Professor Piotr Dziugan
Career path
He graduated from the Faculty of Food Chemistry (now BiNoŻ), and received his Master of Science degree in 1990. He started his professional work at the Institute of Fermentation Technology and Microbiology of TUL in 1992. In 1999-2002 he was a doctoral candidate at the Doctoral School of Food and Environmental Biotechnology at the Faculty of Food Chemistry and Biotechnology of TUL. He received his doctoral degree in Technical Sciences in 2002. In 2012, he completed a postgraduate diploma program in Research Project Management and Commercialization of Research Results' offered by the Faculty of Organization and Management. He received his postdoctoral degree in 2017 in the specialization of Biotechnology for his work on "Use of sugar beets to produce liquid fuel biocomponents - bio-ethanol and bio-butanol. He has been the supervisor of 2 completed doctoral theses, 2 doctoral theses in progress, and dozens of Master and Bachelor degree theses. For many years, he has been leading research projects funded by the NSC, NCBiR, POIR, ARMIR, WFOŚiGW, and RPOWŁ.
Research
Among professor Piotr Dziugan's most significant scientific contributions are those related to the processing of post-industrial waste biomass in a bio-refinery system. In cooperation with the Polmos Żyrardów plant, a circular, zero-emission system based on the energetic processing of biomass and agricultural management of the resulting ashes has been developed and implemented. Furthermore, in collaboration with the National Sugar Company, the TUL scientist developed a package of technologies that use the processing of sugar by-products towards the production of biofuels and green chemicals. The technologies that have been developed for energy extraction through the combustion of waste biomass, as well as the utilization of waste heat for rational energy management, have found practical applications and have contributed to reducing production costs and CO2 emissions. They have also led to advances in the way we think about the potential of industrial plants to manage waste materials and waste heat generated in different production processes.
An important area of professor Piotr Dziugan's research activity involves the employment of lactic fermentation bacteria for selected applications. This is fundamental research as is carried out mainly in international cooperation with Beijing Forestry University (China). His interest in this research field stems from the many years of research he has done related to bakery technologies. A PhD dissertation was completed in this research area, and the freeze-dried bakery starter culture developed in the course of its preparation was also implemented in commercial production.
Professor Piotr Dziugan, apart from his research activity, is interested in radio engineering and the history of art.