Katarzyna Chojnacka - Biography#
Professor Katarzyna Chojnacka, Ph. D., Dr.Sc.
Katarzyna Chojnacka is a full professor since 2012. She graduated from Department of Chemistry of Wrocław University of Technology in 1999. She obtained MSc in the field of Biotechnology, specialization Environmental Chemistry. The topic of MSc thesis was “Wastewater treatment processes by blue-green algae Spirulina sp.” After graduation, she began Ph.D. studies at Institute of Chemical Engineering and Heating Equipment, at Wrocław University of Technology. During the study she was granted with Socrates/Erasmus scholarship at University of Calabria, Italy and worked under the guidance of Professor Enrico Drioli and Dr. Lidietta Giorno in the field of lactic acid production in the membrane fermentor. In 2001, she was awarded by European Membrane Society for the work “Using microfiltration to assist in processes of biosorption and bioaccumulation of heavy metal ions in microalgae”.
In 2003 she defended her Ph.D. thesis on using biosorption and bioaccumulation processes in the removal of heavy metal ions from wastewater by a microalga Spirulina sp. and became a lecturer at Wrocław University of Technology. In the years 2004-2009 she was appointed to the position of Professor Assistant at Institute of Inorganic Technology and Mineral Fertilizers, Wrocław University of Technology. In the year 2007 she defended Dr.Sc. (habilitation) thesis “Studies on the application of biosorption and bioaccumulation processes”. The thesis was granted with a reward of Polish Prime Minister. Since 2009 she is Professor of Wroclaw University of Technology. In March 2011, Council of Faculty of Chemistry, Wrocław University of Technology. Since January 2012 she has a title of full professor in technical science, discipline chemical technology.
She continued research work on biosorption and bioaccumulation by algal biomass, in particular on various applications of these processes - elaboration and development of technologies and techniques which employ these processes. The applications include elaboration of technology of biological feed supplements and biological fertilizer components with microelements for livestock, in which the biomass is enriched with these constituents by biosorption and bioaccumulation. She has also worked in the field of the application of low-cost biosorbents – materials of plant and animal origin in wastewater treatment, as well as on other applications of bioaccumulation – biomonitoring and elaboration of techniques which reduce bioaccumulation of trace elements by algae from the polluted environment. An important part of the research concerns investigation of human exposure to toxic trace elements by in vivo and in vitro methods. An example is the assessment of biocompatibility of orthodontic appliances by hair mineral analysis and on animals, as well as by laboratory methods (incubation in artificial saliva, cultivation of osteoblasts). She is currently supervising MSc works and Ph.D. theses in this field. So far, she promoted seven defended Ph.D. Theses. At present she is the supervisor of 4 Ph. D. Candidates.
She has published over 350 papers, including over 220 papers in world-known peer-reviewed scientific journals from JCR list, among them majority devoted to biosorption. Contributed to the book “Hazardous Materials and Wastewater: Treatment, Removal and Analysis” by Nova Science Publishers: Ch. 10 “The Application of Biosorption and Bioaccumulation of Toxic Metals in Environmental Pollution Control” (by K. Chojnacka). She wrote the book “Biosorption and Bioaccumulation in Practice” and a chapter in UNESCO EOLSS Encyclopedia “Fermentation Products”. Her works were cited 3300 times (without self-citations), H-index: 32. She co-edited the book for Wiley: Marine Algae Extracts: Processes, Products, Applications by Se-Kwon Kim, Katarzyna Chojnacka (2015) and the book “Recent Advances in Trace Elements” (Wiley, 2018). She is also an author of invited book chapters: “Using the biomass of seaweeds in the production of components of feed and fertilizers” in: Kim S.-K. (Ed.) Handbook on Macroalgae: Biotechnology and Applied Phycology, John Wiley & Sons, 2011 and Hair mineral analysis in the assessment of human exposure to metals, in: V. Preedy (Ed.) “Handbook of hair in health and disease”, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 2011.
She participated in many international and national conferences as invited plenary speaker. She was awarded many times by Polish Minister of Education and also by President of Wrocław University of Technology and Dean of Department of Chemistry. She was awarded by the title “Master of Technology of Lower Silesia” and also by Polish Chamber of Chemical Industry. In the years 2008-2011 she received a fellowship of Polish Minister of Science and Higher Education for young outstanding scientists. She was awarded with medal of Warsaw University of Technology for young scientists. Since 2012 she is the head of Chemical Laboratory of Multielemental Analyses certified by Polish Centre for Accreditation (AB 696) and ILAC MRA for PN-EN ISO 17025:2005 which specializes in determination of trace elements in environmental and biological samples, as well as in commercial products (http://www.lcaw.pwr.wroc.pl]).
Is the author of 30 patents and implementation of fertilizer products with trace elements to the market. For many years, is an expert of National Science Centre (Poland) and The National Centre for Research and Development (Poland). She cooperates with many universities in the field of multidisciplinary projects.
