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
The uses of microalgae: industry, food, pharma, environment, energy
Speech
Opportunities, issues and innovative methods for sustainable microalgae bio-refineries
Abstract
The availability of technologies for extracting and fractionating microalgae into biological fractions is a key aspect of making microalgae viable outside the niche markets and paving the way to their wider deployment also in consolidated markets and should both address sustainability and retain the usability of the separated materials in a wide range of regulated fields, Switchable and Deep Eutectic Solvents have recently emerged as novel and environmentally friendly solvents.
In-situ solvent modifiability brings the opportunity of obtaining industrially usable individual substances and fractions from microalgae simply, safely, and in an energy-conserving way: single substances and biological fractions such as lipids, proteins, carbohydrates and pigments for industrial use can be sourced.