The scientific and research work of the Department of biology is realized through the application and implementation of various projects in the Republic of Croatia and abroad, as well as through the cooperation of the employees of the Department at the national and international level. The quality of scientific work is reflected in numerous scientific papers published in relevant databases Current Contents, Science Citation Index, SCI Expanded, Web of Science and Scopus. In the period 2016-2021. a total of 168 scientific papers were published that were cited in the Web of Science database, of which 98 scientific papers were published in journals based on the Journal Citation Reports in the first quartile (Q1).

The Department’s activities focus on designing and implementing a wide range of specialized projects and publications, as well as increasing networking with business and the local community and monitoring the needs of the labor market. In 2016-2021. 34 specialized projects were carried out and 15 specialized articles were published. Through knowledge transfer, the Department networks new research results with national and international actors to conduct further research and implement the results for the benefit of society.

In the coming years 2022-2026, the Department is dedicated to excellence in research, quality in teaching, and commitment to the implementation of public-private partnership projects. Accordingly, the fundamental mission of the Department is to train excellent professionals and scientists from the field of biology and interdisciplinary scientific areas in the field STEM and to achieve excellence in basic and strategic research that has a significant impact on society. By investing in education and research and emphasizing excellent scientific work, the Department strives to improve its position in the internationally competitive academic community.

Important research areas:

1. Assessment of global and regional impacts on freshwater biotic communities
   • response to changes in environmental factors based on community dynamics
   • application of environmental DNA analyses and comparison with morphological analyses of communities for the purpose of developing faster and more accurate methods aimed at better management and protection of freshwater ecosystems
   • effects of microplastics on aquatic organisms
2. Exploring the impact of foreign species on stability of indigenous freshwater and terrestrial communities
   • establish risk assessments
   • establish control measures for sustainable management
3. Terrestrial ecosystem research
   • functional and biocenological ecology
   • research from faunistic, zoogeographical, ethological and ecological aspects
4. Research on the development process and adaptation of various groups of organisms
   • morpho-anatomical, physiological, and biochemical characteristics of plants during development and adaptation to climate changes
   • ecophysiological effects of changing environmental factors, both locally and globally
   • biochemical and molecular reaction mechanisms to biotic and abiotic stress factors
5. Research on pathogenic organisms and microorganisms
   • biological and molecular characterization of plant pathogens
   • pathogen-host interactions
6. Ecotoxicological research
   • ecotoxicological studies of soil and the soil-water interface
   • ecotoxicological studies of terrestrial ecosystems
7. Application and development of advanced computational tools in ecology, ecotoxicology, environmental monitoring and management
8. Synthesis and testing of the properties of heterocyclic compounds
9. The role of the central and peripheral nervous system in the development of metabolic disorders
10. Professional development of pedagogical skills of teachers, lecturers and university teachers