Dominik Refardt PhD

Work at ZHAW

Position

• Head of the research group aquaculture systems
• Deputy head of the research unit ecotechnologies and energy systems
• Lecturer

Focus

Now: microalgae, cyanobacteria, nutrient recycling, nutrient balances, renewable resources, sustainability, wastewater, aquaculture, teaching in higher education. Then: microbial evolution, microbial ecology, host-parasite systems, waterfleas, bacteriophages, microsporidia

Teaching

• Bachelor Environmental Engineering
• Master of Science in Environment and Natural Resources
• Bachelor Applied Digital Life Sciences

Experience

• Lecturer
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  01 / 2016 - today
• Research associate
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  08 / 2012 - 12 / 2015
• Postdoctoral Researcher
  ETH Zürich
  06 / 2008 - 07 / 2012
• Postdoctoral Researcher
  Auckland University und Massey University, New Zealand
  01 / 2006 - 05 / 2008

Education and Continuing education

Education

• PhD / Biology
  Fribourg University
  05 / 2001 - 01 / 2006
• Diploma / Biology
  Basel University
  09 / 1995 - 04 / 2001

Continuing Education

• Leadership training
  Zurich University of Applied Sciences
  01 / 2020
• CAS Higher Education Teaching
  Zurich University of Teacher Education
  01 / 2017

Network

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0001-9048-144X

Social media

• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• Google Scholar

Media presence

• Zürichsee-Zeitung
• Radio Bern

Projects

• Sustainable Carotenoids from Microalgae / Project leader / laufend
• Development of analytical methods specific to aquaculture / Deputy project leader / laufend
• Novel method for geosmin reduction using probiotics in aquaculture / Deputy project leader / abgeschlossen
• Sustainable algal proteins produced on potato and other controlled agri-food streams / Project leader / abgeschlossen
• AWACS – Animal Welfare Assessment and Control System for Fish Farms / Team member / abgeschlossen
• Ecological Engineering Living Lab / Team member / abgeschlossen
• BIOMAT (Integrated Bio-based Materials Value Chains) / Co-project leader / abgeschlossen
• Denitrification Of Nitrate using Anaerobic Liquid fish-faeces Digestion / Deputy project leader / abgeschlossen
• Sustainable duckweed production as a protein source for aquaculture / Project leader / abgeschlossen
• Stabilized Lipids from Microalgae / Deputy project leader / abgeschlossen
• Fish Welfare / Project leader / abgeschlossen
• Coupling the cultivation of microalgae with agricultural biogas production / Project leader / abgeschlossen
• Sustainable cultivation of microalgae for energy production / Project leader / abgeschlossen
• Phototrophic cultivation of microalgae on a pilot-scale / Project leader / abgeschlossen

Publications

• Mirzaei, Marzieh; Jazini, Mohammadhadi; Aminiershad, Ghazaleh; Refardt, Dominik,

  2024.

  Biodesalination of saline aquaculture wastewater with simultaneous nutrient removal and biomass production using the microalgae Arthrospira and Dunaliella in a circular economy approach.

  Desalination.

  581(117564).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.desal.2024.117564

• Mariotto, Marina; Egloff, Sophia; Fritz, Ines; Refardt, Dominik,

  2023.

  Cultivation of the PHB-producing cyanobacterium Synechococcus leopoliensis in a pilot-scale open system using nitrogen from waste streams.

  Algal Research.

  70(103013).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2023.103013

• Stadtlander, Timo; Tschudi, Fridolin; Seitz, Andreas; Sigrist, Mathias; Refardt, Dominik; Leiber, Florian,

  2023.

  Partial replacement of fishmeal with duckweed (Spirodela polyrhiza) in feed for two carnivorous fish species, Eurasian perch (Perca fluviatilis) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss).

  Aquaculture Research.

  2023(6680943).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/6680943

• Kupczok, Anne; Bailey, Zachary M.; Refardt, Dominik; Wendling, Carolin C.,

  2022.

  Co-transfer of functionally interdependent genes contributes to genome mosaicism in lambdoid phages.

  Microbial Genomics.

  8(11), pp. 000915.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1099/mgen.0.000915

• Pulgarin, Adrian; Decker, Jérémie; Chen, Jiahua; Giannakis, Stefanos; Ludwig, Christian; Refardt, Dominik; Pick, Horst,

  2022.

  Effective removal of the rotifer Brachionus calyciflorus from a Chlorella vulgaris microalgal culture by homogeneous solar photo-Fenton at neutral pH.

  Water Research.

  226(119301).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2022.119301

• Wendling, Carolin C.; Refardt, Dominik; Hall, Alex R.,

  2021.

  Fitness benefits to bacteria of carrying prophages and prophage‐encoded antibiotic‐resistance genes peak in different environments.

  Evolution.

  75(2), pp. 515-528.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.14153

• Tschirren, Linda; Bachmann, David Andrea; Güler, Ali Cem; Blaser, Oliver; Rhyner, Nicola; Seitz, Andreas; Zbinden, Erich; Wahli, Thomas; Segner, Helmut; Refardt, Dominik,

  2021.

  MyFishCheck : a model to assess fish welfare in aquaculture.

  Animals.

  11(1), pp. 145.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11010145

• Pulgarin, Adrian; Kapeller, Alexander Garcia; Tarik, Mohamed; Egloff, Sophia; Mariotto, Marina; Ludwig, Christian; Refardt, Dominik,

  2021.

  Cultivation of microalgae at high-density with pretreated liquid digestate as a nitrogen source : fate of nitrogen and improvements on growth limitations.

  Journal of Cleaner Production.

  324.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2021.129238

• Tejido-Nuñez, Yaiza; Aymerich, Enrique; Sancho, Luis; Refardt, Dominik,

  2020.

  Co-cultivation of microalgae in aquaculture water : interactions, growth and nutrient removal efficiency at laboratory- and pilot-scale.

  Algal Research.

  49(101940).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2020.101940

• Pulgarin, Adrian; Giannakis, Stefanos; Pulgarin, César; Ludwig, Christian; Refardt, Dominik,

  2020.

  A novel proposition for a citrate-modified photo-Fenton process against bacterial contamination of microalgae cultures.

  Applied Catalysis B: Environmental.

  265(118615).

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apcatb.2020.118615

• Tejido-Nuñez, Yaiza; Aymerich, Enrique; Sancho, Luis; Refardt, Dominik,

  2019.

  Treatment of aquaculture effluent with Chlorella vulgaris and Tetradesmus obliquus : the effect of pretreatment on microalgae growth and nutrient removal efficiency.

  Ecological Engineering.

  136, pp. 1-9.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoleng.2019.05.021

• Egloff, Sophia; Tschudi, Fridolin; Schmautz, Zala; Refardt, Dominik,

  2018.

  High-density cultivation of microalgae continuously fed with unfiltered water from a recirculating aquaculture system.

  Algal Research.

  34, pp. 68-74.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2018.07.004

• Pleška, Maroš; Lang, Moritz; Refardt, Dominik; Levin, Bruce R.; Guet, Călin C.,

  2018.

  Phage–host population dynamics promotes prophage acquisition in bacteria with innate immunity.

  Nature Ecology & Evolution.

  2(2), pp. 359-366.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41559-017-0424-z

• Peng, Gaël; Vogel, Frédéric; Refardt, Dominik; Ludwig, Christian,

  2017.

  Catalytic supercritical water gasification : continuous methanization of Chlorella vulgaris.

  Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research.

  56(21), pp. 6256-6265.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.iecr.7b00042

• Damergi, Eya; Schwitzguébel, Jean-Paul; Refardt, Dominik; Sharma, Shivom; Holliger, Christof; Ludwig, Christian,

  2017.

  Extraction of carotenoids from Chlorella vulgaris using green solvents and syngas production from residual biomass.

  Algal Research.

  25, pp. 488-495.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2017.05.003

• Wendling, Carolin Charlotte; Piecyk, Agnes; Refardt, Dominik; Chibani, Cynthia Maria; Hertel, Robert; Liesegang, Heiko; Bunk, Boyke; Overmann, Jörg; Roth, Olivia,

  2017.

  Tripartite species interaction : eukarotic hosts suffer more from phage susceptible than from phage resistant bacteria.

  BMC Evolutionary Biology.

  17(1), pp. 98.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12862-017-0930-2

• Bagnoud-Velásquez, Mariluz; Refardt, Dominik; Vuille, François; Ludwig, Christian,

  2015.

  Opportunities for Switzerland to contribute to the production of algal biofuels : the hydrothermal pathway to bio-methane.

  Chimia.

  69(10), pp. 614-621.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.2533/chimia.2015.614

• Refardt, Dominik,

  2022.

  Lab life : when your PhD (almost) falls apart.

  eLife.

  11, pp. e81548.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.81548

• Montpart Planell, Nuria; Membrez, Yves; Refardt, Dominik,

  2015.

  Production de spiruline à la ferme : produire de la spiruline à la ferme grâce au digestat et à la chaleur excédentaire d’une installation de biogaz.

  Biomasse und Holzenergie

  .

  Bern:

  Bundesamt für Energie.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-2655

• Graber, Andreas; Leiblein, Thomas; Refardt, Dominik; Junge, Ranka,

  2013.

  Potential of algae turf scrubbers (ATS™) for elimination of phosphorus from swimming ponds [paper].

  In:

  Borin, Maurizio; Malagoli, Mario; Salvato, Michela; Tanis, Benek, eds.,

  Wetland Systems Ecology, Functioning and Management.

  8th Society of Wetland Scientists (SWS) European Chapter International Conference, Padova, Italy, 1-4 September 2013.

  Padova:

  P.A.N..

  pp. 29-30.

  Available from: https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-1612

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

• Vávra, J., M. Hylis, I. Fiala, D. Refardt, R. Larsson. 2016. Microsporidia in a woodland pool I. Lanatospora costata sp. n. (Opisthosporidia, Microsporidia), parasite of Megacyclops viridis (Crustacea, Copepoda): fine structure and molecular phylogeny. Acta Protozool 55:269-280
• Armanious, A., M. Aeppli, J. Ronald, D. Refardt, T. Sigstam, T. Kohn & M. Sander. 2016. Viruses at solid-water interfaces: A systematic assessment of interactions driving adsorption. Env Sci Tech 50:732-743
• Haag, K.L., T.Y. James, J.-F. Pombert, R. Larsson, T.M.M. Schaer, D. Refardt & D. Ebert. 2014. Evolution of a morphological novelty occurred before genome compaction in a lineage of extreme parasites. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 111:15480–15485
• Refardt, D. & R. Kümmerli. 2013. Defying bacteriophages: contrasting altruistic with individual-based resistance mechanisms in Escherichia coli. Communicative & Integrative Biology 6:e25159
• Refardt, D., T. Bergmiller & R. Kümmerli. 2013. Altruism can evolve when relatedness is low: Evidence from bacteria committing suicide upon phage infection. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 280:20123035
• Refardt, D. 2012. Real-time quantitative PCR to discriminate and quantify lambdoid bacteriophages of Escherichia coli K-12. Bacteriophage 2:98-104
• Refardt, D. 2012. Combining forces to target bacteria (invited commentary). Evolutionary Applications 5:537-539
• Refardt, D. & D. Ebert. 2012. The impact of infection on host competition and its relationship to parasite persistence in a Daphnia microparasite system. Evol Ecol 26:95-107
• Refardt, D. 2011. Within-host competition determines reproductive success of temperate bacteriophages. ISME Journal 5:1451-1460
• Haag, K.L., J.I.R. Larsson, D. Refardt & D. Ebert. 2011. Cytological and molecular description of Hamiltosporidium tvaerminnensis gen. et sp. nov., a microsporidian parasite of Daphnia magna, and establishment of Hamiltosporidium magnivora comb. nov. Parasitology 138:447-462
• Refardt, D. & P.B. Rainey. 2010. Tuning a genetic switch: Experimental evolution and natural variation of prophage induction. Evolution 64:1086-1097
• Refardt, D., E. Decaestecker, P.T.J. Johnson & J. Vávra. 2008. Morphology, molecular phylogeny, and ecology of Binucleata daphniae n. g., n. sp (Fungi: Microsporidia), a parasite of Daphnia magna Straus, 1820 (Crustacea: Branchiopoda). Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 55:393-408
• Refardt, D. & D. Ebert. 2007. Inference of parasite local adaptation using two different fitness components. Journal of Evolutionary Biology 20:921-929
• Refardt, D. & L. Mouton. 2007. Reverse arrangement of rRNA subunits in the microsporidium Glugoides intestinalis. Journal of Eukaryotic Microbiology 54:83-85
• Refardt, D. & D. Ebert. 2006. Quantitative PCR to detect, discriminate and quantify intracellular parasites in their host: an example from three microsporidians in Daphnia. Parasitology 133:11-18
• Zbinden, M., S. Lass, D. Refardt, J. Hottinger & D. Ebert. 2005. Octosporea bayeri: fumidil B inhibits vertical transmission in Daphnia magna. Experimental Parasitology 109:58-61
• Mucklow, P.T., D.B. Vizoso, K.H. Jensen, D. Refardt & D. Ebert. 2004. Variation in phenoloxidase activity and its relation to parasite resistance within and between populations of Daphnia magna. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 271:1175-1183
• Canning, E.U., D. Refardt, C.R. Vossbrinck, B. Okamura & A. Curry. 2004. Correction for genus Bryonosema (Microsporidia, Pseudonosematidae). European Journal of Protistology 40:69-69
• Canning, E.U., D. Refardt, C.R. Vossbrinck, B. Okamura & A. Curry. 2002. New diplokaryotic microsporidia (Phylum Microsporidia) from freshwater bryozoans (Bryozoa, Phylactolaemata). European Journal of Protistology 38:247-265
• Refardt, D., E.U. Canning, A. Mathis, S.A. Cheney, N.J. Lafranchi-Tristem & D. Ebert. 2002. Small subunit ribosomal DNA phylogeny of microsporidia that infect Daphnia (Crustacea: Cladocera). Parasitology 124:381-389
• Canning, E.U., A. Curry, S.A. Cheney, N.J. Lafranchi-Tristem, D. Ebert, D. Refardt, M. Killick-Kendrick, R. Killick-Kendrick. 2001. Flabelliforma montana (Phylum Microsporidia) from Phlebotomus ariasi (Diptera, Psychodidae): Ultrastructural observations and phylogenetic relationships. European Journal of Protistology 37:207-221

go back