Simona Bartkova

Simona Bartkova is a Researcher at Tallinn University of Technology's Department of Chemistry and Biotechnology, School of Science. She holds a Doctorate in Microbiology from the Technical University of Denmark (2016) and has expertise in droplet microfluidics, microbial ecology, and antimicrobial resistance research. Her work focuses on developing novel platforms for studying microplastic impacts on bacterial behavior and antibiotic resistance.

• Education: PhD Microbiology (DTU), MSc Molecular Ecology (Lund University), BSc Biology (Dowling College)

Research interests include microfluidics-based diagnostics, environmental microbiology, and aquaculture health. She leads projects funded by the European Commission and Estonian grants, including the Droplet-Based Microfluidics Platform for studying plastic-degrading microbes.

Awards include 2024 Plastic Fantastic Hackathon winner and 2023 Dolomite competition 2nd prize. Active in COST Action networks on antimicrobial resistance and aquaculture biotechnology.

• Grants: €550k for endocrine disruptor detection, €459k for DNA nanotechnology

Juvenile basketball prodigy turned scientist, she also coaches and competes in Estonian women's basketball leagues.