I graduated in the pre-Bologna study of Biology (2011) from the Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia, with the thesis: Accumulation of Zinc or Copper in the Model Organism (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea) Fed on Zinc Oxide Nanoparticles or Copper Nanoparticles. [ pdf ]
In 2011 I enrolled in the interdisciplinary Doctoral study of Biosciences, research area Nanosciences, coordinated jointly by the Biotechnical Faculty and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. I defended my thesis, Release of Ions from Nanoparticles in the Digestive Tract of a Model Organism (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea), in June 2016. [ pdf ]
My research focused on physico-chemical transformations of nanoparticles the digestive system of model invertebrate organisms, common rough woodlice (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea), and the following bioaccumulation of released metal species. Furthermore, I searched whether nanoparticles at sub-toxic exposure doses affected isopod digestive gland tissue in specific ways, different from the effects of corresponding dissolved metal ions. The research was done in collaboration with the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, National Institute of Chemistry, and Elettra Sincrotrone Trieste.
Awards and honors:
- (2012) Biotechnical Faculty’s Award for the top graduates of the year 2011, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
- (2011) Faculty Prešeren Award for the graduation thesis, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana
Study grants:
- (2013-2014) Innovative scheme of co-funding doctoral studies for the promotion of cooperation with economy and solving contemporary social challenges – generation 2012 (partially funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and partially by the European Union via European Social Fund)
- (2002-2012) Zois Scolarship (funded by the Slovene Human Resources Development and Scholarship Fund)
International activities:
- (2011-2016) Research collaboration with dr. Lisa Vaccari at the SISSI (Source for Imaging and Spectroscopic Studies in the Infrared) beamline, ELETTRA Sincrotrone Trieste S.C.p.A. di interesse nazionale, AREA Science Park, Basovizza, Trieste, Italy
- (2015) Student conference Cutting Edge, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
- (2015) The 22nd Symposium on Environmental Biogeochemistry (ISEB), Piran, Slovenia
Methods and machines I specialized in:
- In vivo studies on model organisms, terrestrial isopods (Porcellio scaber, Isopoda, Crustacea)
- Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR)
- Flame atomic absorption spectrometry (FAAS)
- Microwave acid digestion of organic compounds
- Dynamic light scattering (DLS) in collaboration with prof. dr. Ksenija Kogej from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana
- Electrochemical methods in collaboration with prof. dr. Marjan Veber from the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, and dr. Samo Hočevar from the Department of Analytical Chemistry, National Institute of Chemistry
- Inferential and multivariate statistics
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