and the state of the environment in regulation and enforcement
23. June 2026, in English, in Dübendorf or online, course fee: CHF 370
Course management:
Alexandra Kroll
, Lothar Aicher
The One Health concept is a holistic approach to improving and sustainably protecting human, animal and environmental health. It recognizes that human, animal and environmental health are closely linked. Antibiotic resistance management, zoonoses and pandemic preparedness, climate change and environmental health are just a few examples that show how changes in one area can have direct or indirect effects on the others. In this course, we present policy drivers for implementing the One Health approach, such as the legal framework and guidelines in Switzerland, and the EU, particularly in the areas of food safety, animal health and environmental protection. We present case studies from interdisciplinary research initiatives that support the One Health approach, discuss the scientific challenges in implementing the concept, and introduce new approaches to risk assessment of biological and chemical stressors.
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