Information Page of SAS Employee

Curriculum vitae

Ing. Alena Luptáková, PhD.

Ing. Alena Luptáková, PhD. holds an MSc in the field of chemical engineering. Since 1986 she has worked in the Department of Mineral Biotechnologies, Institute of Geotechnics, Slovak Academy of Sciences. She graduated PhD studies in the field of Environmental technologies. She has over 25 years of experience in the field of biohydrometallurgy, especially bioremediation and bioleaching, becoming an expert in bioremediation of acid mine drainage (AMD) using sulphate-reducing bacteria (SRB). She is experienced in the preparation and application of bionanosorbents produced by SRB based on bacterially produced iron sulphides in removing metals from water. She is a specialist in research: bioleaching of sulphide minerals and electronic waste by bacteria of genus Acidithiobacillus and Leptospirillum, regeneration of leaching agents based on Fe2(SO4)3 by utilization of bacteria Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans, the physiological adaptation of bacteria species to technologically real parameters and impact of AMD on the stream sediments. She is also involved in the research of the microbiologically influenced corrosion of concrete and some other construction materials by bacteria Acidithiobacillus thioxidans and Desulfovibrio desulfuricans. In 2006, she was a referee of seminar “15 Years of Mineral Biotechnologies” on November 24, 2006 in Košice, Slovakia. In 2009, 2011 and 2014 she was co-chairing the international conferences “Biotechnology and Metals”, Košice, Slovakia. Dr Luptáková is the author of 1 monograph published abroad, 1 monograph published in Slovakia, 2 student books and author of more than 150 scientific publications. She joined over 60 international conferences with total number of 78 contributions (603 lectures and 18 posters). Dr Luptáková is recognized as a well-established expert in the given area, documented by 12 invited lectures in Slovakia and abroad (L’Aquila University, Italy, 2004; La Sapienza University, Rome, Italy, 2005; IPKON RAS, Moscow, Russia, 2009; The 14th IBBS, Sant’Alessio Siculo, Sicily, Italy, 2008; Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan, 2011; University of Paris-EST, Laboratory Geomaterials and Environment, Paris, France, 2013). She is experienced in preparation and management of several national (5) and bilateral international (10) projects supported by VEGA and APVV agencies. In 2007, she received an award and diploma in competition for the best product – poster “Industrial waste water treatment technology for heavy metals removal, using bacteria”, at the exhibition Kamenár 2007. In 2010, she won the competition Scientia pro Futuro 2010 and has been awarded the Slovenské elektrárne Prize for guidance of exceptionally, high quality scholar research project, where she supervised Daniel Grega’s high school research activity “Treatment of Acid Mine Drainage”. Since 2009 she has been engaged with secondary schools cooperation and non-government organization Young Scientists of Slovakia, supervising and preparing students for participation in numerous important national and international competitions for secondary school students (EUCYS 2009, 2010 a 2011; Stockholm Junior Water Prize 2009, 2010a 2011, Scientia pro Futuro Prize 2009, 2010 a 2011; Congress of Young Researchers – Water Management and Hydrologists 2009, 2010; GENIUS Olympiad USA; CASTIC 2011, China). Since 2003 she has cooperated in pedagogical activities at the VŠB Ostrava and TU Košice. She was a mentor for 4 successfully defended dissertation theses, consultant of 3 bachelor and 8 diploma theses. At present, she is a mentor of one PhD student and 1 diploma thesis, consultant of 2 dissertation theses and 1 diploma these.