FTB Advisory Board
 Karl Bayer |
 Anna Maraz |
| Carlo V. Bruschi |
 Vlasta Piližota |
| Duška Ćurić |
 Peter Raspor |
| Želimir Kurtanjek |
Jagoda Šušković |
| Branka Levaj |
Nada Vahčić |
FTB Advisory Board Members Info
Karl Bayer | UNIVERSITY OF VIENNA |
Karl Bayer obtained his PhD in applied microbiology from the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna in 1975 and postdoctoral lecture qualification (Habilitation) in Applied Microbiology in 1983. His professional interests include areas of bioprocessing, optimisation of microbial host vector sysms, enhancement of process monitoring capabilities by application of novel sensor systems and mathematical modelling. In these areas Karl Bayer’s group works in close collaboration with Austrian branches of international biopharmaceutical companies, mainly in the framework of the Austrian Center of Biopharmaceutical Technology (www.acbt.at). Moreover, the group also contributes to an EU funded consortium (www.nisis.de). In teaching, Karl Bayer is strongly involved in various courses in bioprocessing. He has supervised about 60 diploma thesis and 14 PhD students. He is a board member of the Austrian Society of Biotechnology (www.oegbt.org). Furthermore, he has been a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Biotechnology since 2005 and of Microbial Cell Factories since 2003. He has published more than 45 scientific papers, 3 contributions to books and holds 2 patents. In addition, he has presented a great number of invited lectures, presentations and posters. He has also great experience from abroad, mainly in France (Montpellier, Dijon). ↑Back to Top
Carlo V. Bruschi | UNIVERSITY OF SALZBURG |
Carlo V. Bruschi obtained his PhD Degree at the University of Parma, Italy, in Biological Sciences with a Thesis in Microbial Genetics. He then became a Research Associate at the Institute of Medical Genetics, University of Rome, Italy from where he then moved to the Biology and Medicine Division of Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, as an NIH Postdoctoral Research Associate, to study molecular genetics of recombination in yeast. Subsequently, he obtained a tenure-track faculty position at the University of North Carolina ECU Medical School, where he became a tenured Associate Professor in 1988. During this period, Dr. Bruschi was one of the three US Principal Investigators involved with NASA Space Biology Program which developed the first International Microgravity Laboratory (IML-1) Mission STS-42 flown on the Space Shuttle Discovery in January 1992. His involvement with NASA Space Biology Program continued until the 1994 IML-2 mission for which he was a Co-Investigator of one of the space biotechnology experi ments. He was a Principal Investigator in the European Union laboratory Network for the Genome Sequencing Programs of yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus subtilis and Leishmania major, as well as one of the founders of the European Functional Analysis Network (EUROFAN). In 1996 he organized in Trieste the first World Conference on the public release of the yeast genome sequence. Since 1990, Dr. Bruschi was a Senior Scientist and Head of the Microbiology Group at the International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (ICGEB) of Trieste, Italy. During his career, both in the United States and Italy, he has generated more than 2,800,000 US$ in research grants and published 65 scientific papers, of which 59 in international journals. Since 1995 he has been on the Editorial Board of Current Genetics and serves as ad hoc Reviewer for several scientific journals, including Biotechniques, Gene, Molecular Genetics and Genomics, Plasmid, PNAS and Yeast. He has been a member of the Genetics Society of America since 1983. Dr. Bruschi directs a research team in eukaryotic molecular genetics dealing with molecular mechanism of genome dynamics, in particular mitotic recombination, targeted DNA integration and chromosome aneuploidy using yeast as model cell system. The experimental approach utilizes targeted DNA integration as inducer of DSB. The long-term goal is the understanding of genomic homeostasis as well as the generation of new tools for genome analysis and manipulation, to ultimately address human gene functions involved in the process of cancer. ↑Back to Top
Duška Ćurić | UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB |
Duška Ćurić is a retired full professor from the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology where she worked since 1982. The fields of her interests are: Criteria of cereals quality, Storing and milling of cereals, Rheology and chemistry of dough, Bread industry and processes, Pasta processing, Application and advantages of extrusion technology in the food industry and Organic food production. She was teaching different subjects in that area for more than 25 years as well as supervised students’ final works, master’s and doctoral theses. She was vice dean for science at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology and the head of the Laboratory for Cereals chemistry and technology. She was main researcher in various scientific national and international projects. Prof. Ćurić coordinated the national project entitled 'Lignans in oil seeds, soybeans, cereals and wholemeal bakery product' and was a contractor for FP6 entitled 'Freshly Baked Breads with Improvement of Nutritional Quality and Low Energy Demanding for the Benefit of the Consumer and of the Environment'. She is a member of the Governing Council of the Croatian Society of Food Technologists, Biotechnologist and Nutritionists, and a member of the scientific committee of Croatian Food Agency. Duška Ćurić continually collaborates with the food industry on various projects. ↑Back to Top
Želimir Kurtanjek | UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB |
Želimir Kurtanjek received his PhD in chemical engineering from The University of Houston, Chemical Engineering Department, TX, USA, in 1979. His professional interests include mathematical modelling of chemical and biochemical reactors, process control, and optimisation. He is a member of Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers, Croatian Society of Biotechnology, and Croatian Technical Academy. He was Editor-in-Chief of a scientific journal Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly, and a member of the Editorial Board of Food Technology and Biotechnology, as well as a grant reviewer for Croatian Ministry of Science and Technology. At the University of Zagreb he was a lecturer on subjects of process control and mathematical modelling at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. He was involved in research projects with Prof. Dan Luss at the University of Houston, USA, Prof. Gilbert Fromant from University of Gent, Belgium, and Prof. Roger Marchant, from Ulster University, UK. Prof. Želimir Kurtanjek has published more than 45 papers in scientific literature, and has more than 250 citations recorded at Web of Science. ↑Back to Top
Branka Levaj | UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB |
Branka Levaj is a retired professor from Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb. She received her PhD in the field of biotechnical sciences from the University of Zagreb in 1998. She was head of Laboratory for fruit and vegetable processing and preservation. Her professional interests include investigation of phytochemicals in different fruit and vegetable species and in their products (fruit juices, jams, etc.), changes of phytochemicals and aroma substances during processing of fresh material, changes of pectin substances during ripening and their influence on gel strength of jams, and investigation of authenticity of fruit juices and jams. She is a member of Croatian Society of Food Technologists, Biotechnologists and Nutritionists and a member of the Institute of Food Technologists. Prof Branka Levaj has published more than 30 papers in scientific literature. ↑Back to Top
Anna Maraz | HUNGARIAN UNIVERSITY OF AGRICULTURE AND LIFE SCIENCES |
Anna Maraz graduated as a biologist from the University of Szeged, obtaining her PhD in 1989 and her habilitation in 1997. She became a full professor in 1998 and has been a professor emeritus since 2017. She began her career in the Department of Microbiology at the University of Szeged, where she participated in pioneering the development of yeast protoplast fusion. In 1983, she became Head of the Microbial Biotechnology Laboratory at the Central Food Research Institute in Budapest. In 1986, she moved to the predecessor of her current university, the Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences. She was Head of the Department of Microbiology and Biotechnology from 1998 to 2014 and led the Food Biotechnology and Food Safety and Quality MSc programmes. She has coordinated or been a consortium partner in over 20 national R&D projects, primarily focusing on yeast molecular genetics and biotechnology, molecular diagnosis of yeasts and pathogenic bacteria, microbial food safety, and endophytic bacteria. She has led three international collaborative projects and was a consortium partner in the EU FP6 projects PERCERAMICS and PathogenCombat. Prof. Maraz is the author or co-author of 46 scientific journal articles and nine book chapters in English, as well as 11 in Hungarian. She is a member of the Committee of Agricultural Biotechnology at the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, a board member of the Hungarian Microbiological Society, and the national representative of the International Commission on Yeasts. ↑Back to Top
Vlasta Piližota | HAZU |
Vlasta Piližota received her PhD in Food Technology from the Faculty of Agronomy and Food Technology in Osijek in 1976. She worked for three years at High school as a teacher of physics and chemistry. She joined the Faculty of Food Technology at the University of Josip Juraj Strossmayer in Osijek in 1979, first as an assistant and in 1997 as a full professor. She conducted research on fruit and vegetable processing and preservation, thermophysical, rheological and sensorial properties of different foodstuffs, control of enzymatic browning in minimally processed fruits and vegetables, stability and antioxidant activity of natural pigments, and microbiological safety of fresh food products. She has a long-time scientific cooperation with USDA-ERRC, Philadelphia, PA, USA, Faculty of Biotechnology in Ljubljana, Slovenija, and Stazione Sperimentale in Angri (SA), Italy. She was a supervisor of the Department of Food Technologies at the Faculty of Food Technology. She has published 55 scientific and professional papers, 1 book, 5 book chapters, and 18 projects for food processing industry. She was a Vice Dean (1991-1994), and Dean (1994-1998, 2002-2004) of the Faculty of Food Technology, University of Osijek. She was a mentor to 28 bachelor degree papers, 4 master's and 4 PhD theses. She is a member of the Institute of Food Technologists, International Fresh-Cut Produce Association, and the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts. ↑Back to Top
Peter Raspor | UNIVERSITY OF LJUBLJANA |
Peter Raspor received his PhD in Biotechnology from the Faculty of Food and Biotechnology of the University of Zagreb, Croatia in 1987. He joined the Biotechnical Faculty, Food Science and Technology Department in 1985 as an Assistant in Industrial Microbiology and after 10 years he became a Full Professor of Biotechnology and Industrial Microbiology, University of Ljubljana. He established postgraduate studies in biotechnology and a full program for biotechnology for which he was responsible throughout his career. His activity has been focused on physiology, biochemistry and genetics of yeast strains, with particular interest in biomass production, ethanol production, extracellular enzyme synthesis, metal accumulation and flocculation. He ran research on various aspects of food and beverage fermentation technology and particularly on starter culture production for food biotechnology from the point of view of biotechnology. His work also included research on food safety and processing waste from foods. After 40 years of service and official retirement from the University of Ljubljana, he had a post as vice dean for research and international cooperation at the University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences, and head of Institute for Food and Health. Professor Raspor has received Doctorem Honoris Causa Universitatis de Sancto Stephano, Hungary and Doctorem Honoris Causa University of Pecs and many awards. He has published 70 scientific papers, 27 book chapters and several patents and edited 15 books. His bibliography counts more than 600 items. Peter Raspor was secretary general of FEMS, and I still an active member of many scientific and professional societies. ↑Back to Top
Jagoda Šušković | UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB |
Jagoda Šušković graduated in 1980 at the Faculty of Technology, University of Zagreb. She obtained MSc degree in 1989 and PhD in 1996 at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, University of Zagreb, where she was also promoted from Research Assistant to Full Professor. Her scientific work covers different fields of biotechnology, biochemical engineering and industrial microbiology, with special interest in optimization of microbial metabolites biosynthesis (antibiotics, alkaloids, enzymes, lactic acid), probiotic concept and functional starter culture production. She attended on several occasions (in 1987, 1990, 1996, 1999, 2002 and 2005) seminars on Lactic Acid Bacteria: Genetics, Metabolism and Applications (Wageningen University, Federation of European Microbiological Societies and the Netherlands Institute for Microbiology). She has organised and led research group investigation into probiotic concept and functional starter culture production. She was a member of the Editorial Board of Food Technology and Biotechnology and still acts in the capacity of a reviewer in charge of contributions made from the field of Biotechnology. ↑Back to Top
Nada Vahčić | UNIVERSITY OF ZAGREB |
Nada Vahčić was born in 1959 in Zagreb, Croatia. She obtained her master's degree in 1988 and her PhD degree in 1996 from the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology, Zagreb. Since 2003 she was a full professor in courses of Food quality control in the food industry, and of Sensory analysis. She was head of Laboratory for food quality control, a member of a few committees, a coordinator of several courses at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology in Zagreb, at the college in Karlovac, at Health Polytechnic in Zagreb, and at the Faculty of Food Technology in Osijek. Also, she was the supervisor of the professional study of Food Analysis and Microbiology at the Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology. Within the Technical Committee 34 of the State Office for Standardisation and Metrology she was the president of the subcommittee 10, and a member of the Council for the consumer protection at the Ministry of Economy, Labour and Entrepreneurship, of Scientific committee for health validity of food at the Croatian Food Agency, and many other professional and scientific associations. She participated in the work of the Commission for sensory judgment of lipids and honey. Prof. Vahčić has published 36 original scientific papers, 13 professional papers, and has also participated at 43 scientific meetings with 55 works. ↑Back to Top
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