Cesar Torres

César I. Torres is a Professor at Arizona State University's School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy, with affiliations including the Biodesign Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Biodesign Center for Health Through Microbiomes, and Global Futures Scientists and Scholars. His work focuses on harnessing microorganisms for energy and chemical production through microbial electrochemistry, fermentations, and photosynthetic biofuel systems.

• Ph.D. in Environmental Engineering, Arizona State University (2009)
• M.S.E. in Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University (2005)
• B.S. in Chemical Engineering, University of Puerto Rico-Mayaguez (2002)

Torres' research explores anode-respiring bacteria (ARB) for electricity generation, thermophilic/halophilic ARB characterization, and transport phenomena in biofilms using advanced electrochemical techniques. His lab develops mathematical models to predict ARB behavior and optimize reactor designs for wastewater treatment and biofuel production.

Key innovations include hydrogen peroxide-producing microbial fuel cells for wastewater disinfection, thermophilic ARB for cellulosic H2 production, and alkaliphilic/halophilic ARB studies via electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cyclic voltammetry. Current projects target microbial ecology management in mixed cultures to suppress methanogenesis and enhance electron capture.

He teaches graduate courses on fuel cells and biofuel cells and undergraduate research in biodesign and chemical engineering, emphasizing transport phenomena, electrochemical modeling, and microbial system optimization.