The University of Nova Gorica (UNG) is an independent, research oriented and student friendly university. A predecessor of the UNG was the Faculty of Environmental Sciences founded in 1995 and established as the first independent institution of higher education in Slovenia, offering international postgraduate study courses. Since its creation, UNG has systematically developed its research character, hence all of its fully employed university teachers are above all top-level researchers.

UNG offers education at seven schools in undergraduate, second and third programs. The research is conducted in six laboratories (Environmental Research, Astroparticle Physics, Organic Matter Physics, Multiphase Processes, Materials Research, and Quantum Optics) and five research centres (Atmospheric Research, Systems and Information Technologies, Wine Research, Research Centre for Humanities, and Biomedical Sciences and Engineering). The international reputation of UNG has resulted in the engagement of scientists and teachers in several successful EC-funded and other international research and educational projects. The Laboratory for Environmental Research (LRO) is currently involved in DeFishGear project.

In the area of fundamental research the activities of LRO are directed to:

• the investigation of the photochemical and microbial degradation of organic pollutants and their transfer in the environment;
• the development of experimental devices for the removal of organic compounds from aqueous matrices;
• the elaboration of new materials (based on nanoparticles) for their application in environmentally friendly technologies;
• the development of bioanalytical and laser-based methods and ecotoxicological tests for the determination of toxic compounds and their effects on the environment;
• the sustainable natural resource utilization and protection.

In the frame of DefishGear project, LRO will contribute in the analytical part where several selected persistent organic pollutants (POPs) adsorbed on macro/microplastics will be determined. Additionally, in 2015 UNG will organise the DeFishGear Summer school on microplastics.