Doctoral students will engage in expert- and peer-led workshops to enhance skills that are crucial for their success. Scientific writing constitutes a major part of this course. Additional topics will be chosen by students and could include publishing, data visualization, genAI and presentation skills. Students will bolster their scientific networks by learning and collaborating with peers.

We will study traces in the lithosphere that have been left behind by organisms during the course of Earth history and mineral components, which were built through biological processes or used as sources of energy and nutrients by organisms. Traces of life from the past will be compared with the development of the diversity of today's organisms.

Radiocarbon (14C) dating is the most eminent dating tool for carbon containing samples younger than ~50 kyr and a useful tracer of the carbon cycle. Within this lab course, the sample preparation and 14C analysis of wood samples (or upon agreement other samples) will be performed.

This blended learning course will provide an overview of cosmogenic and anthropogenic radionuclides, powerful tools for understanding a wide range of environmental processes. Besides exploring their applications as tracers in the environment this course will foster the life skill of smart notetaking.