Assoc. Prof. Kristina Kljak, PhD

Associate Professor
Division for Animal Sciences
Department of Animal Nutrition
Office location: 2nd Pavilion, ground floor, room 009
Phone: +385 1 239 4022
Email: kkljak ( at ) agr.hr
Languages: Croatian, English
Consultations: Monday 11am -12pm, Thursday 11am - 12 pm
Academic qualifications
- 2006 - 2012: PhD
Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Antioxidant and pigmentation properties of carotenoids from different corn hybrid grains in egg production - 1999 - 2005: MSc
Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, Croatia
Isolation and determination of anti-transferrin antibodies using enzyme immunotest
Employment and work experience
- 2006 - : Faculty of Agriculture, University of Zagreb, Croatia
2016-now: assistant professor
2012-2016: teaching assistant
2006-2012: young researcher
Teaching
- Kemija i kontrola hrane za životinje (169447)
- Hrana za životinje (144502)
- Hranidba preživača (144503)
- Metode hranidbenih istraživanja (173787)
- Hranidba životinja (143884)
- Hranidba goveda u proizvodnji mesa (144509)
- Precizna hranidba ovaca i koza (144508)
- Sigurnost hrane (169206)
- Žitarice-zrnate škrobnate kulture (144322)
- Metode vrednovanja hrane za životinje (157136)
- Diplomski rad - seminar (160350)
- Agro-industrijski ostaci kao hrana za životinje (197998)
- Hranidba akvatičnih organizama (9001)
- Izrada i prezentacija stručnog rada (9002)
- Evaluation methods of animal feeding materials (226418)
Research interests
- Physical-chemical traits of feeds
- Quantitative determination of content and antioxidant activity of maize grain
- Carotenoid pigmentation properties
- Digestion kinetics of starch, fiber and protein
Training and research experience
- 2020/02/10 - 2020/02/14: University of the Balearic Islands (scientific)
EUROCAROTEN training school "Functional and omics analysis of carotenoid interventions" - 2019/04/08 - 2019/04/10: Royal Holloway University of London (scientific)
EUROCAROTEN training school Analysis of carotenoids" - 2018/10/23 - 2018/10/24: IATA-CSIC (scientific)
EUROCAROTEN workshop "Carotenoids in food, nutrition and health" - 2018/06/04 - 2018/06/19: The Pennsylvania State University (scientific)
Academic mobility, “Nutritional research with calves after weaning” - 2018/03/19 - 2018/03/23: Newcastle University (scientific)
EUROCAROTEN training school "Bioavailability of carotenoids" - 2015/11/11 - 2015/11/12: The Pennsylvania State University (expert)
Dairy Cattle Nutrition Workshop, Penn State Extension Dairy Team, The Pennsylvania State University - 2015/01/05 - 2015/12/23: The Pennsylvania State University, Department of Animal Science (scientific)
Fulbright scholarship, “Effect of physically effective fiber to ruminally fermentable starch ratio in precise high-concentrate diet on heifers performances" - 2014/09/24 - 2014/09/26: European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements (expert)
Enlargement and Integration Workshop: Analysis of food and feed contaminants – Legal and scientific framework; Including method validation and measurement uncertainty - 2013/04/15 - 2013/06/15: Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Fermentation Chemistry and Bioengineering (scientific)
CEEPUS program (CIII-HR-0306-05-1213 – For safe and healthy food in Middle Europe) - 2011/05/01 - 2011/06/01: Institute of Chemical Technology, Department of Fermentation Chemistry and Bioengineering (scientific)
CEEPUS program (CII-HR-0306-03-1011 – For safe and healthy food in Middle Europe) - 2010/01/06 - 2010/02/05: Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture (scientific)
CEEPUS program (CII-HU-0003-05-09100 – Agriculture and environment in the 21st century)
Projects
scientific
Title | Funding | Duration | AFZ role |
---|---|---|---|
Biodostupnost karotenoida kukuruza kod nesilica: utjecaj mikrostrukture zrna i sastava smjese | Croatian science foundation | 2020/01/15 - 2024/01/14 | coordinator |
Hibridno sušenje i valorizacija biljnog prehrambenog otpada i nusproizvoda | Croatian science foundation | 2020/01/01 - 2023/12/31 | partner |
European network to advance carotenoid research and applications in agro-food and health | COST | 2016/04/18 - 2020/04/17 | partner |
Hranidbena, antioksidativna i prebiotička svojstva kukuruza za domaće životinje | MZOS | 2007/01/01 - 2013/12/31 | coordinator |
university support
Title | Funding | Duration | AFZ role |
---|---|---|---|
Sadržaj i antioksidacijska aktivnost fenolnih kiselina antocijanina zrna žutog kukuruza | Sveučilište u Zagrebu | 2017/01/01 - 2017/12/31 | coordinator |
Fenotipska svojstva, masnokiselinski sastav i senzorna kvaliteta mesa i jaja kokoši hrvatice | Sveučilište u Zagrebu | 2016/01/01 - 2016/12/31 | coordinator |
Utjecaj mikotoksina na sadržaj fenola i karotenoida u zrnu kukuruza | Sveučilište u Zagrebu | 2015/01/01 - 2015/12/31 | coordinator |
Utjecaj fitogenih dodataka na kvalitetu jaja i zdravstveni status kokoši nesilica | Sveučilište u Zagrebu | 2014/01/01 - 2014/12/31 | coordinator |
Publications
- Zurak, D., Kljak, K. & Grbeša, D. (2020). The composition of floury and vitreous endosperm affects starch digestibility kinetics of the whole maize kernel. Journal of Cereal Science, 95, 103079.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2020.103079 - Kljak, K., Heinrichs, B. S. & Heinrichs, A. J. (2019) Fecal particle dry matter and fiber distribution of heifers fed ad libitum and restricted with low and high forage quality. Journal of Dairy Science, 102, 4694-4703.
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15457 - Kljak, K., Duvnjak, M. & Grbeša, D. (2018) Contribution of zein content and starch characteristics to vitreousness of commercial maize hybrids. Journal of Cereal Science, 80, 57-62.
DOI: 10.1016/j.jcs.2018.01.010 - Kljak, K., Pino, F., Harvatine, K. J., & Heinrichs, A. J. (2017) Analysis of selected rumen microbial populations in dairy heifers limit fed diets varying in trace mineral form and starch content. Livestock Science, 198, 93-96.
DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2017.02.012 - Kljak, K., Pino, F., & Heinrichs, A. J. (2017) Effect of forage to concentrate ratio with sorghum silage as a source of forage on rumen fermentation, N balance, and purine derivative excretion in limit-fed dairy heifers. Journal of dairy science, 100, 213-223.
DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-11383 - Kljak, K., & Grbeša, D. (2015) Carotenoid content and antioxidant activity of hexane extracts from selected Croatian corn hybrids. Food Chemistry, 167, 402-408. DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2014.07.002
Bibliography (CROSBI): https://www.bib.irb.hr/pregled/znanstvenici/288105?w_mentor=1
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.hr/citations?user=vUe5PWUAAAAJ&hl=hr&oi=sra