Laboratory for Biochemical Engineering, Industrial Microbiology and Malting and Brewing Technology
Representative
Božidar Šantek, PhD
| Phone: | + 385 1 4605 290 |
| Fax: | + 385 1 4836 424 |
| Email: | bsantek@pbf.hr |
As the year of the Laboratory establishment, the year 1956 is most often mentioned. This was the year major changes took place at the University of Zagreb because out of the former departments of the Faculty of Engineering (founded in 1926 by the reorganization of the Technical College) new, separate faculties were formed: Faculty of Architecture, Civil Engineering and Geodesy, Faculty of Mechanical and Naval Engineering and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. From the remaining departments of the Faculty of Engineering, the Chemical, Food and Mining Faculty was formed, which after one year was renamed into the Faculty of Technology. The Department for Food and Technology was responsible for education in food technology and biotechnology, and it comprised two small chairs: Chair for General Chemistry and Food Technology, and the Chair for Technical Microscopy and Technical Microbiology, which at that moment had four employees. However, it should be noted that the subjects “Technical microscopy” and “Technical microbiology” were taught at the Faculty of Engineering long before (for example, it was recorded that these subjects at the Faculty of Engineering were taught by Professor Bogdan Varićak from the academic year 1945/46).
The studies at the Department for Food and Technology started in the academic year of 1956/57 and had three courses: Technological, Analytical and Biological one, soon to be renamed into Biotechnology. The head of the Department for Technical Microscopy and Technical Microbiology in 1958 became Assistant Professor Vera Johanides, who shortly after renamed it into the Laboratory for Industrial Microbiology, according to the name of the new subject she introduced, and this name would be remembered for decades later and inextricably be linked with the name of Vera Johanides in the memories of generations of students. Due to her endeavors, the Department for Food and Technology was renamed into the Biotechnology Department (BTO) in 1960 in accordance with the IUPAC classification at the time and it carried this name for almost 20 years.
With the establishment of the Faculty of Technology in the newly constructed building in Pierottijeva Street in 1962, a space for further development of the teaching and scientific process of all organizational units, including the then Laboratory for Industrial Microbiology, opened up. Significant changes were made to the 1971 curriculum when introducing a new subject “Biochemical engineering”, which together with the subjects “Industrial microbiology I and II”, was the core of Biotechnology study course at that time. The new curriculum change started in 1978 by expanding the subject “Biochemical engineering” and introducing subjects in elective technologies. Since then, the Laboratory has been teaching the subjects “Malt and beer technologies” and “Wine technologies”.
At the end of the 1970s, the Faculty of Technology went through a series of complex, politically induced, transformations and reorganizations that were completed in 1980 by separating the former Biotechnology Department of the Faculty of Technology into a separate Faculty of Food Technology and Biotechnology. The formation of the new faculty also created a new set up of departments and laboratories, which, despite slight modifications, has been maintained to this day. Then, the name of the laboratory was also changed into the Laboratory for Biochemical Engineering, Industrial Microbiology and Malting and Brewing Technology.
After Professor Johanides retired, the Laboratory head became Professor Vladimir Marić, who managed it until 2005, when the current head, Professor Božidar Šantek, took over.
It is worth mentioning that Professor Johanides’s signature is on the founding charter of the European Federation for Biotechnology (Interlaken, September 25, 1978). The annual award for young scientists of the Croatian Academy of Engineering also bears her name.
Employees
| Name and surname | Academic title | Job title |
|---|---|---|
| Sunčica Beluhan | PhD | Full Professor |
| Mirela Ivančić Šantek | PhD | Full Professor |
| Vlatka Petravić Tominac | PhD | Full Professor |
| Tonči Rezić | PhD | Full Professor |
| Anita Slavica | PhD | Full Professor |
| Božidar Šantek | PhD | Full Professor |
| Vesna Zechner-Krpan | PhD | Full Professor |
| Mario Novak | PhD | Associate Professor |
| Mladen Pavlečić | PhD | Associate Professor |
| Antonija Trontel | PhD | Associate Professor |
| Nenad Marđetko | PhD | Senior Scientific Assistant |
| Ana Dobrinčić | PhD | Scientific Assistant |
| Ljiljana Blažević | Technical Associate | |
| Igor Livada | Technical Associate | |
| Marina Vnučec | Technical Associate |
Courses (preddiplomski)
| Course Title | Course number | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemical EngIneering | 39803 | 8 |
| Biotechnological Aspects of Wine Production | 39786; 53627 | 4 |
| Biotechnology 1 | 24115 | 2 |
| Biotechnology 2 | 32427 | 6 |
| Biotechnology 3 | 39805 | 6 |
| Brewing Technology | 53710; 39779 | 4 |
| Introduction to Biotechnology | 239467 | 3 |
| Raw Materials in Biotechnological Production | 252771 | 6 |
Courses (diplomski)
| Course Title | Course number | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| Biochemical Engineering and Bioprocess Techniques | 53616 | 8 |
| Biogas Production from Raw Materials | 66747 | 4 |
| Bioprocess Design | 53694 | 4 |
| Bioprocess Kinetics | 53223; 53264 | 6 |
| Biotechnological Vinegar Production | 66746 | 4 |
| Isolation and Purification of Biotechnology Products | 53650 | 6 |
| Microbiological, Chemical and Physical Monitoring in Brewing Process | 53302 | 3 |
| Physiology of industrial microorganisms | 53222; 53241 | 6 |
| White Biotechnology | 53233 | 4 |
Courses (poslijediplomski)
| Course Title | Course number | ECTS |
|---|---|---|
| Sustainable development and biotechnology | 165594 | 3 |