Doris Ribitsch

Doris Ribitsch is a Senior Lecturer at the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology within the Department of Biotechnology and Food Sciences at the University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU). She is actively engaged in research and teaching, focusing on cutting-edge topics in environmental biotechnology and polymer science.

Her research interests center on Environmental Biotechnology, Enzyme Technology, and Plastic Degradation. She investigates the use of enzymes and microorganisms for the biodegradation of synthetic polymers, the valorization of lignin for sustainable materials, and the development of bio-based polymers. Her work addresses critical environmental challenges such as microplastic pollution and electronic waste, aiming to create circular and sustainable solutions.

The trend in her recent research, as reflected in her publications and projects, is a strong focus on biocatalysis for environmental applications. Her work spans from fundamental enzyme discovery and engineering to applied projects on recycling mixed textiles, recovering metals from e-waste using lignin, and monitoring microplastics in Alpine water systems. This demonstrates a consistent trajectory towards developing biotechnological solutions for a circular economy.

Doris Ribitsch leads and participates in several significant research projects, including:

• REEaLIGN: Developing lignin-based materials for metal recovery from electronic waste (2025-2027).
• Versatile furan-based polymers: Creating high-quality bio-based polymers for demanding applications (2023-2027).
• Microplastic in the Alpine water cycle: Investigating microplastic pollution in Austrian rivers (2022-2026).
• Novel stimuli-responsive protein nanocapsules: Designing targeted drug delivery systems (2020-2024).
• Re:Mix: Recycling mixed nylon-elastane textiles (2018-2019).

These projects are funded by a mix of national companies and the European Union, indicating strong support for her research. She mentors students, as evidenced by her supervision of university theses. Her work is disseminated through numerous conference presentations at international venues such as the EGU General Assembly and OxiZymes.

She is associated with the Institute of Environmental Biotechnology, a research unit dedicated to developing biotechnological solutions for environmental problems, including waste treatment, resource recovery, and pollution remediation. Her research often involves interdisciplinary collaboration, as seen in projects that combine expertise in microbiology, polymer chemistry, and environmental engineering.