primary research areas | Faculty of Natural Sciences | University of Silesia in Katowice

Biotechnology and experimental biology of plants Biotechnology and experimental biology of plants

Analysis of the structure and evolution of the plant genome at the cytomolecular level
Functional genomics of crop and model plants
Morphogenetic and mathematical analysis of the growth and development of plant organs
Origin and function of electrical potentials of plants
Analysis of symplastic communication and the role of physico-chemical cell wall changes in cell differentiation

Environmental biotechnology Environmental biotechnology

Microbiological decomposition of selected aromatic compounds under cometabolic conditions
Acquisition and improvement of key enzymes involved in the degradation of compounds with an aromatic structure
Research on the influence of leachate on the functional diversity and microbiological activity of activated sludge
Research on the interaction between rhizobacterial and endophytic bacterial strains and plants
Functioning of microorganisms in soils contaminated with pesticides
Risk assessment of the spread of genes encoding antibiotic resistance to ampicillin and tetracycline
Decomposition of polymer materials
Microbiological breakdown of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) by selected free and immobilized bacterial strains
The use of immobilized consortia of nitrifying bacteria for the construction of the bioindicator of water environment pollution
Water management
The use of biomarkers in remediation processes of polluted environments
Aspects of xenobiotics neutralization at the level of animal digestive system
The use of biopesticides and other possibilities of controlling the number of harmful species.

Ecology and environmental protection Ecology and environmental protection

Biodiversity in assessing and forecasting the state of the environment
Ecological processes in natural and anthropogenic environments
Ecophysiological reactions of plants and animals

Experimental biology, phylogenesis and developmental process(...) Experimental biology, phylogenesis and developmental processes in animals

Strategies of development of animals under environmental stress (Insecta, Aranea; Oligochaeta, Gastropoda)
Establishment of phylogenetic relationships within Hemipter at the subordinate level: Sternorrhynch, Fulgoromorpha and Cicadomorpha and Heteroptera.
Reproductive systems and gametogenesis of selected invertebrates (Clitellata, Tardigrada, Insecta)
Development, structure and functioning of the mesenteron of invertebrates (Hexapoda, Crustacea, Myriapoda, Tardigrada)
Organ differentiation in embryonic development of vertebrates

Basic geology Basic geology

tectonics and structural geology
geology of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin, Sudetes and Carpathians
regional geology of the world
geothermics
drill core analysis
study of processes and deposits of marine and terrestrial environments of deposition
facies analysis
analysis of sedimentary basins
production of surface and subsurface geological maps
identification and documentation of areas of deposits
Spatial Information Systems in geology
application of Telegeoinformatics in geology
spatial modeling in geology
palynology and Quaternary stratigraphy
paleogeographic reconstruction of Quaternary environments
geomorphology
research on landslides and landslide-prone areas, mass movements
deformations of the land surface in mining areas
reconstruction of post-mining areas
structural geomorphology in tectonically active zones

Applied geology Applied geology

geology and economics of deposits
mining geology
exploration, identification and documentation of mineral resources
protection of mineral resources
tectonophysics and research on rock destruction processes
applied and mining geophysics
engineering geophysics (research on rock fractures, cavities detection, slope stability assessment)
mining seismology
seismo-acoustics (acoustic emission)
microseismology
geophysical measurements of migration of pollutants in groundwater

Paleontology and stratigraphy Paleontology and stratigraphy

Palynological studies of myospores and acritarch of the Paleozoic of Poland
Taxonomy of selected groups of fossil fauna (corals, molluscs, brachiopods, echinoderms, conodonts) with the use of statistical methods
Analysis of faunal succession in the early Paleozoic (Devonian, Carboniferous) and Mesozoic of southern Poland with particular emphasis on the Świętokrzyskie Mountains and the Silesian-Cracow region
Biostratigraphic, paleoecological and paleobiogeographic studies of fossil flora and fauna communities of the Paleozoic and Mesozoic
Comprehensive ecosystem analysis of biological and geological events, primarily the late Devonian extinction, using facies and geochemical analysis of the development of fossil biocoenoses.
Research on the spread of modern aeroplankton in the atmosphere and its monitoring

Hydrogeology and engineering geology Hydrogeology and engineering geology

Determination and management of groundwater resources, including areas affected by mining
Preparation of groundwater-management balances and determining groundwater use conditions
Definition of the protection strategy and monitoring of groundwater quality in Upper Silesia and its peripheries, with particular emphasis on fracture-karst aquifers
Determining hydrochemical zoning of the Upper Silesian Coal Basin in the context of intensive mining drainage
Regional hydrogeological characteristics of the Upper Silesian massif

Reconstruction of the geographical environment Reconstruction of the geographical environment

The role of climatic and anthropogenic factors in the transformation of the natural environment, in particular: anthropogenic transformations of the relief, geoarcheology, recording of changes in the natural environment in late glacial and holocene, human-environment relations in prehistory, Quaternary malacology (Wysoki Jesionik, Opole Plain, Bierawka and Kłodnica valleys)
Dendrochronology, dendrogeomorphology and dendroclimatology, in particular: climate reconstruction with the use of modern dendrochronological methods (Scandinavia, Central Europe, Balkans, Iceland), temporal and spatial variability analysis of extreme phenomena such as debris flows, snow avalanches, floods, landslides, rockfall and particle fall, development of dendrochronological tools for environmental research and dendroarcheological dating (the Tatra Mountains, Babia Góra, the Karkonosze Mountains, the Kamienne Mountains, Czech Republic and Canada)
The formation of Quaternary deposits, in particular slope and fluvial deposits, sedimentological interpretation of slope deposits based on macro- and micromorphological analysis, slope cover stratigraphy in the mountains and highlands of southern Poland, deposit environments and lithology of biogenic deposits in river valleys (Świętokrzyskie Mountains, Cracow-Częstochowa Upland, Bierawka and Kłodnica valleys)
Fluvial geomorphology and river valley deposits, in particular: anabranching river systems, gravel-bed rivers in mountain areas and their forelands, morphodynamics of riverbeds, consequences of river engineering (Oder, Vistula, Soła River and Liswarta River), development of river valleys, historical industrial development of the river valleys and the adjacent areas (Silesian Beskid Mountains, Opole Plain, Świętokrzyskie Mountains)
Geohazards, in particular analysis of landslide hazards, debris flows and snow avalanches, methods of early warning against natural disasters (Żywiec Beskid Mountains, Kamienne Mountains, Low Beskid Mountains, Podhale Region, the Tatra Mountains, China)
Development of the relief in the mountain areas (Kamienne Mountains, Wysoki Jesionik, Silesian Beskid Mountains)
The impact of air pollution on the annual growth of trees and the use of plant indicators in environmental epidemiology (Silesian Upland, Podhale Region, Żywiecka Valley)
Formation of orogenic deposits, development of the Variscan orogenic belts of Central Europe, reconstruction of multiphase deformation and metamorphism processes and U-Pb dating (Western Carpathians)
Environment of Quaternary deposits formation
The role of climatic and anthropogenic factors in the transformation of the natural environment

Economic geography Economic geography

Spatial aspects of the quality of life of residents of the province of Katowice against the background of demographic and social transformations of the region, in particular:

environmental pollution with particular regard to industrial plants
ecological awareness of the inhabitants of polluted regions
selected communes’ local markets
access to health care facilities
population issues

Selected elements of the transformation of the spatial and organizational infrastructure of cities, in particular the following were analyzed:

changes in the level of market infrastructure in the city and its functioning
spatial and functional transformations of the urban complex in the context of space functional management
local urban-rural settlement network

Climatology Climatology

urban and industrial climate
climate of mountain and polar areas
synoptic climatology taking into account long-term climate variability
satellite climatology

Geomorphology Geomorphology

Investigation of karst phenomena and processes in various climate zones, taking into account environmental protection
Research on the polar environment in connection with climate change, with particular emphasis on glacial karst and dynamic processes in glaciology
Study of the high-mountain environment with particular emphasis on the cryosphere of the Tatra Mountains

Physical Geography Physical Geography

Trends in the transformation of geosystems having undergone varying stages of anthropopressure
Assessment of surface water resources and water management
Transformation of physico-geographical processes in the context of diverse anthropopressure
The concept of teaching geography in relation to new directions of thinking in Earth sciences and pedagogy
The formation of biocenotic systems in anthropogenic substitute habitats on the outskirts of the eastern part of Upper Silesian Industrial Region

Geography of regions and tourism Geography of regions and tourism

general classification of tourism and tourist value classification
impact and assessment of the impact of tourism on the natural environment and the cultural landscape
assessment of anthropopression in selected tourist areas and the theoretical aspects of sustainable development in tourism
the concept of landscape in tourism and the concept of landscape and tourism interaction
tourist attractiveness of selected countries of the world
tourist potential of the regions of Poland and abroad (natural and cultural values)
the concept and strategy for the development of tourist products and facilities and their strong brand
management and marketing used in tourist services
senior tourism and factors affecting its attractiveness in Poland
demographic changes and their impact on tourism
tourist planning and development
evolution of the cultural landscape
origin and typology of cultural landscapes
landscape management – landscape audit
landscape protection and threats
Polish landscape policy
assessment of the degree of anthropogenic landscape transformation
identification of the cultural landscape
assessment of the landscape value for the purposes of tourism
transformations to which the landscape is subject due to the influence of tourism (westernization, landscape hybridization)

Geochemistry, mineralogy and petrography Geochemistry, mineralogy and petrography

new and rare minerals from pyrometamorphic rocks
origin, transformations and interactions of fossil organic matter
coal petrology
mineralogy of atmospheric and industrial dusts
meteorites mineralogy
spectroscopy of minerals containing elements from transition groups
age, petrogenesis and mineralogy of igneous and post-igneous rocks and their rock cover, along with geodynamic interpretation
petroarcheology (research on Lusatian ceramics)
research, monitoring and determining the environmental impact of self-heating processes of coal deposits as well as coal and coal waste dumps
Environmental mineralogy
studies of anthropogenic organic compounds found in atmospheric aerosols, waters and soils
research on sources of natural radioactivity and environmental changes in the context of radioactive waste storage
studies on the environmental impact of products of thermal decomposition of organic carbon in various natural and industrial processes
qualitative and semi-quantitative analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in environmental samples and in food
studies on the impact of atmospheric mineral dust on human health
comprehensive geochemical and mineralogical studies of rare (critical) ores
studies on the influence of oxidation and self-heating processes on the properties of coals
comprehensive geochemical, mineralogical and petrographic studies of energy waste
comprehensive research into the possibilities of processing of old and modern post-mining and metallurgical waste.
assessment of luminescent properties of inorganic and organic natural and synthetic materials
assessment of the useful properties of siliceous rocks.
comprehensive research into prediction of coke quality
comprehensive research into effective coal utilization
comprehensive research into obtaining gases of organic origin