Prof. Ph.D. Đurđa Vasić-Rački was born in Zagreb, where she completed elementary school and high school. She graduated at the Faculty of Technology of the University of Zagreb in 1971. At the same Faculty (today the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology of the University of Zagreb), she was employed at the Department of Reaction Engineering and Catalysis in 1972, and in 1973 she was elected to the associate position of assistant. She obtained her master's degree in 1975, and in 1981 she obtained a doctorate in chemical engineering from the University of Zagreb on the topic "Biocatalytic oxidation of ethanol". She was elected to the scientific-teaching position of assistant professor in 1983, associate professor in 1987, full professor in 1992, and in 1997 the Senate of the University of Zagreb confirmed the election of Ph.D. Đurđe Vasić-Rački to the permanent position of full professor in the field of technical sciences, field of chemical engineering. As a guest professor and researcher in the period from 1985 to 2005, she stayed at the Institute of Biotechnology, Research Center Juelich, Juelich, Germany for several months a year. In the period from 1999 to 2010, she was a guest professor at the Faculty of Food Technology, Osijek University, J.J. Strossmayer in Osijek, where she teaches the course "Reactors and bioreactors". In the academic year 2004/2005 she taught the course "Bioreaction Technique" at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering of the University of Maribor, and in the academic year 2006/2007 she taught the course "Biochemical Engineering" at the Faculty of Chemical Technology of the University of Split.

Prof. Đurđa Vasić-Rački taught and worked scientifically at the Department for Reaction Engineering and Catalysis. During her work so far, she has introduced a whole series of courses into classes. At the undergraduate and graduate studies at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology: Balance of Material and Energy balance, Introduction to Environmental Engineering, Reactors and Bioreactors, Biochemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering Laboratory, Industrial Biotransformations , Environmental Engineering Project, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering and Bioreaction technique . At the postgraduate doctoral studies, she taught the basic course Biochemical Engineering and the optional course Biocatalysts and Biotransformations, and Material and Energy balance.

She coordinated the launch and for many years (2003-2010) was the coordinator - head of the interdisciplinary interfaculty postgraduate scientific doctoral and specialist study " Environmental Engineering " of the University of Zagreb. She is the founder of the Laboratory for Applied Biocatalysis at the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology, University of Zagreb. She participated in the organization and development of the Department of Reaction Engineering and Catalysis, Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology since 1979, and was its head in 1988/89-1989/90 and 1997/98-1998/99.

She was a member of the Parent Committee for the field of technical sciences - the field of chemical engineering, mining, oil and geological engineering, metallurgy, textile technology and graphic technology, (2001-2003), a member of the Committee for Records and Personnel Promotion of the University of Zagreb (2002/3-2005) /6), member of the Committee for Biological, Chemical and Physical Hazards of the Croatian Food Agency (2005-2011), member of the Regional Scientific Council for Biotechnical Sciences of the University of Zagreb (2009-2011), president of the Committee for Awarding Students' Written Papers (1983-1993) ) and the Commission for the Rector's Award of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology (1993-2004), and a member (1997-1999: 2005-2007), then president of the Selection Committee of the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology (2011 - 2013).

Scientific activity of prof. Ph.D. Vasić-Rački is related to biochemical engineering, with a special emphasis on enzyme reaction engineering and the application of industrial biotransformations in the chemical industry and environmental protection, thereby contributing to the organization and development of Industrial Biotechnology, for which it is internationally recognized. She has published 105 scientific and professional papers, of which 63 scientific papers in journals indexed in the Current Contents database, about forty other scientific papers in other journals, 4 chapters in international and 1 chapter in domestic books, a large number of papers in anthologies with international review and other works. According to the WoS database, 81 papers were cited 1067 times (926 without self-citations), one paper was cited 186 times, and the h index was 18, and according to the SCOPUS database, 74 papers were cited 826 times, and the h index was 17. She participated in numerous scientific meetings in the country and abroad, she held 16 invited or plenary lectures at international meetings and 13 at domestic meetings, and 13 public lectures by invitation.

1. Sudar, Martina ; Česnik, Morana ; Clapés, Pere ; Pohl, Martina ; Vasić-Rački, Đurđa ; Findrik Blažević, Zvjezdana A cascade reaction for the synthesis of D-fagomine precursor revisited: Kinetic insight and understanding of the system // New Biotechnology, 63 (2021), 19-28. doi: 10.1016/j.nbt.2021.02.004
2. Bosch, Sandra ; Sanchez-Freire, Esther ; del Pozo, María Luisa ; Česnik, Morana ; Quesada, Jaime ; Mate, Diana M. ; Hernández, Karel ; Qi, Yuyin ; Clapés, Pere ; Vasić-Rački, Đurđa et al. Thermostability engineering of a class II pyruvate aldolase from Escherichia coli by in vivo folding interference // ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, 9 (2021), 15; 5430-5436. doi: 10.1021/acssuschemeng.1c00699
3. Česnik, Morana ; Sudar, Martina ; Hernandez, Karel ; Clapes, Pere ; Charnock, Simon ; Vasić-Rački, Đurđa ; Findrik Blažević, Zvjezdana Application of a mathematical model for the optimization of a multi-enzymatic reaction; The case study of L-homoserine synthesis // 5th multistep enzyme catalyzed processes congress : book of abstracts / Rother, Dörte ; Sehl, Torsten (ur.). Aachen: RWTH Aachen University, 2021. str. 26-26
4. Švarc, Anera ; Fekete, Melinda ; Hernandez, Karel ; Clapés, Pere ; Findrik Blažević, Zvjezdana ; Szekrenyi, Anna ; Skendrović, Dino ; Vasić-Rački, Đurđa ; Charnock, Simon J. ; Vrsalović Presečki, Ana An innovative route for the production of atorvastatin side-chain precursor by DERA-catalysed double aldol addition // Chemical engineering science, 231 (2021), 116312, 10. doi: 10.1016/j.ces.2020.116312
5. Česnik Katulić, Morana ; Sudar, Martina ; Hernández, Karel ; Qi, Yuyin ; Charnock, Simon J. ; Vasić-Rački, Đurdica ; Clapés, Pere ; Findrik Blažević, Zvjezdana Cascade synthesis of L-homoserine catalyzed by lyophilized whole cells containing transaminase and aldolase activities: The mathematical modeling approach // Industrial & engineering chemistry research, 60 (2021), 38; 13846-13858. doi: 10.1021/acs.iecr.1c02343
6. Švarc, Anera ; Findrik Blažević, Zvjezdana ; Vasić-Rački, Ðurđa ; Charnock, Simon J. ; Vrsalović Presečki, Ana A multi-enzyme strategy for the production of a highly valuable lactonized statin side-chain precursor // Chemical engineering research & design, 164 (2020), 35-45. doi: 10.1016/j.cherd.2020.09.016

2003 Golden plaque of the University of Maribor

2004 Award of the Central European Initiative "From Research to Enterprise"

2005 National annual science award

2006 Acknowledgement of the University of Zagreb for international cooperation

2008 Acknowledgement of the Croatian Academy of Technical Sciences

1. President of Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers (1995-1999)

2. Vice-president of Croatian Association of Engineers (1999-2008)

3. Full member of Croatian Academy of Technical Science (1999-

4. Co-chairwomen of two international scientific meetings (Enzyme reaction engineering 1997 and  2005)

5. Chairwomen of XX Croatian Meetings of Chemists and Chemical Engineers

6. Members of EFB-Working Party of Applied Biocatalysis (1986-2000)

7. Member of Scientific Committee of ESAB – European Section on Applied Biocatalysis (2000.2012)

8. Member of Editorial Advisory Board for: Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Quarterly (1986-    ), Acta Chemica Slovenica (1996-  ), Engineering in Life Science (2000-2005), Bioprocess and Biosystem Engineering (2006-  )

9.  Member of the steering committee of the society of university teachers, scholars and other scientists – Zagreb

International projects

-"Microreactor technology for continuous enzymatic reactions catalyzed by C-C-bond forming enzymes" PROJECT FP6: ERA-IB 2nd call: MicroTechEnz – EIB.10.012, Founders: Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports, German Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Spanish council for scientific research, 01.03.2011 – 28.02.2014 (http://pierre.fkit.hr/miten/) - Coordinator

– "Cascade chemoenzymatic processes – New synergies between chemistry and biochemistry", CMST COST Action CM0701, 18.4.2008.–17.4.2012. (http://www.cost-cascat.polimi.it/)

–"Systems biocatalysis", CMST COST Action CM1303, 20.11. 2013.–19.11.2017. (http://cost-sysbiocat.fkit.hr/).

- HORIZON 2020 Project: Call: H2020-LEIT-BIO-2014-1, SECOND STAGE, Topic: BIOTEC-3-2014, Type of action: IA "Sustainable industrial processes based on a C-C bond-forming enzyme platform"-Carbazyme- 2015-2019 (www.carbazymes.com)

Leader of bilateral projects:

– "Enzymatic hydrolysis of skin proteins" – Slovenia 1997-2002.

– "Modelling of stereospecific reaction in enzyme membrane reactor"-32.6 KOA 2.A. Biokatalyse - 1990-2005 (Bilaterale Zusammenarbeit mit Kroatien).

– "Enzymatic synthesis of chiral molecules" - Slovenia 01.01.2003. -01.01.2005.

– "Study on biotransformations of industrial interest in aqueous and non-conventional media". CRO-28/2006: 01.08.2007. – 31.07.2009 (Croatian-Hungarian scientific research project).

Leader of national scientific projects:

– "Biotransformations/bioreactors" - 4-07-032 - 1991-1996 (Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia)

– "Biocatalysts/biotransformations"-125-021 - 1996-2002 (Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia)

– "Biocatalysts/biotransformations"-125-021 - 2002-2006 (Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia)

– "Biocatalysts/biotransformations"-125-1252086-2793-2007-2014 (Ministry of Science and Technology of the Republic of Croatia)

Manager of professional projects

- Microbial biosynthesis of vitamin C, PLIVA, 1995-1997

- Application of chemical and biochemical engineering, PLIVA, 1998-1999

- Production of rosmarinic acid, PINUS Tovarna chemical products Rače, Slovenia, 2001-2004

- Separation and concentration of rosmarinic acid from plant material, PINUS Chemical Products Factory Rače, Slovenia, 2004-2006

- Production of apple cider vinegar, on family farms VIP-VI-2-10/05 - project Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Water Management, 2005-2006.

- Diastereoselective Enzymatic Reduction of Atorvastatin and Montelukast Key Intermediates, FARMAVITA d.d., Zagreb, 2005-2007

1997 tenure professor of chemical engineering at University of Zagreb

1992 full professor  of chemical engineering at University of Zagreb

1985 associate professor  of chemical engineering at University of Zagreb

1983 assistant professor of chemical engineering at University of Zagreb