Marijana Erk

Marijana Erk is a Senior Researcher at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, where she works in the Division of Molecular Medicine, Laboratory for Bioanalytics. With over two decades of research experience, she specializes in environmental toxicology, particularly focusing on metal pollution in aquatic ecosystems and the development of biomarkers for environmental monitoring.

Dr. Erk received her PhD in Chemistry from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb in 2000, following an MSc in Oceanology from the same institution in 1995, and a BSc in Biology and Chemistry Education from J.J. Strossmayer University in Osijek in 1991. Her educational background spans chemistry, oceanology, and biology, providing a strong interdisciplinary foundation for her environmental research.

Her research focuses on the assessment of metal exposure in aquatic environments using various biological indicators. She has pioneered work on metallothioneins as biomarkers of metal exposure, metal bioaccumulation in different aquatic organisms, and water quality assessment in Croatian rivers, particularly the Krka and Sava rivers. Her work often involves studying the hyporheic zone and the use of stygophilous organisms as environmental indicators. She employs advanced analytical techniques including chromatography, mass spectrometry, and electrochemical methods to study metal-protein interactions and metal distribution in organisms.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on trace metal analysis in freshwater ecosystems, with particular attention to metal distribution in various organisms including fish, mussels, amphipods, and acanthocephalan parasites. Her research combines analytical chemistry techniques with ecological assessment to understand metal exposure pathways and effects, with increasing emphasis on the hyporheic zone as a critical interface between surface and groundwater.

Dr. Erk has contributed significantly to the field through numerous publications in high-impact journals including Science of the Total Environment, Environmental Pollution, and Water. She has mentored several researchers, including supervising PhD theses, and collaborates extensively with national and international research groups.

She leads research projects focused on environmental monitoring and assessment, working with a team of researchers to investigate metal pollution in Croatian waterways and develop improved biomonitoring techniques. Her laboratory employs a multidisciplinary approach that bridges analytical chemistry with ecological assessment to address complex environmental challenges.