Scientific background

Lyudmila Lyubenova studied geology at Sofia University “St. Kliment Ochridski” in Sofia, Bulgaria with a main focus on geoecology. Her master thesis “Biogeochemical investigation of the pluton of Vitosha” was finished in 2004. The main topic of the work was to investigate the relationship of heavy metal distribution from rocks into the soil, and their transfer into plants.
Between 2005 and 2007 Lyudmila Lyubenova did her PhD studies in the working group of Prof. Peter Schröder at the Helmholtz Zentrum München (former GSF – Research Center for Environment and Health) in the Institute of Soil Ecology. The PhD thesis “Investigation of the detoxification capacity of different plant species in terms of their use for phytoremediation with regard to heavy metals” was defended in November 2007. Since December 2007 she is a PostDoc researcher in the working group “Root ecophysiology” of Prof. Peter Schröder.

Short introduction to PhD thesis

The effects of heavy metals on Typha latifolia were quantified to find indicators for its utilization in phytoremediation and to understand its detoxification capacity under situations of multiple pollution with metals and organic xenobiotics. The results were corroborated by investigations of sunflower and tobacco mutants. Important focus of the investigation was the Halliwell-Asada-cycle that is of high importance for plants under stress. All investigated plants were able to survive heavy metal stress for longer periods of time due to adaptations of their metabolism. However the detoxification of organic xenobiotics was critical under multiple pollution scenarios, as glutathione S-transferases were shown to be inhibited by heavy metals.

Publication list

Diploma Thesis
Lyubenova L. 2004. Biogeochemical investigation of the pluton of Vitosha

PhD Thesis
Lyubenova L. 2007. Untersuchungen der Entgiftungskapazität verschiedener Pflanzenarten im Hinblick auf ihre Verwendung für die Phytoremediation unter Berücksichtigung von Schwermetallen

Publications in peer reviewed journals

1. Lyubenova L, Pongrac P, Vogel-Mikuš K, Mezek GK, Vavpetič P, Grlj N, Kump P, Nečemer M, Regvar M, Pelicon P, Schröder P. 2012. Localization and quantifyca-tion of lead and nutrients in Typha latifolia by micro-PIXE. Metallomics 4: 333-341
2. Nehnevajova E, Lyubenova L, Herzig R., Schröder P., Schwitzguébel J.-P., Schmülling T. 2012. Metal accumulation and response of antioxidant enzymes in seedlings and adult sunflower mutants with improved metal removal traits on a metal-contaminated soil. Environmental and Experimental Botany 76: 39-48
3. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2011. Effects of heavy metals on the detoxification system of Typha latifolia. Bioresource Technology 102: 996-1004
4. Kaymakanova M,  Lyubenova L, Schröder P, Stoeva N. 2010. Salt stress and glutathione- dependent enzyme activities in bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). General and Applied Plant Physiology 36 (1–2): 55–59
5. Schröder P, Lyubenova L, Huber C. 2010. Arsenate, Cadmium and Lead affect the plant detoxification cascade for organic pollutants. Desalination and Water Treatment 23: 1-6
6. Schröder P, Lyubenova L, Huber C. 2009. Do heavy metals and metalloids influence the detoxification of organic xenobiotics in plants? Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 16(7): 795-804
7. Lyubenova L, Nehnevajova E, Herzig R, Schröder P. 2009. Response of antioxidant enzymes in Nicotiana tabacum clones during phytoextraction of heavy metals. Environ Sci Pollut Res Int. 16(5): 573-581
8. Lyubenova L, Götz C, Golan-Goldhirsch A, Schröder P. 2007. Direct effect of Cd on Glutathione S-transferase and Glutathione reductase from calystegia sepium. Int J Phytoremediation 9(6): 465-473 

Book chapter and other publications

1. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2010. Uptake and Effect of Heavy Metals on the Plant Detoxification Cascade in the Presence and Absence of Organic Pollutants. In: Soil Heavy Metals (Soil Biology series Springer), Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2010, Edt: Irena Sherameti & Ajit Varma, 19, pp: 65-85
2. Kaymakanova M,  Lyubenova L, Schröder P, Stoeva N, Balabanova D. 2010. Salinity effect on antioxidant enzymes in leaves and roots of Beans (Phaseolus vulgaris L.). Agricultural sciences, II (4), pp: 41-44
3. Lyubenova L, Pongrac P, Schröder P. 2010. Localization and quantification of lead and nutrients in Typha latifolia by micro-PIXE. In: COST Action FA 0905, First Annual Conference. “Mineral Improved Crop Production for Healthy Food and Feed”, Antalya, Turkey, November 2010
4. Lyubenova L, Pongrac P, Vavpetič P, Schröder P. 2010. Response of typha latifolia to cadmium, arsenic and lead contamination during phytoremediation. In: Proceedings of 15th International conference on heavy metals in the environment, Gdansk, Poland, September 2010
5. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2010. Localization and quantification of cadmium and lead in Typha latifolia plants. Effects of individual and mixed pollution. In: Workshop: Plant Research in the light of climate change. The benefits of environmental simulation. Munich, Germany, April 2010
6. Schröder P, Lyubenova L, Huber C. 2009. Uptake of heavy metals and their effects on the plant detoxification cascade in presence or absence of organic pollutants. Proceedings of the 11th International Conference on Environmental Science and Technology, Chania, Crete, Greece, pp: 1294-1300
7. Lyubenova L. 2009. ROS scavengers in cadmium treated Typha latifolia plants considering the ascorbate and the glutathione cycle. In: Plant ROS: A SFRR Planr oxygen group meeting on reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, Helsinki, Finland, July 2009
8. Lyubenova L, Schröder P, Herzig R, Nehnevajova E. 2009. Tobacco mutants as example for successful detoxification caused by multiple pollution. In:  COST Action 859 – WG1 & WG2 Workshop and MC Meeting Uptake, sequestration and detoxification – An integrated approach, Szeged, Hungary, April 2009
9. Lyubenova L, Herzig R, Nehnevajova E, Schröder P. 2008. Activity of the detoxification cascade in M3 sunflower mutants under the influence of heavy metals. EU COST, WG3 – Meeting Challenges on improving quality and safety of food crops., Lillehammer, Norway, September 2008
10. Schröder P, Lyubenova L, Götz C, Huber C, Golan-Goldhirsh A. 2007. Plant response to organic xenobiotics: how mixed pollution interferes with detoxification capacity. Abstract Book, EU COST 859 Workshop: Nutrient Biofortification and Exclusion of Pollutants in Food Plants, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede-Boqer Campus, Israel, October 2007
11. Lyubenova L, Soudek P, Makhmudova M, Ostrozhenkova E, Vaněk T, Schröder P, Eisenreich W, Bacher A, Golan-Goldhirsh A. 2007. Metabolic changes in Allium schoenoprasum grown in medium containing heavy metals: Plant response to cadmium and iron. Abstract Book, EU COST 859 Workshop: Nutrient Biofortification and Exclusion of Pollutants in Food Plants, October 2007, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Sede-Boqer Campus, Israel, October 2007
12. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2007. Cadmium toxicity and protective mechanisms induced in Typha latifolia. In: Workshop of COST 859 - WG2 & WG4: Phytotechnologies to promote sustainable land use and improve food safety. Vilnius, Lithuania, May 2007
13. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2006. Phytoremediation with Typha latifolia under the influence of heavy metals. In: Quo vadis Umweltforschung? Von der “end of pipe”-Strategie zur nachhaltigkeit. Gesellschaft Deutscher Chemiker Jahrestagung 2006, Halle, Germany, October 2006
14. Schröder P, Neustifter J, Lyubenova L, Golan-Goldhirsh A. 2006. Remediation of water and soils: the contribution of plants. In: Final Workshop of COST 631: From understanding and modeling to application: managing the natural potentials of the rhizosphere for designing Rhizosphere Technologies, Agricultural University of Prague, April 2006
15. Lyubenova L and Schröder P. 2005. Influence of heavy metals on the detoxification capacity of cattail.  In: COST 859 Workshop, Pisa, Italy, June 2005
16. Schröder P, Götz C, Lyubenova L, Neustifter J. 2004. Exploiting plant metabolism for phytoremediation of organic xenobiotics. In A Hartmann, M Schmid, W Wenzel, P Hinsinger, eds, Rhizosphere 2004. Perspectives and Challenges. A Tribute to Lorenz Hiltner, München, pp: 275-282