Mycorrhizal fungi in perennial agroecosystems: biodiversity, functionality and technological innovations

Speaker: prof. dr hab. Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz, Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń

Talk:  Mycorrhizal fungi in perennial agroecosystems: biodiversity, functionality and technological innovations

Time: 16.05.2025, 9:00 am

Venue: Intercollegiate Faculty of Biotechnology, Abrahama 58, hall 042B

Katarzyna Hrynkiewicz is a Professor and Head of the Department of Microbiology at the Faculty of Biological and Veterinary Sciences, Nicolaus Copernicus University (NCU) in Toruń, Poland. She obtained her MSc in Biology with a specialization in molecular biology from NCU, and later earned her PhD in Biology at the same institution. She completed her habilitation at the University of Rostock, Germany, focusing on the role of microorganisms associated with the rhizosphere of willows in adverse soil conditions. In 2018, she was awarded the title of Professor.

Following her doctoral studies, she conducted postdoctoral research under a Marie Curie Fellowship at the University of Rostock. Her scientific work centers on environmental microbiology, including plant-microbe interactions, the use of mycorrhizal and endophytic microorganisms in phytoremediation, plant stress tolerance, and soil microbiome diversity. She has coordinated and participated in numerous national and international projects, including EU Horizon 2020, BiodivERsA, and NCN grants. Her professional achievements have been recognized with multiple awards from NCU’s Rector.

Prof. Hrynkiewicz has authored numerous peer-reviewed scientific publications and actively contributes to European scientific networks, serving as a Management Committee member and Working Group leader in several COST Actions. Between 2019 and 2024, she was the Director of the Interdisciplinary Doctoral School Academia Copernicana at NCU, promoting international collaboration and innovative doctoral education.

She maintains extensive collaborations with leading research institutions through participation in international scientific projects and fellowships, including stays at the University of Rostock, Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen, and the Leibniz Institute of Vegetable and Ornamental Crops. Her current projects address microbial applications in agriculture, restoration of degraded ecosystems, plant health improvement, and the use of beneficial microorganisms in the mitigation of biotic and abiotic stresses.