Prof. Piotr Oleskowicz-Popiel, PhD - Group Leader
I work across the environmental and industrial biotechnology. My lab is focused on biorefinery approaches to convert waste streams into valuable products by using open culture fermentation to recover carbon in a usable and attractive form. My main goal is to contribute to the development of bioeconomy in order to make our World greener.
I hold Master in Engineering from Aalborg University and PhD form Technical University of Denmark. I carried out postdoc at the Joint BioEnergy Institute (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboroatory) under the supervision of Prof. Harvey Blanch. During my scientific carrer, I spent several months at the Institute of Process Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences) and at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology (University of Manchester). Currently I’m a full professor at the Poznan University of Technology where I lead Bioref Research Group.
Contant info:
Assistant Professor
I received PhD degree in Industrial Biotechnology from Technical University of Denmark in 2014, identifying novel enzyme candidates for selected industrial applications. I have obtained my postdoctoral training at Department of Chemical and Biochemical Engineering (DTU, Denmark) in analyzing mixed microbial cultures used for bio-conversion of synthesis gas (i.e. mixture of CO2, H2, CO and others) and joined Department of Environmental Engineering at Poznan University of Technology in 2018. My research interests include design and optimization of novel biotechnological processes utilizing mixed microbial cultures or genetically engineereed microbes for production of biofuels and biochemicals.
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Mateusz Lężyk, PhD
Natalia Gutowska, PhD
Postdoctoral Researcher, Lab Manager
I received my PhD at the Faculty of Chemistry at Adam Mickiewicz University in 2017. Since that I had an opportunity to work not only in an academic environment but also in industry. I’m interested in analytical chemistry as well as in UV-VIS spectroscopy and recovery of valuable compounds from fermentation broth. I’m engaged in a several projects in which I’m focused mainly on establishing analytical methods including but not limited to use of HPLC and GC.
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Assistant Professor
My scientific interest is focused on microbial bioprocesses for value-added biochemical production from waste-origin substrates. The research during my PhD involved open culture fermentation towards the production of medium-chain fatty acids, i.e. caproic acid. In my work, I am interested in the influence of different factors on process performance and the microbiome structure/dynamics. Privately I love travelling, gardening and playing with my little son.
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Anna Duber, PhD
Sivasankar Palaniappan, PhD
Postdoctoral researcher
In 2016, I received my Ph.D. from Centre of Advanced Study in Marine Biology, Annamalai University of India. I investigated Antarctic actinobacteria for diversity and bioprospecting potential, particularly cryoprotective exopolysaccharides and cold active enzymes. From 2017 to 2019, I worked as a postdoc at Department of Environmental Science at Periyar University of India where I concentrated on developing a process for producing bioethanol from hemicellulosic biomass using marine and terrestrial actinobacteria as the mediator. Now I work on using methanotrophic bacteria to generate new by-products I’m particularly interested in the identification and characterization of individual methanotrophs from active methanotrophic microbial consortia using taxonomic and genomic approaches
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Postdoctoral researcher
I received my PhD in Biopharmaceutical sciences, specializing in biochemistry from Mahidol university, Thailand in 2020. I hold a Master of Engineering in food engineering and bioprocess technology from Asian Institute of technology, Thailand and Bachelor of Engineering in chemical engineering from Yangon technological University, Myanmar. During my PhD, I developed a DNA lateral flow biosensor and PCR method for screening of PHA producing microbes and cloned the gene for PHA production. My master thesis was about bioethanol production from glycerol pretreated rice straw. I love travelling and meditation. I would like to contribute my knowledge and expertise to the world to be a better place.
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Nay Yee Wint, PhD
Filip Brodowski
PhD student
My MSc thesis is about simulation of biorefinery processes – I conduct techno-economic analysis and compare popular bioethanol plants to emerging carboxylate platforms using the SuperPro Designer software. During my PhD, I continue to work on fermentation processes focusing on the chain elongation. I am responsible for conducting and development of bioprocesses and their optimization.
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PhD student
During my M.Sc. project, I focused on developing a process of ethanol production from raw starch using a novel enzymatic preparation and nonconventional yeast species. My interest in applied microbiology and bioprocess optimization led me to conduct my PhD on gas fermentation processes. I am responsible for developing an efficient PHA-producing methanotrophic microbial consortia and optimizing the fermentation of methane to PHA copolymers.
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Aleksandra Gęsicka
Hanna Prusak
PhD student
My MSc thesis focused on the application of imaging flow cytometry and cell sorter in the selection of high-fat microalgae from environmental samples. My interest in broadly defined biotechnology and biorefinery concept led me to Bioref group in which firstly, as a Master’s student, I became a part of the ‘Production of hydroxyalkanoate copolymers in gas fermentation of methane with mixed microbial consortia’ project, and, soon after, I commenced a PhD study. During my PhD, I am responsible for conducting and developing bioprocess for obtaining succinic acid and analyzing the open culture producing it.
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PhD student
I received my master’s degree in the field of food biotechnology. I also won the World Gold Medal for an invention in this field. My interest in biotechnology has led me to always keep a special eye on the fermentation process during my master’s and afterward. I also knew that most processes related to the production and recovery of biological products would soon revolve around the fermentation process. Currently, I am doing my PhD research on in-situ product recovery from a fermentation broth and developing a novel method for carboxylic acids recovery from an open culture fermentation.
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Behzad Rouhipour
CLOSE COLLABORATORS
Assistant professor
Faculty of Chemistry, Adam Mickiewicz University
My areas of interest are fermentative biohydrogen production, conversion of biomass to energy, chain elongation processes, and bioprocess engineering. My recent research concerns dark and photofermentation processes with complex substrates, such as biomass and waste from the food industry. I am focused on combining these two processes into one-step and two-step continuous hybrid systems to take full advantage of the complementary capabilities of dark and photofermentative bacteria. I am responsible for designing of the bioreactor systems, bioprocess optimization and interpretation of the results.
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Roman Zagrodnik, PhD
Mateusz Szczygiełda, PhD
Research assistant
Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology
I received a PhD degree in Chemical Science from Poznan University of Technology (Department of Chemical Technology) in membrane technology (2021). Since 2020 I have been a research assistant at the Faculty of Chemical Technology, Poznan University of Technology. The main area of my research is the development of novel concepts of separation, concentration, and purification of organic acids (e.g., succinic, alpha-ketoglutaric, lactic) from the actual post-fermentation broths using pressure-, osmotically-, and electrically-driven membrane processes. Moreover, my interests include the study of interfacial phenomena occurring on the membrane surface and techno-economic analysis of the separation processes.
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FORMER MEMBERS
Ewelina Jankowska, PhD –PhD student
Łukasz Jaroszyński, PhD –postdoc
Joanna Chwiałkowska – research technitian