Dr. Paniz Izadi
Contact
Dr. Paniz Izadi
Scientific manager & Scientist
Department of Microbial Biotechnology
Systems Biotechnology
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ
Permoserstr. 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany
Phone +49 341 60252164
paniz.izadi@ufz.de
Scientific Career
Since 2026
Scientific manager
Systems Biotechnology group, UFZ
2024-2025
Team leader
Team "Bio ǀ Electrochemical CO2 conversion", UFZ
2021-2025
Lead scientist
Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research – UFZ, Germany
Department of Microbial Biotechnology
Electrobiotechnology group
2020-2021
Postdoctoral researcher
TU Braunschweig, Germany
Institute of Environmental and Sustainable Chemistry
Bio-electrochemical system group
2015-2020
PhD student and research assistant
Newcastle University, United Kingdom
School of Engineering
2020 PhD in "Chemical Engineering"
Thesis title: "Comprehensive study of biocathode in Bio-electrochemical system (BES) for energy harvesting and CO2 conversion"
2013
BSc and MSc in "Chemical Engineering"
Noshirvani University of technology, Iran
Thesis title: "Simultaneous electricity generation and wastewater treatment in microbial fuel cells (MFCs),"
Research interests
My research has been about developing sustainable approaches for CO₂ conversion and carbon utilisation. I am broadly interested in electrolysers, including CO₂ electrolysers, as well as catalytic processes that employ both chemical and microbial catalysts. My work spans electrochemical, bio-electrochemical, and biologically integrated systems aimed at converting CO₂ into value-added products. This includes direct microbial conversion as well as electrochemically driven chemical pathways that produce intermediates compatible with subsequent microbial processing.
Index:
You could use our publication index for further requests.
2026 (2)
- Izadi, P., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Integrating electrochemical and microbial processes for CO2 conversion at scale
Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 51 , art. 101221 10.1016/j.coche.2025.101221 - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Lenz, C., Rohwerder, T., Krömer, J.O., Harnisch, F. (2026):
Exploring ectoine production from methanol, formate, and electrochemically produced formate by Methyloligella halotolerans
Eng. Life Sci. 26 (1), e70063 10.1002/elsc.70063
2025 (4)
- Izadi, P., Korth, B., Harnisch, F. (2025):
On assessing the energy efficiency of bioelectrochemical systems for cathodic synthesis and remediation
J. Power Sources 652 , art. 237631 10.1016/j.jpowsour.2025.237631 - Izadi, P., Varhade, S., Schneider, C., Haus, P., Singh, C., Guruj, A., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Scaling up electrochemical CO2 reduction to formate through comparative reactor analysis
Ind. Chem. Mater. 10.1039/D5IM00056D - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Dinges, I., Stöckl, M., Harnisch, F. (2025):
Gas diffusion electrodes enable enhanced energy efficiency of electrochemical CO2 reduction in natural brine-inspired electrolytes
J. CO2 Util. 102 , art. 103268 10.1016/j.jcou.2025.103268 - Ul, Z, Sulonen, M., Haus, P., Izadi, P., Baeza, J.A., Harnisch, F., Guisasola, A. (2025):
Evaluation of single chamber electrochemical reduction of CO2 to formate for application under biocompatible conditions
J. CO2 Util. 97 , art. 103136 10.1016/j.jcou.2025.103136
2024 (1)
- Izadi, P., Song, J., Singh, C., Pant, D., Harnisch, F. (2024):
Assessing the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction performance requires more than reporting coulombic efficiency
Adv. Energy Sustain. Res. 5 (6), art. 2400031 10.1002/aesr.202400031
2023 (6)
- Christgen, B., Spurr, M., Milner, E.M., Izadi, P., McCann, C., Yu, E., Curtis, T., Scott, K., Head, I.M. (2023):
Does pre-enrichment of anodes with acetate to select for Geobacter spp. enhance performance of microbial fuel cells when switched to more complex substrates?
Front. Microbiol. 14 , art. 1199286 10.3389/fmicb.2023.1199286 - Izadi, P., Kas, A., Haus, P., Harnisch, F. (2023):
On the stability of electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction to formate at indium electrodes at biocompatible conditions
Electrochim. Acta 462 , art. 142733 10.1016/j.electacta.2023.142733 - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Harnisch, F. (2023):
Front cover: High salt electrolyte solutions challenge the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction to formate at indium and tin cathodes (ChemElectroChem 23/2023)
ChemElectroChem 10 (23), e202300656 10.1002/celc.202300656 - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Harnisch, F. (2023):
High salt electrolyte solutions challenge the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction to formate at indium and tin cathodes
ChemElectroChem 10 (23), e202300311 10.1002/celc.202300311 - Kas, A., Izadi, P., Harnisch, F. (2023):
Cover profile: High salt electrolyte solutions challenge the electrochemical CO2 reduction reaction to formate at indium and tin cathodes
ChemElectroChem 10 (23), e202300655 10.1002/celc.202300655 - Stöckl, M., Lange, T., Izadi, P., Bolat, S., Teetz, N., Harnisch, F., Holtmann, D. (2023):
Application of gas diffusion electrodes in bioeconomy: An update
Biotechnol. Bioeng. 120 (6), 1465 - 1477 10.1002/bit.28383
2022 (2)
- Izadi, P., Harnisch, F. (2022):
Microbial | electrochemical CO2 reduction: To integrate or not to integrate?
Joule 6 (5), 935 - 940 10.1016/j.joule.2022.04.005 - Izadi, P., Schröder, U. (2022):
What is the role of individual species within bidirectional electroactive microbial biofilms: A case study on Desulfarculus baarsii and Desulfurivibrio alkaliphilus
ChemElectroChem 9 (2), e202101116 10.1002/celc.202101116
2021 (1)
- Li, D., Zhang, H., Xiang, H., Rasul, S., Fontmorin, J.-M., Izadi, P., Roldan, A., Taylor, R., Feng, Y., Banerji, L., Cowan, A., Yu, E.H., Xuan, J. (2021):
How to go beyond C1 products with electrochemical reduction of CO2
Sustain. Energ. Fuels 5 (23), 5893 - 5914 10.1039/d1se00861g
Articles
- P. Izadi, M.N. Gey, N. Schlüter, U. Schröder, “Bidirectional electroactive microbial biofilms and the role of biogenic sulfur in charge storage and release” iScience, 2021.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, B.Virdis, I. M. Head, E. H. Yu, “The effect of the polarised cathode, formate and ethanol on chain elongation of acetate in microbial electrosynthesis” Applied Energy, 2021.
- JM. Fontmorin, P. Izadi, D. Li, S. S. Lim, I. Head, E. Yu, " Gas diffusion electrodes modified with binary doped polyaniline for enhanced CO2 conversion during microbial electrosynthesis" Electrochimica Acta, 2021.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, S. S Lim, I. M. Head, E. H. Yu, “Enhanced bio-production from CO2 by Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) with continuous operational mode” Faraday Discussions, 2021.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, A. Godain, E. H. Yu, I. M. Head, “Parameters influencing the development of highly conductive and efficient biofilm during microbial electrosynthesis: the importance of applied potential and inorganic carbon source” Nature Partners Journal Biofilms and Microbiomes, 2020.
- P. Izadi, E. H. Yu, “Realizing Full Potential of Bioelectrochemical and Photoelectrochemical Systems” Joule, 2020.
- S. S Lim, JM. Fontmorin, P. Izadi, W. R. W. Daud, K. Scott, E. Yu, “Impact of applied cell voltage on the performance of a microbial electrolysis cell fully catalysed by microorganisms” International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2020.
- P. Izadi "Comprehensive study of biocathode in Bio-electrochemical system (BES) for energy harvesting and CO2 conversion" PhD Thesis, Newcastle University, 2020.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, I. Head, E. Yu, "High performing gas diffusion biocathode for microbial fuel cell (MFC) using acidophilic oxidising bacteria" Frontiers in Energy Research, 2019.
- P. Izadi, M. Rahimnejad, A. Ghoreyshi, "Electricity production and sulfide removal in two chambered microbial fuel cells" The Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering, 2015.
- P. Izadi, M. Rahimnejad, A. Ghoreyshi, "Power production and waste water treatment simultaneously by dual chamber microbial fuel cell Technique" Biotechnology and Applied Biochemistry, 2015.
- M. Rahimnejad, S. Hassaninejad-Darzi, P. Izadi, A. Ghoreyshi, A. SamadiMaybodi, "Surfactant modified ZSM-5 nanozeolite in the modification of carbon paste electrode for voltammetric determination of sulfide" Analytical and Bioanalytical Electrochemistry, 2015.
- P. Izadi, M. Rahimnejad, "Simultaneous electricity generation and sulfide removal via a dual chamber microbial fuel cell" Biofuel Research Journal, 2014.
- K. Hassaninejad-Darzi, M. Rahimnejad, M. Mirzapour-Armaki, P. Izadi, M. Peyghambarzadeh, "Modification of carbon paste electrode with surfactant modified ZSM-5 nanozeolite for potentiometric determination of sulfate" Desalination and Water Treatment, 2014.
Book chapters
- D. Li, S. Şahin, P. Izadi, MM Ghangrekar, N.M. Duteanu, B. Erable, K. Scott, E.H. Yu, "Biological and Microbial Fuel Cells" Elsevier, 2021.
- J.M. Fontmorin, P. Izadi, S. Rasul, E. H. Yu, "CO2 utilisation by Bio-electrochemical systems through Microbial electrochemical synthesis" Carbon dioxide utilization Vol. 2, De Gruyter, 2019.
- Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften, Introduction to Bio-electrochemical systems for non-expert audiences, Leipzig, Germany, 2023.
Pint of Science, Principles of Bio-electrochemical systems for non-expert audiences, Newcastle, UK, 2019.
- Member of conference organisers in SCI Electrochemistry Conference 2019 and EU-ISMET 2018.
Oral presentations
- P. Izadi, M. Gey, N. Schlüter, U. Schröder, “Bidirectional microbial biofilms with sulfur based energy storage.” EU-ISMET, 2021, Girona, Spain (Virtual).
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, I. Head, E. Yu, " Strategies for increasing multi-carbon bio-products from CO2 by Microbial electrosynthesis (MES) " ISMET, 2019, Okinawa, Japan.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, E. Yu, I. Head, " Critical factors affecting biocathode development and bio-production from CO2 reduction in Microbial electrosynthesis (MES)" IWA AD 16, 2019, Delft, The Netherlands.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, E. Yu, I. Head, "Impact of the Poised Potential on the Interaction of Electrode and Bacteria in a Microbial Electrosynthesis (MES) for the Conversion of CO2" EU-ISMET, 2018, Newcastle, UK.
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, E. Yu, I. Head, "Microbial electrochemical synthesis of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide reduction" EFC, 2017, Naples, Italy.
Poster presentations
- P. Izadi, JM. Fontmorin, I. Head, E. Yu, "High performing quick start gas diffusion biocathode for microbial fuel cell (MFC)" EU-ISMET, 2018, Newcastle, UK.
- P. Izadi, E. Milner, E. Yu, I. Head, "Investigating the effect of inoculum and substrate type on microbial fuel cells (MFCs) performance" EU-ISMET, 2016, Rome, Italy.
- Best oral presentation in SCI Electrochemistry conference, Newcastle, UK 2019
- CO2Chem conference travel bursary, 2019
- The AQA Unit Award as a volunteer tutor, Newcastle, UK, 2017
- 4 year PhD scholarship award of SAgE DTA, Newcastle University, UK, 2015
UFZ PhD college SmartManure