Polona Žnidaršič Plazl

Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl

Chair of Chemical Process, Environmental and Biochemical Engineering
Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology,
and Chair of Micro Process Engineering and Technology – COMPETE
University of Ljubljana
Večna pot 113
SI-1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
+ 386 (0) 1 479 8572
polona.znidarsic@fkkt.uni-lj.si

Links: ORCID:0000-0002-7143-5971, Scopus, Google Scholar, LinkedIn, ResearchGate

BIOGRAPHY

Education
– Ph. D.: Chemical Engineering, 2000, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana
– M. Sc.: Biochemistry, 1994, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana
– University Diploma: Chemical Engineering, 1989, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana.

Teaching Positions
– Full Professor of Biotechnology (2016-)
– Associate Professor of Biotechnology (2012- 2016)
– Assistant Professor of Biotechnology (2007-2012)
– Assistant of Chemical Engineering (1994-2007)

Training/Positions Abroad
– 2014/15 (5.5 months), Fulbright Scholar at the School of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Oregon State University, and Microproducts Breakthrough Institute, Corvallis, OR, USA; Host: Prof. Dr. Goran N. Jovanović
– 2003/04 (6 months), Department of Chemical Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, USA; Advisor Prof. Dr. Goran N. Jovanović.
– 2001 (Doctoral/post-doctoral course of EFB: Bioprocess Engineering) Supetar, Croatia.
– 2001 (Ph.D. Course: Bioreaction Engineering) Center for Process Biotechnology, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark.
– 1997 (1.5 months), Department of Geography and Environmental Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MA, USA; Advisor Prof. Dr. Edward J. Bouwer.
– 1991 (2 months), Forschungszentrum Bayer AG, Leverkusen, Germany
– 1988 (1 month), Institut für Bioprozeßtechnik, Technische Universität Graz, Austria; Advisor Prof. Dr. Walter Steiner.

Professional Positions
– Initiator and a Co-Chair of the conference series Implementation of Microreactor Technology in Biotechnology – IMTB (2010-)
– Member of the Management Board and Scientific Committee of ESAB: European Society of Applied Biocatalysis (2013-)
– Member of the Executive Committee of EBTNA: European Biotechnology Thematic Network Association (2020-)
– Member of the Management Committee of CMST COST Action CM1303 Systems Biocatalysis (2013-2017)
– Member of the Editorial Board of journals Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly and Micromachines
– Member of the Advisory Board of the journals Reaction Chemistry & Engineering and Acta Chimica Slovenica
– Guest Editor of the special issues in the following journals: Micromachines (2019, 10(12), 2022, special IMTB 2022 issue), New Biotechnology (2018, 47), Journal of Flow Chemistry (2016, 6(1)), Green Processing and Synthesis (2013, 2(6)), Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly (2014, 28(2))
– Member and since 2017 a Deputy President of the Programme Council of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral Programme of Biosciences at University of Ljubljana
– Vice-President of the Committee for Prešeren awards for students of University of Ljubljana (2009 – 2013)
– President of the Committee for awards, recognitions and promotion of UL FCCT (2009 –2013, 2017)
– Member of the Committee for the UL FCCT Prešeren awards (1998-2001, 2005 –2009, 2017-)._
– Deputy President of the Management Committee of UL FCCT (2021-)
– Member of the Committee for the Doctoral Programme Study UL FCCT (2022-)

Honors and awards
– Rector’s award for the best innovation 2022 – 1st place in the category Researchers and Employees (University of Ljubljana)
– Prof. Mariapia Viola-Magni EBTNA Award for the best oral presentation, 2019 (European Biotechnology Congress, April 11-13, 2019, Valencia, Spain)
– Prof. Mariapia Viola-Magni EBTNA Award for the second best oral presentation, 2018 (European Biotechnology Congress 2018, April 26-28, 2018, Athens, Greece)
– Fulbright Grant, 2014 (U.S. Department of State)
– Maks Samec award for the popularization of studies at UL FCCT, 2013 (Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana)

TEACHING ASSIGNMENTS
Bologna 1st Cycle Programmes
– Biotechnology (University Study Programme CHEMICAL ENGINEERING at UL FCCT)
– Fundamentals of Biochemical Engineering (University Study Programme BIOCHEMISTRY at UL FCCT)
– Fundamentals of Biochemistry with Biotechnology (Professional Study Programme CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY at UL FCCT)
– Processes and Equipment in Biotechnology (Professional Study Programme CHEMICAL TECHNOLOGY at UL FCCT)

Bologna 2nd Cycle Programmes
– Bioprocess Engineering (University Study Programme CHEMICAL ENGINEERING at UL FCCT)
– Biotransformations (University Study Programme CHEMICAL ENGINEERING at UL FCCT)
– Chemical Microprocess Engineering (University Study Programme CHEMICAL ENGINEERING at UL FCCT)

Bologna 3rd Cycle Doctoral Study Programmes
– Advanced Bioprocess Engineering (Doctoral Programme Chemical Sciences at UL FCCT)
– Microfluidic Devices in Bioengineering (Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study Programme in Biosciences at UL)
– Bioprocess Engineering of Biologic Macromolecules, Viruses and Cells (Interdisciplinary Doctoral Study Programme in Biosciences at UL)

RESEARCH INTERESTS (more information at SICRIS)

Research Fields
– Implementation of microreactor technology in biotechnology. (Research group: Microprocess Engineering Research Group).
– Steroid biotransformations: process modeling and optimization.
– Macroscopic morphology of filamentous fungi as a bioprocess parameter.
– Bioprocesses with immobilized microbial cells.
– Biotechnological enzyme production.

Participation in National Research Projects
– ARRS J4-1775 project (2019-2023): Development of microflow systems for bacterial cell analysis, selection and application (PI: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)
–Krka d.d. Novo mesto – industrial project (2017-2018 and 2021-2023): Continuous flow process development for pharmaceutical active ingredients (PIs: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl and Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)

– Programme group P2-0191 Chemical Engineering

Participation in International Research Projects
– Horizon Europe Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions Doctoral network Project GreenDigiPharma – Green and digital continuous-flow pharmaceutical manufacturing,  Grant No. 101073089 (2023-2026); PI at UL: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl; Coordinator: Politecnico di Milano (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gianvito Vilé)
– Slovenian-Croatian project Biocatalytic process intensification using deep eutectic solvents in microflow systems for sustainable waste valorization – BioInDES. Grant No. J4-4562 (2022-2025); PI: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl; Partners:  University of Zagreb (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Marina Cvjetko Bubalo)
– M-ERA.NET Project Neoteric Biomaterials for hIPSCs Monitorized Differentiation to RGCs: Creation, Microfabrication & Microfluidics – bioMAT4EYE (2022-2025); PI at UL: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl; Coordinator: Complutense University of Madrid (Assoc. Prof. Dr. Miguel Ladero)
– CELSA project Self-assembling Multi-Layer Enzyme Network for Flow Biocatalysis, Selfembed (2020-2022): Coordinator: KU Leuven, Department of Chemical Engineering (Prof. Dr. Simon Kuhn), Principal Investigator at UL: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl, Collaborator: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology (Dr. Diána Balogh, Prof. Laszlo Poppe)
– Slovenian-Hungarian project MIO-enzyme-based multistep syntheses in continuous-flow microfluidic reactor systems, Grant No. N2-0067 (2017 -2020). PI: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl; Partner: Budapest University of Technology and Economics, Department of Organic Chemistry and Technology (Prof. Dr. Laszlo Poppe)
– H2020 project ERA Chair project – 811040 (2019 – 2022) COMPETE – Chair of Microprocess Engineering and Technology; Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl
– Slovenian – USA cooperation in science and technology 2017-2018: project Theoretical and experimental study of biocatalytic processes in microreactors, Oregon State University (PI:  Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl)
– FP7 PEOPLE – ITN Project – 608104 (2013- 2017) EUROMBR – European network for innovative microbioreactor applications in bioprocess development; PI at UL: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl
– FP7 KBBE – Collaborative Project –  312148 (2012 – 2016) BIOINTENSE – Mastering bioprocess Integration and intensification across scales; PI at UL: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl
– Slovenian – USA cooperation in science and technology 2015-2016: project Biocatalytic processes in microreactors with integrated nanosprings, University of Idaho and Oregon State University ( BI-US/15-16-049, PI Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)
– Slovenian – Chinese cooperation in science and technology 2014-2015: project Microwave-assisted nanoparticles synthesis in microchannels; Key Laboratory of Unconventional Metallurgy, Kunming University of Science and Technology;( PI: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl)
– Slovenian – Austrian cooperation in science and technology 2011-2012: Monitoring of bioprocesses within microfluidic devices, Graz Technical University (PI: Prof. Dr.Igor Plazl)
– Slovenian- Croatian cooperation in science and technology 2010-2011: Organization of international thematic conference  Implementation of microreactor technology into biotechnology (Coordinator: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)
– International Scientific Cooperation, granted through The National Foundation for Science, Higher Education and Technological Development of the Republic of Croatia – Research Project (2009-2010): Synthesis of ionic liquids and biotransformations with these solvents in microreactors. (PI: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)
– Slovenian – Portuguese cooperation in science and technology 2010-2011: project Implementation of microstructured devices in biotransformation and bioseparation processes (PI: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl)
– Slovenian – Bulgarian cooperation in science and technology 2009-2011: project Microbial transformations of steroids within a microchannel system (PI: Prof. Dr. Polona Žnidaršič Plazl)

Participation in Infrastructural centers, Technology networks and platforms
– Competence Centre Sustainable and Innovative Construction (KC TIGR) (PI at UL FCCT: Prof. Dr. Igor Plazl)

Selected publications (For complete bibliography click COBISS)
1. F. A. Vicente, I. Plazl, S.P.M. Ventura, P. Žnidaršič Plazl. Separation and purification of biomacromolecules based on microfluidics. Green Chem., 2020, 22, 4391-4410, doi: 10.1039/c9gc04362d.
2. P. Žnidaršič Plazl. The promises and the challenges of biotransformations in micro-flow. Biotechnol. J., 2019, 14, 1800580, doi: 10.1002/biot.201800580.
3. F. Strniša, M. Bajić, P. Panjan, I. Plazl, A.M. Sesay, P. Žnidaršič Plazl. Characterization of an enzymatic packed-bed microreactor : Experiments and modeling. Chem. Eng. J, 2018, 350: 541-550, doi: 10.1016/j.cej.2018.05.028.
4. R. Wohlgemuth, I. Plazl, P. Žnidaršič Plazl, K. V. Gernaey, J. M. Woodley. Microscale technology and biocatalytic processes: opportunities and challenges for synthesis. Trends Biotechnol., 2015, 33: 302-314, doi: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2015.02.010
5. P. Žnidaršič Plazl, I. Plazl. Steroid extraction in a microchannel system: mathematical modelling and experiments. Lab Chip, 2007, 7: 883-889, doi.org/10.1039/B704432A