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
Email: bozidar.santek@pbf.unizg.hr

 

Lab. za Biokem. inz Ind. mikr. i TPS

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

Courses (doktorski)

Course Title Course number ECTS
Advancess in biotechnological processes for lactic acid production 3
Biochemical engineering and bioprocess techniques 165661 5
Biotechnological preparation and improvement of food and beverages 165651 3
Biotechnological production of algae and their metabolites 165652 3
Industrial processing of renewable raw materials 167439 3
Kinetics of biotechnological processes 165662 5
Processing development in malt and beer production 165597 3
Regulation of metabolism of industrial microorganisms 165663 5
Sustainable development and biotechnology 165594 3
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