MARUM Research Academy

Attending the Goldschmidt Conference 2025 in Prague was a truly enriching and inspiring experience. As one of the premier events in the field of geochemistry, the conference provided a unique platform to engage with a diverse international community of researchers, professors, and industry representatives. Throughout the week, I had a lot of productive conversations that broadened my perspective on geochemical research and introduced me to a variety of cutting-edge technologies, analytical methods, and innovative approaches to common scientific challenges.

For example, I had the opportunity to discuss my work on developing a new method to preconcentrate high field strength elements (HFSE)—Zr, Nb, and Hf—from seawater using the SeaFAST system. It was very encouraging to receive direct input from the manufacturer (Elemental Scientific) and other experts who showed genuine interest in my work.

I presented a poster which demonstrates the first results of applying this new offline SeaFAST method to samples collected from the Southern Pacific Ocean (GP21 cruise). I received a lot of positive feedback and ideas for further research. I also met researchers who offered access to their lab equipment or expressed interest in sample exchange—especially those working on zirconium isotopes. These new contacts could be very helpful for the future development of my project.

I also received a book from Cambridge University Press, which was a nice surprise for me. The conference featured many fascinating talks. Unfortunately, it was impossible to attend all of them or absorb everything at once, so I plan to review my notes and watch recorded talks after the event to fully benefit from the content.