Dajana Kučić Grgić was born on December 4, 1986 in Rijeka. In 2010, she graduated from the Faculty of Chemical Engineering and Technology (FCET) at the University of Zagreb (UniZg). After graduation, she worked as an assistant at the Faculty of Graphic Arts at UniZG. In 2011, she returned to FCET, where she enrolled in the PhD study of Chemical Engineering. During the study, Dajana Kučić Grgić completed a three-month internship at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology, University of Maribor, Slovenia. On December 8, 2014, she successfully defended her dissertation Integration of Composting and Adsorption Processes. After that, Dajana Kučić Grgić continued her work at FCET as a postdoctoral researcher. In September 2018, she became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Industrial Ecology (at FCET). Considering the exceptional results she has achieved in teaching and in her scientific and professional work, Dajana Kučić Grgić was appointed Associate Professor on October 10, 2022, after only four years as an Assistant Professor.

The scientific activity of Dajana Kučić Grgić is related to biological treatment of waste streams, especially bioremediation of water contaminated with xenobiotics and waste composting, as well as in vitro ecotoxicological testing and development of biodegradable and compostable materials. She has been involved as a collaborator on eight national and international projects. She has published 59 scientific papers in scientific journals indexed in WoSCC (Web of Science Core Collection), 4 scientific papers in scientific journals represented in other bibliographic databases, and 29 scientific peer-reviewed papers in conference proceedings. She was co-editor of conference proceedings, book of abstracts, and has been guest editor of the Chemistry in Industry and Cabeq journals. Since September 2021, she has been editor-in-chief of the journal Chemistry in Industry. She participated in more than 45 international and national scientific conferences and gave several invited lectures. She reviewed more than 70 papers for prestigious international journals. In addition to her scientific activities, Dajana Kučić Grgić has carried out intensive professional activities and contributed to the development of the Croatian economy. She was or is the leader of numerous collaborations with industry and co-author of several conceptual projects and studies.

Dajana Kučić Grgić also actively participates in various areas of social life. She is the leader of several professional workshops within the framework of lifelong learning for children of preschool, school, high school and college age, as well as for employees of institutions dealing with water treatment and waste management issues. She regularly participates in activities organized by student associations. She has been a member of scientific and organizing committee of several international scientific conferences. She is a member of the Croatian Microbiological Society and the Croatian Society of Chemical Engineers. Dajana Kučić Grgić recieved Croatian Women of Influence Award 2023.

During her academic career, she has supervised four Rector’s Award-winning studies and 27 bachelor’s and master's theses. She is currently mentor of four PhD students in FCET’s Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry study.

The most important publications in 2021. - 2024.:

• Domanovac, Tomislav; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Šabić Runjavec, Monika; Vuković Domanovac, Marija, Design of a Bioreactor for Aerobic Biodegradation of Biowaste Based on Insight into Its Composition and Estimated Process Parameters // Processes,  (2024), 12; 545-545. 
• Kittlaus, Steffen; Kardos, Máté Krisztián; Dudás, Katalin Mária; Weber, Nikolaus; Clement, Adrienne; Petkova, Silviya; Sukovic, Danijela; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Kovacs, Adam; Kocman, David et al. A harmonized Danube basin-wide multi-compartment concentration database to support inventories of micropollutant emissions to surface waters // Environmental sciences Europe, 36 (2024), 52; 1-21. doi: 
• Bule Možar, Kristina; Miloloža, Martina; Martinjak, Viktorija; Radovanović-Perić, Floren; Bafti, Arijeta; Ujević Bošnjak, Magdalena; Markić, Marinko; Bolanča, Tomislav; Cvetnić, Matija; Kučić Grgić, Dajana et al. Evaluation of Fenton, Photo-Fenton and Fenton-like Processes in Degradation of PE, PP, and PVC Microplastics // Water, 16 (2024), -; 673, 17
• Bule Možar, Kristina; Miloloža, Martina; Martinjak, Viktorija; Cvetnić, Matija; Kušić, Hrvoje; Bolanča, Tomislav; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Ukić, Šime, Potential of advanced oxidation as pretreatment for microplastics biodegradation// Separations, 10 (2023) 2, 132, 26. 10.3390/separations10020132.
• Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Miloloža, Martina; Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Ukić, Šime; Slouf, Miroslav; Gajdosova, Veronika, Screening the Efficacy of a Microbial Consortium of Bacteria and Fungi Isolated from Different Environmental Samples for the Degradation of LDPE/TPS Films// Separations, 10 (2023) 79, 19. 10.3390/separations10020079.
• Miloloža, Martina; Ukić, Šime; Cvetnić, Matija; Bolanča, Tomislav; Kučić Grgić, Dajana¸ Optimization of polystyrene biodegradation by Bacillus cereus and Pseudomonas alcaligenes using full factorial design // Polymers, 14 (2022), 20; 4299, 18 doi:10.3390/polym14204299
• Blažic, Roko; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Kraljić Roković, Marijana; Vidović, Elvira, Cellulose‑g‑poly(2‑(dimethylamino)ethylmethacrylate) hydrogels: Synthesis, characterization, antibacterial testing and polymer electrolyte application // Gels, 8 (2022), 10; 636, 26 doi:10.3390/gels8100636
• Puntarić, Eda; Pezo, Lato; Zgorelec, Željka; Gunjača, Jerko; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Voća, Neven, Prediction of the production of separated municipal solid waste by artificial neural networks in Croatia and the European Union // Sustainability, 14 (2022), 16; 10133, 13 doi:10.3390/su141610133
• Miloloža, Martina; Bule, Kristina; Prevarić, Viktorija; Cvetnić, Matija; Ukić, Šime; Bolanča, Tomislav; Kučić Grgić, Dajana, Assessment of the influence of size and concentration on the ecotoxicity of microplastics to microalgae Scenedesmus sp., bacterium Pseudomonas putida and yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae // Polymers, 14 (2022), 6; 1246, 19 doi:10.3390/polym14061246
• Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Mandić, Vilko; Miloloža, Martina; Dybal, Jiri; Gajdosova, Veronika; Slouf, Miroslav, Biodegradation of LDPE_TPS blends under controlled composting conditions // Polymer bulletin (2022) doi:10.1007/s00289‑021‑03982‑6
• Miloloža, Martina; Cvetnić, Matija; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Ukić, Šime; Rogošić, Marko; Dionysiou, Dionysios Dion; Kušić, Hrvoje; Bolanča, Tomislav, Biotreatment strategies for the removal of microplastics from freshwater systems. A review // Environmental chemistry letters, 20 (2022), 2; 1377‑1402 doi:10.1007/s10311‑021‑01370‑0
• Sokač, Tea; Šalić, Anita; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Šabić Runjavec, Monika; Vidaković, Marijana; Jurinjak Tušek, Ana; Horvat, Đuro; Juras Krnjak, Jasmina; Vuković Domanovac, Marija; Zelić, Bruno, An enhanced composting process with bioaugmentation: Mathematical modelling and process optimization // Waste management & research, 40 (2022), 6; 745‑753 doi:10.1177/0734242X21103371
• Stankov, Vladimir; Novak Stankov, Mirjana; Cvetnić, Matija; Sigurnjak Bureš, Marija; Ukić, Šime; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Lončarić Božić, Ana; Kušić, Hrvoje; Bolanča, Tomislav, Environmental aspects of UV‑C‑based processes for the treatment of oxytetracycline in water // Environmental pollution, 277 (2021), 116797, 11 doi:10.1016/j.envpol.2021.116797
• Miloloža, Martina; Bule, Kristina; Ukić, Šime; Cvetnić, Matija; Bolanča, Tomislav; Kušić, Hrvoje; Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Kučić Grgić, Dajana, Ecotoxicological determination of microplastic toxicity on algae Chlorella sp.: response surface modeling approach // Water, air and soil pollution, 232 (2021), 8; 327, 16 doi:10.1007/s11270‑021‑05267‑0
• Miloloža, Martina; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Bolanča, Tomislav; Ukić, Šime; Cvetnić, Matija; Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Dionysiou, Dionysios D.; Kušić, Hrvoje, Ecotoxicological assessment of microplastics in freshwater sources—a review // Water, 13 (2021), 1; 56, 26 doi:10.3390/w13010056
• Sigurnjak Bureš, Marija; Cvetnić, Matija; Miloloža, Martina; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Markić, Marinko; Kušić, Hrvoje; Bolanča, Tomislav; Rogošić, Marko; Ukić, Šime, Modeling the toxicity of pollutants mixtures for risk assessment: a review // Environmental chemistry letters, 19 (2021), 2; 1629‑1655 doi:10.1007/s10311‑020‑01107‑5 
• Ocelić Bulatović, Vesna; Mandić, Vilko; Kučić Grgić, Dajana; Ivančić, Antonio, Biodegradable polymer blends based on thermoplastic starch // Journal of polymers and the environment, 29 (2021), 2; 492‑508 doi:10.1007/s10924‑020‑01874‑w

• Aerobic Composting of Solid Waste in Reactor System (2007–2013, funded by the Republic of Croatia),
• Development of Tehnix Plant for Bioreactor Composting of Biowaste (2018–2021, EU IRI project),
• Tackling Hazardous Substances Pollution in the Danube River Basin by Measuring, Modelling-based Management and Capacity Building (2020–2022; EU Interreg project),
• Advanced Water Treatment Technologies for Microplastics Removal (2019–2023, funded by Croatian Science Foundation),
• Green Chemical Engineering Network towards Upscaling Sustainable Processes (2019–2023, COST ACTION),
• Non-conventional Yeasts for the Production of Bioproducts (2019–2023, COST ACTION), 
• Plastics Monitoring Detection Remediation Recovery (2021–2025, COST ACTION), and
• Okolišni aspekti SARS-CoV-2 antivirotika  (2023–2027, funded by Croatian Science Foundation).

Head of the Department of Industrial Ecology

October 2023 - September 2025

Associate Professor

October 2022 - 

Editor-in-Chief of the Croatian journal Chemistry in Industry

September 2021 - 

Assistant Professor

September 2018 - October 2022

Head of the Department of Industrial Ecology

October 2019 - September 2021

Postdoctoral researcher

January 2015 - September 2018

Assistant

April 2011 - December 2014