Dr. Zala Schmautz

Work at ZHAW

Position

Lecturer and Co-lead Research Group Aquaculture Systems

Focus

• Nutrient recycling in closed water systems
• Water analysis and water chemistry
• Soilless plant cultivation (hydroponics, aquaponics, bioponics)
• Vertical farming and indoor plant cultivation

Education and Continuing education

Education

• Doctor of Science / Environmental Systems Science
  ETH Zurich
  09 / 2016 - 02 / 2021
• Master's degree / Sanitary Engineering (Public Health and Environmental Health Professional)
  Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  10 / 2013 - 04 / 2015
• Bachelor's degree / Sanitary Engineering (Public and Environmental Health Professional)
  Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
  10 / 2009 - 09 / 2013

Network

Membership of networks

European aquaculture society

ORCID digital identifier

ORCID ID: 0000-0003-0672-7086

Awards

Hans Vontobel-preis 2022
ETH Zurich
05 / 2022

Social media

• LinkedIn
• ResearchGate
• GoogleScholar
• Scopus

Projects

• Food-Energy-wAter-healTh innovations for sustainable development in AFRICA / Project leader / ongoing
• AQUAPEALTH: Harnessing soilless microbial communities to enhance plant health across different cultivation systems / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• From urine to fertiliser: on-site nutrient recovery in circular sanitation systems / Team member / ongoing
• Innovating Nepalese aquaculture: Technology advancement, integration in the WEFH nexus and social inclusion / Project leader / ongoing
• AquaChain – Connecting the trophic levels of a freshwater aquaculture food chain / Deputy project leader / ongoing
• Underground Farming: Sustainability, land efficiency and food security in Swiss agriculture / Co-project leader / ongoing
• Swiss Aquaculture Coordination Centre (KSA) / Team member / ongoing
• INtegrated and Circular Technologies for Sustainable city region FOOD systems in Africa / Project leader / ongoing
• Industrial symbiosis options for nutrient provision in indoor vertical farming / Project leader / completed
• Development of a prototype of low-tech, space efficient soilless cultivation (aquaponics) for refugee camps in Jordan / Project leader / completed
• SAMAKI AFYA: Facilitating economic viability of fish farms through better fish health / Deputy project leader / completed
• Underground mission: Soilless crop cultivation / Project leader / completed
• Local food for the future / Project leader / completed
• AWACS – Animal Welfare Assessment and Control System for Fish Farms / Team member / completed
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Kunming, China: Construction of prototype for cultivation of fish and vegetables / Deputy project leader / completed
• Characterization of nitrogen dynamics in an aquaponic system / Team member / completed
• Implementation of aquaponic technology in Romania to benefit health and sustainable livelihood in deprived areas (AQUA-ROM) / Team member / completed
• CTI Gotthard water / Team member / completed

Publications

Articles in scientific journal, peer-reviewed

• Junge, R., Schmautz, Z., & Milliken, S. (2024). Toward nutrient cycling from organic waste streams for soilless cultivation. Current Opinion in Food Science, 61(101257). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2024.101257
• Gartmann, F., Hügly, J., Krähenbühl, N., Brinkmann, N., Schmautz, Z., Smits, T. H. M., & Junge, R. (2023). Bioponics – an organic closed-loop soilless cultivation system : yields and characteristics compared to hydroponics and soil cultivation. Agronomy, 13(6), 1436. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy13061436
• Folorunso, E. A., Schmautz, Z., Gebauer, R., & Mraz, J. (2023). The economic viability of commercial-scale hydroponics : Nigeria as a case study. Heliyon, 9(8), e18979. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2023.e18979
• Bruni, L., Junge, R., Gartmann, F., Parisi, G., & Schmautz, Z. (2023). The effect of nutrient source and beneficial bacteria on growth of Pythium-exposed lettuce at high salt stress. Water, 15(11), 2109. https://doi.org/10.3390/w15112109
• Schmautz, Z., Walser, J.-C., Espinal, C. A., Gartmann, F., Scott, B., Pothier, J. F., Frossard, E., Junge, R., & Smits, T. H. M. (2022). Microbial diversity across compartments in an aquaponic system and its connection to the nitrogen cycle. Science of the Total Environment, 852(158426). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2022.158426
• Schmautz, Z., Espinal, C. A., Smits, T. H. M., Frossard, E., & Junge, R. (2021). Nitrogen transformations across compartments of an aquaponic system. Aquacultural Engineering, 92(102145). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaeng.2021.102145
• Schmautz, Z., Espinal, C. A., Bohny, A. M., Rezzonico, F., Junge, R., Frossard, E., & Smits, T. H. M. (2021). Environmental parameters and microbial community profiles as indication towards microbial activities and diversity in aquaponic system compartments. BMC Microbiology, 21(12). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12866-020-02075-0
• Eck, M., Sare, A., Massart, S., Schmautz, Z., Junge, R., Smits, T. H. M., & Jijakli, M. (2019). Exploring bacterial communities in aquaponic systems. Water, 11(2), 260. https://doi.org/10.3390/w11020260
• Egloff, S., Tschudi, F., Schmautz, Z., & Refardt, D. (2018). High-density cultivation of microalgae continuously fed with unfiltered water from a recirculating aquaculture system. Algal Research, 34, 68–74. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.algal.2018.07.004
• Nicoletto, C., Maucieri, C., Schmautz, Z., Borin, M., Sambo, P., & Junge, R. (2018). Babyleaf NFT production and water management in aquaponic system. Acta Horticulturae, 159–164. https://doi.org/10.17660/ActaHortic.2018.1215.30
• Nicoletto, C., Maucieri, C., Mathis, A., Schmautz, Z., Komives, T., Sambo, P., & Junge, R. (2018). Extension of aquaponic water use for NFT baby-leaf production : mizuna and rocket salad. Agronomy, 8(5), 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8050075
• Maucieri, C., Nicoletto, C., Junge, R., Schmautz, Z., Sambo, P., & Borin, M. (2018). Hydroponic systems and water management in aquaponics : a review. Italian Journal of Agronomy, 13(1/1012). https://doi.org/10.4081/ija.2018.1012
• Nozzi, V., Graber, A., Schmautz, Z., Mathis, A., & Junge, R. (2018). Nutrient management in aquaponics : comparison of three approaches for cultivating lettuce, mint and mushroom herb. Agronomy, 8(3), 27. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy8030027
• Maucieri, C., Nicoletto, C., Schmautz, Z., Sambo, P., Komives, T., Borin, M., & Junge, R. (2017). Vegetable intercropping in a small-scale aquaponic system. Agronomy, 7(4), 63. https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy7040063
• Schmautz, Z., Graber, A., Jaenicke, S., Goesmann, A., Junge, R., & Smits, T. H. M. (2017). Microbial diversity in different compartments of an aquaponics system. Archives of Microbiology, 199(4), 613–620. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00203-016-1334-1
• Schmautz, Z., Loeu, F., Liebisch, F., Graber, A., Mathis, A., Griessler Bulc, T., & Junge, R. (2016). Tomato productivity and quality in aquaponics : comparison of three hydroponic methods. Water, 8(11). https://doi.org/10.3390/w8110533
• Goddek, S., Schmautz, Z., Scott, B., Delaide, B., Keesman, K. J., Wuertz, S., & Junge, R. (2016). The effect of anaerobic and aerobic fish sludge supernatant on hydroponic lettuce. Agronomy, 6(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/agronomy6020037
• Goddek, S., Espinal, C. A., Delaide, B., Jijakli, H. M., Schmautz, Z., Wuertz, S., & Keesman, K. J. (2016). Navigating towards decoupled aquaponic systems : a system dynamics design approach. Water, 8(7). https://doi.org/10.3390/w8070303

Book chapters, peer-reviewed

Némethy, S., Bittsanszky, A., Schmautz, Z., Junge, R., & Komives, T. (2016). Protecting plants from pests and diseases in aquaponic systems. In M. Łabaj, S. Sobczuk, & A. Fabin (Eds.), Ecological Footprint in Central Europe (pp. 166–179). The University College of Tourism and Ecology Press.

Other publications

• Becke, C., Diógenes, A., Eljasik, P., Ferraz, R., Gallani, S., Roy, K., Lopes, I., Naas, C., Ogashawara, I., Ribeiro, A., Schmautz, Z., Schumann, M., & Shaw, C. (2025). Advancing sustainability and circularity in aquaculture to build a resilient global food system. Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina. https://doi.org/10.26164/leopoldina_04_01259
• Gartmann, F., Schmautz, Z., & Junge, R. (2019). Influence of pH change on the phosphorus cycle in aquaponics. 9th International Phosphorus Workshop (IPW9), Zurich, 8-12 July 2019. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-18461
• Schmautz, Z., & Junge, R. (2015). Acvaponia în lume : aquaponic systems around the world. Revistă Română de Acvaponie, 1(1), 12–15.
• Podgrajsek, B., Schmautz, Z., Krivograd Klemenčič, A., Jarni, K., Junge, R., & Griessler Bulc, T. (2014). Preliminarni monitoring akvaponicnega sistema v biotehniskem centru Naklo. Moje podeželje, 5(9), 10–11. https://doi.org/10.21256/zhaw-4982

Publications before appointment at the ZHAW

Schmautz Z (2015). Mass Balance and Nutrient Recycling in Aquaponics. Master thesis. Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana (Slovenia).

go back