Title: associate professor
Association/Company: Sapienza Università di Roma
Biography:
I am an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering (Process Equipment Design), Charged of Food and Biochemical Engineering and Nanobiotechnology in Sapienza University di Roma and Winery Biorefinery and Waste Management at University of Padua as an adjunct professor.
My research has dealt with industrial biotechnology and bioreactors for 25 years, and microalgal processes and equipment, and new generation bio-refining technology since 2009. As a cross-border activity, I develop and take care of Plodar Percbain, a vineyard I have created in the high Dolomites.
Speech session
Bioraffineria di microalghe: economia circolare, scala e prospettive
Speech
Multiproduct microalgae biorefinery: how to become of age
Abstract
Today’s industry practice of sourcing just one product from microalgal biomass, and not giving the remainder a thorough exploitation, does not allow microalgae to compete fairly with the customary (non-microalgal) sources of proteins, carbohydrates, lipids and pigments. For multiproduct separations to improve the compounded product value, however, they first need a clear technical and economic ground to secure business plans. I will show how building upon novel on-site modifiable solvents and revisiting existing unit operations can help make fractionation-based multiproduct microalgal biorefinery design more predictable, and ease the transition toward using microalgae as a commodity as customary for agricultural feedstocks.
