Jan Back

Jan Back is a Lecturer in Environmental, Process and Energy Engineering at MCI - The Entrepreneurial School. He holds a PhD in Chemistry from Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck (2021) and has been at MCI since 2020. His research focuses on membrane technologies, micropollutant removal, and sustainable materials for water treatment. He leads projects like BorN-To-Degrade (FFG/Bridge, 2025-2028) and PFASelect (Interreg Bay-Aut, 2025-2028), addressing PFAS and pollutant degradation.

Education: BSc (2012) and MSc (2015) in Environmental Engineering from MCI, followed by a PhD in Chemistry (2021). Professional roles include Visiting Researcher at University of Strathclyde (2015) and Research Associate at V&F Analyse- und Messtechnik (2013-2015).

Research Interests: Combining membrane technology with adsorption and advanced oxidation for water treatment. Key areas include activated carbon production from waste biomass, hybrid membranes, and photocatalytic materials. His work emphasizes sustainability, circular economy, and scalable solutions for environmental challenges.

Grants/Projects: Overseeing initiatives like MemComPolice (IKB, 2023-2024) and PFAS-Trap (KPC, 2022-2025). He has been awarded the 2022 Science Prize of Innsbruck City for innovation at MCI. Collaborations include European Membrane Society (EMS) membership and industry partnerships on PFAS removal and membrane regeneration.

Students: Supervised 10+ theses on topics like mixed-matrix membranes, plasma treatment, and activated carbon applications. Active in mentoring projects involving cell perfusion modules and ceramic membrane characterization.

Labs/Teams: Leads teams in membrane fabrication, photocatalyst development, and industrial biochar applications. Engaged in interdisciplinary projects merging environmental engineering with chemical polymer science.