Who are we?

Research Group 1 – Environmental Biotechnology

prof. dr hab. inż. Ewa KACZOREK

Coordinator – Prof. Ewa Kaczorek, DSc, Eng.

Key Research Areas of the Team:

  • Removal of persistent hydrocarbon-based pollutants (e.g., PAHs) and microplastics, their biodegradation, including the selection of microorganisms, analysis of pollutant metabolism, and development of hybrid techniques for their removal from water and soil.
  • Monitoring the environmental fate of bioactive compounds (such as pharmaceuticals and pesticides), assessing the impact of their metabolites on ecosystems — including changes in biodiversity at both biological and physicochemical levels — using experimental studies and bioinformatics tools.
  • Multilevel analysis of the response of environmental microorganisms to the co-occurrence of different groups of chemical pollutants with varying properties (e.g., microplastics and APIs), considering changes at the level of cellular proteins and lipids, as well as genetic material, using bioinformatics tools.
  • Assessment of the ecotoxicity of ‘green chemistry’ products in comparison to the substances they are intended to replace, along with evaluation of their cost-effectiveness and environmental impact during use and production.
  • Identification of fundamental interactions (e.g., changes in physicochemical membrane properties) between pharmaceuticals and cell membranes mimicking prokaryotic (including differentiation by bacterial strains) and eukaryotic membranes.
  • Qualitative and quantitative studies of the permeability of biologically active molecules through cell membranes, along with evaluation of their activity and toxicity.

Research Group 2 – Materials and Biomaterials

dr hab. inż. Jakub ZDARTA, prof. PP

Coordinator – Jakub Zdarta, DSc, Eng., Prof. PUT

The main scientific and technological challenges of the group will be:

  • Development of advanced biomaterials, i.e. materials of natural origin and/or materials inspired by natural systems, using both naturally derived and synthetic compounds. Characterization of the produced systems and their application testing.
  • Development of environmentally friendly and efficient techniques for obtaining hybrid and composite materials with defined properties and specific application areas; including biologically inspired or bio-based materials produced using techniques such as biomimetics or electrospinning.
  • Production, characterization, and application areas of ‘green’ alternatives to commonly used solvents, surfactants, polymers, etc. The research will focus on developing new substances, evaluating their efficiency and cost-effectiveness in specific systems, and assessing their environmental footprint. These substances will be derived from natural sources (e.g., waste materials, secondary raw materials), in line with the principles of the circular economy (CE), aiming to minimize carbon and water footprints.
  • Development of mono- and multi-enzymatic biocatalytic systems with defined properties, intended for use as tools in processes such as environmental pollutant removal and recovery, or the production of pharmaceutically active compounds. The fabricated systems will undergo thorough characterization and will be applied as biocatalytic beds in various types of reactors.
  • Development of a new group of membranes and biocatalytic membranes doped with additives enhancing their functionality and applicability. Determination of the effect of modifiers on membrane properties, as well as the development of methods for enzyme immobilization on the fabricated materials.
  • Investigation of the interactions between new pharmaceutical compounds and cells or model membrane systems characteristic of prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms, as well as the study of the permeability of these compounds through cell membranes.
  • Research on the formation of model cell membranes that reflect the composition and physicochemical properties of specific prokaryotic strains, as well as studies on anhydrobiosis in membrane systems and the influence of environmental conditions on their physicochemical properties.

Research Group 3 – Biotransformation

prof. dr hab. inż. Piotr Oleśkowicz-Popiel

Coordinator – prof. dr hab. inż. Piotr Oleśkowicz-Popiel

As part of the cluster’s activities, the group will conduct research in the following areas:

  • Biorefineries (development of technological pathways for the conversion of wastewater and waste into medium-chain fatty acids; research on succinic acid production; research on the production of long-chain fatty acids using oleaginous microorganisms; methane fermentation and biomethanation).
  • Biofactories (development of technologies for converting simple organic compounds into biologically derived high-value chemical compounds; research on the identification and modification of bacteria for industrial and environmental applications; production of recombinant proteins in eukaryotic and prokaryotic expression systems; creation of defined mixed microbial cultures for the production of so-called platform biochemicals).
  • Biofuels (search for technological solutions for converting fermentation products into so-called drop-in biofuels, including Kolbe electrolysis; utilization of oleaginous microorganisms).
  • Technical and economic analysis of entire technological processes to accelerate technology development and conduct life cycle assessment.
  • Activities aimed at directing microbial consortia involved in the process to enable efficient bioproduction of target compounds — supporting research on detection (qualitative and quantitative analysis) of specific compounds in microorganisms using fluorescence imaging techniques. Analysis of substance distribution in unicellular organisms as a function of external stimuli.

Research Group 4 – Biomodeling and Biosimulations

Coordinator – Dr Eng. Maciej Piernik

As part of the cluster’s activities, the group will conduct research in the following areas:

  • Biochemical data analysis – activities will include statistical analysis and data visualization, as well as the development of tools for multivariate analysis, dimensionality reduction, and identification of key features in the data. Machine learning techniques will be employed to automatically detect patterns and relationships in large datasets, enabling easier interpretation of results and more precise formulation of further research hypotheses.
  • Synthesis of computational biological models – machine learning will be used to create digital models that simulate the behavior of biological systems at various organizational levels. The developed models will be able to integrate data from diverse sources to provide a comprehensive understanding of biological processes.
  • Simulation of laboratory experiments – algorithms will be developed to perform in silico simulations of biological experiments, using machine learning techniques, for example, to optimize experimental conditions or predict outcomes. The simulations may include both deterministic and stochastic approaches, depending on the scale and nature of the studied process.
  • Virtual laboratories – development of advanced platforms for virtual biological experiments that will integrate computational models with user interfaces. Virtual laboratories will enable interactive manipulation of model parameters, real-time visualization of results, and automatic report generation.

Research Group 5 – Systems Biology

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Coordinator – Prof. Piotr Formanowicz, DSc, Eng.

As part of the cluster’s activities, the group will conduct research in the following areas:

  • Modeling of biological systems using Petri nets, which enable a highly detailed representation of processes occurring within them at a chosen level of abstraction (e.g., at the molecular level).
  • The use of appropriate extensions of Petri nets enabling the incorporation of large sets of quantitative data into the model when their inclusion is justified.
  • Utilization of systems biology tools to study the mechanisms underlying selected diseases, enabling the in silico search and testing of new therapies, and in the case of microorganism modeling, serving as a component of metabolic engineering.
  • System analyses conducted using Petri nets, supplemented when necessary by studies employing agent-based systems, which naturally enable simulation and analysis of cell populations (e.g., cancer cells), as well as research using models expressed through differential equations or other modeling methods.
  • Application of systems methods to support tasks carried out within projects of other research groups.

Contact us

Cluster coordinator

Wojciech Smułek

Wojciech Smułek | Klaster Zrównoważonej Biotechnologii | Politechnika Poznańska
email: wojciech.smulek@put.poznan.pl
tel:513 444 991
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