Head of Solar Fuels Laboratory at the Centre of New Technologies of the University of Warsaw. She obtained a PhD in Biological sciences in 1999 from the University of Warwick, UK. Postdoctoral research conducted in the group of James Barber at Imperial College London, UK led to several discoveries of novel molecular mechanisms of photosynthetic adaptation to changing environment (e.g. dissecting the molecular components of state transitions) and refining the crystallographic structure of the PSII oxygen evolving complex. Habilitation in 2009 from the University of Warsaw (UW). Since 2011 Associate Professor having established an independent research group at the UW. In 2011 Prof. Kargul established a node for solar fuels research in Poland and has led several projects on application of robust natural light-harvesting molecular nanomachines for construction of biohybrid solar cells and solar-to-fuel devices. She has extensive experience and success in leading several national and international initiatives (e.g. Founding Partner of ESF EuroSolarFuels and H2020 SUNRISE consortia; Member of Scientific Executive Board of SUNERGY large-scale R&I initiative) as well coordinator/work package leader of EU projects (e.g. consortia POLTUR/GraphESol, Solar-driven chemistry/SUNCOCAT and HE EIC Pathfinder/SUNGATE) which have all been focused on natural and semi-artificial solar energy conversion systems. She serves as the International Ambassador of the British Biochemical Society and has served on several editorial and strategic executive boards, e.g. as member of the Scientific Advisory Board of European Society for Photobiology, Scientific Advisory Board of the European Materials Research Society, Senior Editor of the International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, member of the Grants Committee of the Biochemical Society (UK), expert of the NAWA programme of the Polish Ministry of Science and Higher Education, expert in NZ1 Panel of the National Science Centre, member of the Advisory Board of the European Green Deal, member of KIS4 Workgroup of Poland’s Ministry of Economic Development and Technology to name a few. 

Prof. Kargul’s highly interdisciplinary research spans structural biology, biochemistry, and plant physiology with electrochemistry, biophysics and material science. In her current research she focuses on structural and mechanistic aspects of the function and adaptation of the natural photosynthetic apparatus in extremophilic biophotocatalysts. She and her group apply this fundamental knowledge for the rational construction of biomolecular solar-to-fuel devices for optimised solar conversion by smart interfacing the photoenzymes, CO2-reducing enzymes and molecular catalysts with various nanostructured electrode materials.

Associate Professor at Solar Fuels Laboratory at the Centre of New Technologies of the University of Warsaw. He obtained a PhD in Physical Chemistry in 2021 from the Budapest University of Technology and Economics, HUN. In his PhD he studied gold-containing bimetallic catalysts in the selective aerobic oxidation of CO and benzyl alcohol. During his PhD studies he compared the effect of the second metal and the chemical properties of the support. He carried out UV-Vis spectroscopy measurements  to characterize the surface plasmon resonance (SPR) of bimetallic nanoparticles, and CO-DRIFTS measurements to specify the Au monometallic and Au+Ag/Ru/Ir bimetallic nanoparticles’ surface. For three years he participated in a postdoctoral research at Centre for Energy Research, HUN in dye photocatalytic decomposition on ZnO coated butterfly wings where he showed a synergetic affect between the butterfly wings’ nanostructure and the ZnO coat in methyl orange’s and rhodamine B’s decomposition.

Nagy’s highly interdisciplinary research spans physical chemistry, analytical chemistry, heterogenous catalysis and material science. He has a wide range of interests and a holistic knowledge. He evaluated different types of measurement (TEM images, UV-Vis and IR spectra, etc.). He made the “first” super hydrophobic, slightly flexible silica aerogel at University of Debrecen. In his free time he is learning social sciences, physics, mathematics and has a basic knowledge in python and SQL. In his current research he focuses on constructing biomolecular solar-to-fuel devices for optimized solar conversion by smart interfacing the photoenzymes, CO2-reducing enzymes and molecular catalysts with various nanostructured electrode materials.

Selected publications:

 1.   Bimetallic Au–Ag/SiO2 Catalysts: Comparison in Glucose, Benzyl Alcohol and CO Oxidation Reactions, Reaction Kinetics, Mechanisms and Catalysis, 115 (2015) 45–65.

2.   Nanodisperse Gold Catalysts in Oxidation of Benzyl Alcohol: Comparison of Various Supports under Different Conditions, Reaction Kinetics, Mechanisms and Catalysis, 128 (2019) 71-95.

3.   Selective aerobic oxidation of benzyl alcohol on alumina supported Au-Ru and Au-Ir catalysts, Molecular Catalysis vol. 492 (2020), 110917

4.   Spectral tuning of biotemplated ZnO photonic nanoarchitectures for photocatalytic applications, Royal Society Open Science vol. 9 (2022), 220090

5.   Spectral Engineering of Hybrid Biotemplated Photonic/Photocatalytic Nanoarchitectures, Nanomaterials vol. 12 (2022), 4490

6.   Investigating the Effect of Reflectance Tuning on Photocatalytic Dye Degradation with Biotemplated ZnO Photonic Nanoarchitectures Based on Morpho Butterfly Wings. Materials 16, 3584 (2023)

My name is Behsat Ozan Eskikaya, and I hold a Bachelor's and Master's degree in Environmental Engineering. In 2021, I started my first PhD in Energy Systems Engineering at Tarsus University, where I focused on photocatalytic wastewater treatment, nanoparticle synthesis, and bio-enhanced catalysts. During this time, I had the opportunity to publish several articles in these fields while also conducting research on alternative energy sources, sustainable energy transitions, and green energy technologies.

In 2024, I began my second PhD in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Warsaw. At the same time, I am working as a doctoral researcher at the Solar Fuels Laboratory (SFL) within CeNT, contributing to the SUNCOCAT project. My research focuses on developing catalysis-based solutions for sustainable energy applications by integrating biological and engineering approaches.

I joined the SUNCOCAT project because I am particularly interested in developing efficient, environmentally friendly photocatalytic systems with unique biomaterial for sustainable energy applications. This project fits perfectly with my goal of integrating biological and engineering approaches to create next-generation energy solutions. Beyond my academic work, I am fascinated by interdisciplinary research, technological innovation, and the real-world impact of scientific discoveries. I am committed to contributing to the advancement of sustainable energy and environmental solutions through research that bridges the gap between science and practice.