Laboratory of plasma applications in agriculture and food industry

NEWS

PhD positions

  • The study of interaction of low-temperature plasma with biological material
    (M.Sc. Mohamed Khalaf Abdelmajeed Fawwaz)
  • Comparison of the effect of low-temperature plasma generated by different plasma sources on polymer substrates and investigation of interaction mechanisms
    (Sahila Gahramanli)
  • The reduction of harmful substances in agricultural and food products by atmospheric pressure low-temperature plasma
    (Binita Sedhai) 

 Master and bachelor thesis

  • Comparison of the effect of low-temperature plasma generated by different plasma sources on legumes
    (Tereza Mišútová)

RESEARCH

  • The main aim of research 
    • The design and construction of plasma source based on dielectric barrier discharges and plasma jets for application in agriculture and food industry
    • Treatment of plant seeds for sowing (cereals, legumes, nuts, spices and other) and stored agricultural commodities (mainly cereals, nuts, dried fruits) destined for human nutrition as well as for farm animals
    • The study of plasma effect on primary physicochemical properties of treated biological samples (changes in chemical composition and chemical bonds, morphology, wettability, imbibition, etc.)
    • The study of the plasma effects on growth, physiological, biochemical, molecular and anatomy-structural aspects of plants seeds after seed plasma treatment
    • Investigation of changes in qualitative and nutritional properties of treated food products
    • The diagnostics of low-temperature plasma using optical and electrical methods and the assessment of correlation between the plasma parameters and the optimal plasma effects on the surface of biological materials

Available plasma sources:

  • Diffuse Coplanar Surface Barrier Discharge (DCSBD) – the “flagship”, it is special type of coplanar DBD. The unique design and optimized configuration allow generation of low-temperature, homogeneous, macroscopically uniform diffuse plasma in ambient air. Generated plasma has very high power density (~100Wcm‾³) and the discharge area (8x20cm²), which results to the short exposure times and allow treatment of high amount of material. In laboratory, there are available 3 experimental apparatus – for treatment of planar samples, devices for treatment of small amount of seeds (10-100g)  and prototype device based on DCSBD for treatment of higher amount of seeds (100-300g)
  • RPS40 „plasma pistol„ – DCSBD in handheld version, allow operation time of 45 s, optimal for treatment of small samples
  • Multi-hollow surface dielectric barrier discharge (MSDBD) – enables treatment in the flow mode of various working gases, including water vapour; the plasma composition can be easily modified by change of the working gas and gas flow rate through the perforated ceramics of plasma unit
  • Argon DBD plasma jet – coaxial dielectric barrier plasma jet, optimized for gas flow rate 3L/min
  • PiezoBrush PZ3 (Rely-On Plasma) – compact plasma handheld device, maximum power consumption of 18W

 Bioapp

Members:

Assoc. Prof. Anna Zahoranová, PhD.    ORCID

Assoc. Prof. Veronika Medvecká, PhD.    ORCID

Assoc. Prof. Dušan Kováčik, PhD.    ORCID

MSc. Petra Šrámková, PhD.   ORCID

Publications:

 

Projects:

VEGA-22-028 (2022-2025): Interaction of low-temperature plasma and their components with biological material in agriculture and food  industry

APVV-21-0147 (2022-2026): Advanced plasma technologies applicable in agriculture for surface treatment of seeds and dried fruits

VEGA 1/0782/19 (2019-2021): The study of plasma-chemical processes in the preparation of inorganic nanofibers by method of plasma assisted calcination

APVV -16-0216 (2017-2021): Modern plasma technologies for organic agriculture and food industry

Collaboration with:

    • Faculty of Chemical and Food Technology, Slovak University of Technology, Slovakia
      • Department of Nutrition and Food Quality Assessment
    • Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava, Slovakia
      • Department of Plant Physiology
      • Department of Genetics
    • Faculty of Science, Masaryk University in Brno
      • Faculty of Science, Department of Plasma Physics and Technology
    • CEPLANT R&D centre for plasma and nanotechnology surface modifications

Contact:

Doc. RNDr. Anna Zahoranová, PhD.
F2-40
Email: zahoranova(at)fmph.uniba.sk
Phone Nr: +421 2 602 95 529

Doc. RNDr. Veronika Medvecká, PhD.
F2-41
Email: veronika.medvecka(at)fmph.uniba.sk
Phone Nr: +421 2 602 95 677