Brief report about my studies, the bachelor's thesis, and the start of my career

Hygiene encompasses an increasingly relevant topic in various industries. I have not only heard this countless times in my studies but am now experiencing it firsthand in practice.

In my degree program "Food, Nutrition, Hygiene," I specialized in Hygiene Technology starting from the third semester. This decision has opened doors not only to the food industry but also to many other sectors.

After completing the seventh semester, the decision was quickly made to gain insights into another industry sector alongside the food industry, where I had already completed my practical semester.

Hamilton Medical AG in Switzerland manufactures ventilators and related consumables, such as flow sensors and ventilation hose sets. Until then, I had no practical experience with such products. During my bachelor's thesis, my task was to optimize and demonstrably prove the already high hygiene standards of the production process of ventilation accessories.

At the beginning of the project, various solutions were debated. From irradiation, fumigation, to different air purification systems. It quickly became clear that an optimal hygiene solution was the construction of cleanrooms.

Suddenly, I found myself in the midst of cleanroom planning and experienced firsthand what a complex and elaborate topic this is and how many different factors need to be considered. The start of cleanroom construction is now planned for 2016.

In conclusion, I can confirm the words of my hygiene professor, Professor Dr. Gerhard Winter, that the topic of hygiene is incredibly fascinating and involves many career fields. I never would have thought that I would deal so much with hygiene topics or cleanrooms in my professional life, as I originally wanted to study nutritional sciences. Interestingly, my supervisor Melanie Obert has a similar background, as she also studied "Nutrition and Hygiene Technology" in Sigmaringen, with the aim of entering the food industry. Now, both of us are responsible for product and hygiene management of medical devices, which we certainly wouldn't have considered possible at the beginning of our studies.