Thesis topic:
Application of anammox bacteria as a source of specific membrane phospholipids
Motivation
Anammox bacteria that are often used in sewage treatment, contain unique membrane phospholipids called ladderanes. These phospholipids consisting of cyclobutane rings are present exclusively in the membranes of anammox bacteria and create highly impermeable membranes. The available information on these lipids is incomplete, lacking data on their synthesis, the conditions influencing their structure, which complicates the application of these lipids.
Solution
This project aims to reuse the biowaste from wastewater treatment plants as a source of these unique lipids, which can be applied as biofuel or in the chemical industry. Therefore a detailed description of characteristics, synthesis of ladderanes, functions of ladderane membranes, and means of extraction is necessary for the following use. Several reactors will be operated for this purpose, inoculated with anammox enrichments or cultures used in wastewater treatment plants. The influence of physicochemical conditions, microbial composition, and others will be assessed as factors affecting the structure and functions of ladderanes.
Another area of interest
- Project GAČR LADDEROSOME - 20-13766S – Unique ladderane phospholipids in anammox bacteria: potential valuable product from wastewater 2020–2022
- Project MICROGENEL Elimination of micropollutants and antimicrobial resistance genes from the natural environment, 2019-2021
- Internship at Biothane Anaerobic Technologies, Water Treatment Technologies Veolia
- Cooperation with Integrated DNA Technologies, Inc. on optimization of CRISPR-Cas9 for genome editing of Ascomycetes
- Cytometry course, Czech Society for Analytical Cytometry
- Antivirotics (Internship at Proteases of Human Pathogens, Laboratory of Doc. RNDr. Jan Konvalinka, CSc., Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences)
- Bioremediation, degradation of PCP, pharmaceutics, etc. (Internship at Environmental Biotechnology, Laboratory of Prof. RNDr. Tomáš Cajthaml, Ph.D. Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences)
Education
- 2020- presence: Pursuing Ph.D. in Environmental Chemistry and Technology, Faculty of Environmental Technology, University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague
- 2018– 2020: M.Sc. In Sustainable Biotechnology, Faculty of Engineering and Science, Aalborg University
- 2015– 2018: Bachelor in Molecular biology and biochemistry of organisms, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Charles University
Participation in teaching
- Laboratory Course in Water Analysis (UCT Prague)
Publications
Articles:
- Kouba, V., Bachmannova, C., Podzimek, T., Lipovova, P., van Loosdrecht, M.C. 2022. Physiology of anammox adaptation to low temperatures and promising biomarkers: a review. Bioresour. Technol., Accepted.