NIB

SHORT CV

Education:

Graduate studies:  (2006 - 2011) - Environmental Science Graduate Study Programme, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

Dissertation: Bacterial community structure and function in the Gulf of Trieste with some application studies, 8.12.2011, Supervisor: asst. prof. Valentina Turk, Title: Ph.D

Undergraduate studies:  (2001 - 2006) - University Undergraduate Programme Biochemistry, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia

Bachelor's thesis: Impact of the fishfarm on the planktonic bacterial community in the pelagial of the Bay of Piran, 26.9.2006, Supervisors: prof. Matic Legiša and asst. prof. Valentina Turk, Title: Biochemist, B. Sc 

Titles:

2007 - 2012: Research assistant, Nacional Institute of Biology, Slovenia

From 2012: Assistant with PhD, Nacional Institute of Biology, Slovenia

2008 - 2011: Graduate assistant for the field of Microbial biology, Faculty of Mathematics, Natural Sciences and Information Technologies Koper, University of Primorska, Slovenia

From 2011: Graduate assistant for Microbial Ecology, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

31.5.2012: Doctor of Science in Environmental Sciences, University of Nova Gorica, Slovenia

COLLABORATIONS

Involvement in international research projects and collaborations:

• Research program P1-0237 Coastal Sea Research (1.1.2009 - 31.12.2013)
• ECO/10/277396/SI2.601543 (Eco-Innovation 2010) Marine debris removal and preventing futher litter entry – Marine Clean
• EU FP7-KBBE-2010-4 _RADAR Rationally Designed Aquatic Receptos integrated in label-free biosensor platforms for remote surveillance of toxins and pollutants (2011-2014)
• EU FP7 IP PERSEUS
• MARINE STRATEGY
• IPA project BALMAS ( Balast water management for Adriatic Sea protection)
• Slovenian - Croatian bilateral (2012-2013): Enclosed marine systems as laboratory for biological phenomena
• Slovenian - Argentinean research cooperation project (2012-2014): Jellyfish blooms and the possibilities for commercial use
• Slovenian - Japanese joint project (2012-2014): Slovenian - Japan cooperative studies on problematic jellyfish blooms: mechanisms and mitigation
• Slovenian - Russian cooperation on project (2012-2014): Comparative analyses of gelatinous zooplankton outbreaks in the Adriatic and Black Seas
• J4-4300 ARRS: Genes behind aroma compounds in wine

FIELD OF RESEARCH

Research and study abroad:

• In the period from September to December 2008 and from April to June 2009 and in January 2010 worked as a visiting PhD student in the laboratory of prof. J. Piškur at Lund University, Sweden
• From February to March 2011 worked as a visiting PhD student in the laboratory of prof. F. Azam, Scripps Institution of Science, UC San Diego, USA
• In the period from April to May 2008 worked as a member of international research expedition to Island of Mljet (southern Adriatic, Croatia)
• From October 2013 to March 2014 working as Fulbright Post Doc Scholar in the laboratory of prof. F. Azam, Scripps Institution of Science, UC San Diego, USA

Research interests:

During my research career I have been investigating how variable supply regimes of different inorganic and organic matter affect the function and diversity of the bacterial communities in marine ecosystems and the implications of this for the biogeochemical cycles in the ocean. Specifically, I have been focusing on details of microbial processes during massive aggregations of jellyfish and mucus aggregates in the marine environment. During my PhD studies I was awarded FEMS research fellowship for the project Marine microorganisms as a source of novel genes and enzymes for green chemistry, which was performed in the laboratory of Dr. J. Piskur at Lund University (department of Cell and Organism Biology), Sweden. The objective of this research was to explore the diversity of aquatic bacterial communities as a source of new genes, encoding enzymes deoxyribonucleoside kinases (dNKs), the key enzymes in salvage of deoxyribonucleosides (dNs). Now, on this foundations, I would like to better study microbial processes during natural and antropogenic perturbations in the marine ecosystem and to understand more about the interactions among bacteria and organic matter at the microscale level.

I was awarded Fulbright fellowship for post doctoral research on project entitled Marine bacteria and aggregates interactions at microscale, which is currently performed in the laboratory of prof. dr. F. Azam, Scripps Institution of Science, UC San Diego, USA.

OTHER ACTIVITIES

Professional honors, awards and fellowships:

FEMS research fellowship for project 'Marine microorganisms as a source of novel genes and enzymes for green chemistry', performed in the laboratory of prof. J. Piškur at Lund University, Sweden (2008)

Fulbright fellowship for post doctoral research on project entitled 'Marine bacteria and aggregates interactions at microscale', performed in the laboratory of prof. F. Azam, Scripps Institution of Science, UC San Diego, USA (2013 - 2014)

Other professional activities:

Helped with organization of 11th Symposium of Aquatic Microbial Ecology (SAME 11), organized by Marine Biology Station (National Institute of Biology), which was held in Piran, Slovenia, from August 30 to September 4, 2009.

Helped with organization of workshop Interesting Chemistry at Open day of MBSS event (NIB) that was organized in June 2011 and workshop Small world at Open day of MBSS event (NIB) that was organized in June 2012.

Helped with organization of the event Researchers' Night 2013 at MBSS (NIB) within ReNATECH project (7th framework programme) (27.9.2013).

Membership and activities in professional associations:

• Member of Slovenian Microbiological Society
• Member of Slovenian Biochemical Society

Licences:

Boat licence. Licence to operate VHF GMDSS station. Advanced open water diver licence (PADI).

SELECTED (NEWER) PUBLICATIONS

Original scientific articles:

1. TINTA, Tinkara, VOJVODA, Jana, MOZETIČ, Patricija, TALABER, Iva, VODOPIVEC, Martin, MALFATTI, F., TURK, Valentina. Bacterial community shift is induced by dynamic environmental parameters in a changing coastal ecosystem (northern Adriatic, NE Mediterranean Sea) - a 2 year time series study. Environmental microbiology, ISSN 1462-2912. [Print ed.], 2014, [In press], str. 1-16, ilustr. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1462-2920.12519/abstract. 

2. SJÖSTEDT, Johanna, PONTARP, Mikael, TINTA, Tinkara, ALFREDSSON, Hanna, TURK, Valentina, LUNDBERG, Per, HAGSTRÖM, Åke, RIEMANN, Lasse. Reduced diversity and changed bacterioplankton community composition do not affect utilisation of dissolved organic matter in the Adriatic Sea. Aquatic microbial ecology, ISSN 0948-3055, 2013, vol. 71, no. 1, str. 15-24. http://www.int-res.com/prepress/a01660.html.

3. MALFATTI, F., TURK, Valentina, TINTA, Tinkara, MOZETIČ, Patricija, MANGANELLI, M., SAMO, T.J., UGALDE, J.A., KOVAČ, Nives, STEFANELLI, M., ANTONIOLI, M., FONDA UMANI, Serena, DEL NEGRO, P., CATALETTO, B., HOZIĆ, Amela, IVOŠEVIĆ DENARDIS, Nadica, ŽUTIĆ, V., SVETLIČIĆ, Vesna, MIŠIĆ RADIĆ, Tea, RADIĆ, T., FUKS, Dragica, AZAM, Farooq. Microbial mechanisms coupling carbon and phosphorus cycles in phosphorous-limited northern Adriatic Sea. Science of the total environment, ISSN 0048-9697, 2014, vols. 470-471, str. 1173-1183, ilustr., http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969713011844.