Konstantin Malafeev

I am a postdoctoral researcher at Tampere University working in the field of biodegradable polymers, microplastics, and biomaterials. My research focuses on the structure, aging, and environmental transformation of biodegradable plastics, as well as their potential interactions with biological systems. I am particularly interested in how environmental conditions and chemical additives influence the long-term behavior of biodegradable microplastics.

I am currently involved in the BIO-CLEAR – Biodegradable Microplastics: Characterization, Long-term Environmental Aging, and Risk Assessment project, where I study the aging of biodegradable polymers under controlled UV, temperature, and humidity conditions. My work includes polymer processing, preparation of microplastics, and characterization using thermal analysis, spectroscopy, and microscopy methods.

My research is interdisciplinary and combines materials science with environmental and biomedical research. I collaborate with researchers in polymer science, toxicology, and biomedical engineering, including work related to in vitro studies of material–cell interactions and characterization of biomaterials.

I am also interested in the broader question of how biodegradable materials behave after fragmentation and whether they present risks similar to conventional microplastics. Through my work, I aim to contribute to the development of safer and more sustainable polymer materials.