During his PhD studies, Marcin Patryk Kozera investigated pre-treatment strategies to overcome the recalci­trant structure of lignocellulosic biomass during anaerobic digestion. While the lignocellulosic biomass is abundant and carbohydrate-rich material, its resistant structure requires pre-treatment before being subjected to anaerobic digestion. The selection of an appropriate strategy is essential to efficiently release fermentable sugars from the lignocellulosic matrix and convert them into biogas as final product. Marcin Patryk Kozera tested three different pre-treatment strategies, e.g., hyper-thermophilic pre-digestion, microaeration, and wet oxidation, to determine lignocellulose breakdown pattern and subsequent biogas production under specific conditions with no adverse effect on the anaerobic digestion process.

The PhD study was completed at Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Faculty of Technical Sciences, Aarhus University.

This summary was prepared by the PhD student.

Time: Monday, 23 June 2025 at 10:00
Place: Gustav Wieds Vej 10, Bygning 3130 auditorie 303, Bio- og Kemiteknologi. Aarhus Universitet, 8000 Århus C
Title of PhD thesis: Enhanced biogas production from lignocellulosic materials
Contact information: Marcin Patryk Kozera, e-mail: markoz@bce.au.dk, tel.: +45 42310391
Members of the assessment committee:
Professor Jeppe Lund Nielsen, Department of Chemistry and Bioscience, Aalborg University, Denmark
Associate Professor Annika Björn, Department of Thematic Studies, Linköping University, Sweden
Associate Professor  Zongsu Wei (chair), Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark
Main supervisor: Professor Henrik Bjarne Møller, Department of Biological and Chemical Engineering, Aarhus University, Denmark
Co-supervisor: Professor Kai Bester, Department of Environmental Science, Aarhus University, Denmark
Language: The PhD dissertation will be defended in English

The defence is public.
The PhD thesis is available for reading at the Graduate School of Technical Sciences/GSTS, Ny Munkegade 120, building 1521, 8000 Aarhus C.