Danae Venieri

Professor Danae Venieri holds a dual role as Professor of Environmental Microbiology at the Technical University of Crete (TUC) and Vice Rector of Finance and Development. She leads the Environmental Microbiology Laboratory within the Department of Environmental Engineering, focusing on microbiological water quality assessment, antibiotic resistance mechanisms, and advanced disinfection technologies.

Education:

• Ph.D. in Medical Sciences, University of Patras (2005)
• B.Sc. in Biology, Department of Biology, University of Patras (1999)

Research Interests:

• Microbial pathogen inactivation via photocatalysis and oxidation processes
• Antibiotic resistance gene dynamics in wastewater systems
• Bioremediation applications of natural materials (clays, biochar)
• Historical medicinal clays' microbiological mechanisms

Key Projects:

• Coordinator for EU-funded programs like WATER4CROPS (wastewater reuse) and CHARM (groundwater remediation)
• Developed solar photocatalytic systems for pathogen inactivation
• Investigated microbial communities in phytoremediation systems

Advising & Grants:

• Oversaw 10+ research projects with total funding exceeding €5M
• Guided 15+ MSc/PhD students in environmental microbiology

Lab Activities:

• Environmental Microbiology Lab: Specializes in microbial analysis, photocatalyst synthesis, and advanced oxidation experiments
• Collaborates with industry partners for wastewater treatment solutions