NCU News
Natural sciences
Grant for future-proof agriculture
The international team of researchers, of which Professor Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz from NCU (Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences) is a member, has won the competition BiodivClim organized by BiodivERsA net.
The NAPERDIV project, entitled “Nature-based perennial grain cropping as a model to safeguard functional biodiversity towards future-proof agriculture", involves research institutions from Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Poland, Romania and Sweden. Professor Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz has received 73798,63 Euro of financial support. Professor's Hrynkiewicz team is in the narrow group of winners representing Polish research teams.
The BiodivClim call is co-funded by the European Commission and supports researches covering four themes:
- The effect of climate change on biodiversity
- Climate-biodiversity feedback processes.
- Nature-based solutions for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
- Synergies and trade-offs between policies on biodiversity, climate and other relevant sectors.
The Evaluation Committee received and evaluated 231 pre-proposals and 82 full proposals. 21 research projects were recommended for funding for a total amount exceeding €25 million.
Prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz – heads the Department of Microbiology at the Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University. The main research interests of Prof. Hrynkiewicz focus on molecular analysis of mycorrhizal structures, the application of microorganisms in soil phytemediation processes and the use of endophytic microorganisms in promoting the growth of cultivated plants. Between 2002-2004, she completed a two-year postdoctoral internship (Marie Curie Fellowship) at the Institute of Soil Science and Plant Nutrition (University of Rostock, Germany) during which she participated in the project "Molecular and biological characterization of ectomycorrhizal strains for phytoremediation". She was awarded the degree of doctor habilitated for her thesis entitled "The significance and performance of microorganisms associated with the rhizosphere of willows (Salix spp.) in unfavourable soil conditions." in 2010. She has been collaborating for many years with foreign research centres from Germany, Sweden and Denmark, e.g. the University of Tübingen, the University of Rostock, Leibniz-Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crop, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences where she did numerous scientific internships, e.g. DAAD, STSM. Prof. Hrynkiewicz was the coordinator of the EU funded grant (Marie Curie Reintegration Grant), the leader of five grants funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education and the National Science Centre. She was a scientific supervisor of two PRELUDIUM grants and a contractor in numerous projects implemented, among others, as part of international collaboration (e.g. ERA-NET, COST). Between 2015-2019, she was the contractor in the project "Boosting plant-Endophyte STability, compatibility and Performance Across ScaleS – BestPass" funded under the HORIZON2020 project and the coordinator of the international research team WP1: Endophyte-plant compatibility. Prof. K. Hrynkiewicz cooperates with foreign companies producing biopreparations. She has been the Director of the Doctoral School "Academia Copernicana" since 2019.
