Biotechnology

Objectives

The Biotechnology research group has two major thrust areas, one dedicated to the study of biofilm development and control, and another focusing on marine microorganism-based engineering. The R&D strategy is aligned with the priority areas of the RIS3, particularly on the Production Technologies and Process Industries, as well as in Natural Resources and the Environment (agro-food and sea economy).

Major research topics

• Biofilm Science and Engineering, with applications to the industrial and health sectors.
• Biofilm control and eradication by reducing initial adhesion, changing the cell-cell and cell-surface interactions or altering the microbial metabolism
• Beneficial biofilms for the production of energy and other added-value products
• Nucleic acid mimics for microorganism detection and elimination in biofilms
• Marine and Food Bioengineering, with applications to the synthesis and extraction of added-value compounds, nutraceutical ingredients and probiotic agents
• Development of advanced bioreactors and downstream processing optimization for microalgal processes