Martin is the team lead of the Field and Lab Support team. Together with the technicians, he works to ensure that lab and fieldwork are carried out safely and efficiently. He has a background in molecular biology and ecotoxicology, with experience in a wide range of techniques used at CML, both in the lab and in the field.

More information about Martin van der Plas

Professional experience

Martin obtained his BSc (2016) and MSc (2019) from Leiden University. During his bachelor’s, he focused on ecology and related disciplines, before shifting to the molecular side of biology in his master’s, where he specialized in molecular genetics and biotechnology.

As part of his MSc, he completed two research internships. The first investigated the prevalence of psittacine beak and feather disease in ring-necked parakeets in the Netherlands using scat sample barcoding. The second focused on myelin development in early vertebrates, combining nerve tissue staining with RNA transcriptomics across developmental stages.

After graduating, Martin worked as a research assistant at Naturalis Biodiversity Center on sponge barcoding, and at the Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) on monitoring the invasive Dreissena bugensis in the Rijnland area using eDNA.

From 2021 to 2026, Martin pursued a PhD at CML within the ecotoxicology group. His research focuses on the application of eDNA in ecotoxicology, both as a tool to assess community-level effects of stressors such as nanoparticles, and as a predictive method for evaluating ecosystem health.

From January 2026 Martin has been the team lead of the Field and Lab Support team.

Publications