Bioprocess engineering

One of the main limitations to the introduction of new biopolymers in the market is the capacity to upscale production processes that are economically viable and adjusted to the demands of industry. To facilitate the transfer of technology from the laboratory to the market, in the POLYBIO group we develop new bioreactor processes to increase the yields of bioplastic production from renewable and waste-related feedstocks. To this end, we evaluate different feeding strategies and generate empirical kinetic models that can help maximize microbial growth and biopolymer production from different substrates such as industrial wastewaters, used cooking oil, pyrolysis gas, or plastic and bioplastic residues.

Relevant publications:

Rodríguez, A., Hernández-Herreros, N., García, J. L., & Auxiliadora Prieto, M. (2021). Enhancement of biohydrogen production rate in Rhodospirillum rubrum by a dynamic CO-feeding strategy using dark fermentation. Biotechnology for Biofuels, 14, 1-16.