The BioInDES project brings together a dynamic collaboration between two leading academic institutions from Croatia and Slovenia: the University of Zagreb (UniZG PBF) and the University of Ljubljana (MERG), and the Croatian Veterinary Institute. This cross-border partnership aims to leverage the expertise of both teams in the field of biotechnology to develop innovative solutions.

UniZG PBF team:

The UniZG PBF team is gathered from Laboratory for Cell Technology, Application and Biotransformation at The Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology at University of Zagreb. The team is oriented toward introducing green chemistry principles into food technology, biotechnology, and chemical technology. For the last 10 years their research is mainly focused on implementation of deep eutectic solvents (DESs) in (bio)chemical processes and extraction of biologically active compounds from plants. Through numerous international, bilateral and EU projects the group members gained skills in DESs preparation and characterization, DESs toxicity profiling, as well as fine tuning of DESs composition (experimentally and by using in silico methods) for biocatalytic production of various industrially relevant compounds (i.e. chiral alcohols, steroids, and β-ketoesters). The team has published more than 25 scientific papers on DESs characterisation and implementation into biotechnological processes, whereby five of them are highly cited papers in the top 1% in the academic field. 

Assoc. prof. Marina Cvjetko Bubalo (principal investigator)

Prof. Ivana Radojčić Redovniković

Manuela Panić, PhD

Marijan Logarušić, PhD

Mia Radović, mag. ing.

Anja Damjanović, mag. ing.

Croatian Veterinary Institute:

Ivana Varenjina, PhD (Croatian Veterinary Institute)

MERG team:

Microprocess Engineering Research Group24 (MERG) established at the Chair of Chemical Process, Environmental and Biochemical Engineering of the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology of University of Ljubljana (UL FCCT) has extensive experience in the development of biocatalytic processes in microflow systems including biocatalyst immobilization, process integration and mathematical model-based process design. Among others, the group has been involved in EU FP7 MSCA ITN project EUROMBR- European network for innovative microbioreactor applications in bioprocess development, and in FP7 collaborative project BIOINTENSE – Mastering bioprocess integration and intensification across scales. Based on the H2020 ERA Chair project COMPETE coordinated by Prof. Dr. Žnidaršič Plazl, a Chair of Microprocess Engineering and Technology – COMPETE centre25 was established at UL in 2019, which aims to capitalize on knowledge base and facilities of research groups from 5 UL faculties to expand microfluidics-based research and technology.

Prof. Polona Žnidaršić Plazl (principal investigator)

Prof. Igor Plazl

Prof. Tomaž Urbič

Prof. Janez Košmrlj

Mojca Seručnik, mag. ing.

Assist. prof. Rok Ambrožič

Tadej Menegatti, mag. ing.

Borut Šketa, mag. ing.