Jolanta Niedzwiecka

I am a post-doctoral researcher working on the role of anaerobic bacteria and archaea in biogeochemical C cycling in aerated soils. I have a background in biodegradation of organic compounds, and water and wastewater treatment processes. In my doctoral research, I focused on microbially-mediated degradation of energetic compounds using Fe(II) and humic substances as electron shuttles (dissertation). I investigated how metabolically diverse bacteria (iron-reducing, photosynthetic, and fermentative) can promote reductive degradation by non-specific electron shuttling reactions, commonly occurring in subsurface environments. The focus area of my M.Sc. was water supply, sewage and waste treatment, and water quality protection. During my master’s studies, I took one-semester course in water extraction and water supply at Engineering College of Aarhus in Denmark. I wrote a thesis on optimization of energy consumption by a system of groundwater extraction pumps using a newly developed software. Laboratory techniques: High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC), Ion Chromatography (IC), Gas Chromatography (GC), Mass Spectrometry (LC-MS/MS, GC-MS), UV-Vis Spectrophotometry, Fluorescence Spectroscopy, molecular techniques (DNA extraction, polymerase chain reaction – PCR, quantitative PCR – qPCR, gel electrophoresis), aerobic and anaerobic cell culture techniques

Education and Academic Positions

• 2018 – present Post-doctoral researcher, University of South Bohemia, Czechia
• 2017 – 2018 Assistant Professor, Military University of Technology in Warsaw, Poland
• 2011 – 2016 Ph.D. Environmental Engineering, Clemson University, USA
• 2010 – 2011 Environmental Health & Safety Assistant at Nestlé Poland
• 2005 – 2010 M.Sc., Eng. Environmental Engineering, Cracow University of Technology, Poland

Research Interests

Teaching Interests

• Introduction to environmental engineering (60 teaching hours: 45 lectures and 15 laboratory exercises)
• Guest lectures on: bioremediation of petroleum hydrocarbons, metals, and radionuclides, wastewater treatment processes, role of nucleic acids and DNA replication
• Developed syllabi for Erasmus courses Biogeochemistry and Introduction to Environmental Engineering (30 hours each)

Scientific Activities

Niedźwiecka, J. B.; Drew, S. R.; Schlautman, M. A.; Millerick, K. A.; Grubbs, E.; Tharayil, N.; Finneran, K. T. Iron and Electron Shuttle Mediated (Bio)degradation of 2,4-Dinitroanisole (DNAN). Environ. Sci. Technol. 2017, 51 (18), 10729–10735.

Niedźwiecka, J. B.; Finneran, K. T. Combined biological and abiotic reactions with iron and Fe( iii )-reducing microorganisms for remediation of explosives and insensitive munitions (IM). Environ. Sci. Water Res. Technol. 2014, 1 (1), 34–39.

Awards

2015 Winner of the Student Paper Competition for the Third International Symposium on Bioremediation and Sustainable Environmental Technologies

2015 The Environmental Scholars Award from Department of Environmental Engineering and Earth Sciences at Clemson University

2014 International Peace Scholarship from Philanthropic Educational Organization

2011 Fulbright Graduate Student Award from Polish-U.S. Fulbright Commission

2007 Academic Scholarship from Department of Environmental Engineering at Cracow University of Technology