Luis Bañeras Vives is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Girona, College of Sciences. He leads research in microbial ecology with a molecular focus, particularly on anaerobic microorganisms, and contributes to biogeochemical cycle studies related to greenhouse gas emissions. His work spans natural and biotechnological environments. Research Areas: Microbial ecology, biogeochemical cycles, anaerobic bioremediation, fermentation, bioelectrochemical systems. Recent Publications: Focus on microbial diversity, nitrogen cycling, and biotechnological applications. Contact: Office 120, Edifici Ciències, University of Girona. Email: lluis.banyeras@udg.edu . Labs: Institut d'Ecologia Aquàtica and Grup de Recerca en Ecologia Microbiana Molecular.
Luis Bañeras Vives is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biology at the University of Girona, where he conducts research in microbial ecology with a strong molecular focus. He is affiliated with the Institute of Aquatic Ecology and the Molecular Microbial Ecology Research Group, contributing to both fundamental and applied environmental microbiology. His research interests center on anaerobic microorganisms and their roles in biogeochemical cycles, particularly carbon and nitrogen, with implications for greenhouse gas emissions. He applies advanced molecular techniques—including genetic expression analysis, phylogenetics, and microbial isolation—to study microbial activity, physiology, and adaptation in natural and biotechnological systems. His ongoing research lines include microbial ecology of arid and semi-arid soils, anaerobic bioremediation, production of chemicals via fermentation, and electron transfer mechanisms in bioelectrochemical systems. Earlier work involved post-harvest biocontrol and odor formation in cork. Although no specific publications are listed in the provided text, his work spans environmental microbiology, biotechnology, and molecular ecology, indicating a strong interdisciplinary trend focused on sustainability and microbial applications. Ecology of arid and semi-arid soils (2020–present) Anaerobic bioremediation (2016–present) Chemical production by fermentation (2012–present) Bioelectrochemical electron transfer (2012–present) Nitrogen cycling in natural and artificial systems (1996–2018) He has supervised research within these domains and is likely involved in mentoring students, though specific advisees are not named. He has participated in multiple research projects and contributed to scientific advancements in microbial applications for environmental and industrial challenges. Luis Bañeras Vives is based at the Edifici Ciències, Office 120, University of Girona, and is an active member of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Research Group and the Institute of Aquatic Ecology.
Dr. Juan M. Garrido is an Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Santiago de Compostela, Spain. He holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering and has held academic positions since 1996. His research focuses on advanced wastewater treatment technologies, particularly membrane bioreactors (MBRs) and anaerobic processes for nutrient recovery and contaminant removal. He collaborates with institutions like Aqualia and leads projects funded by the Spanish Government and the EU, including the LIFE SIAMEC initiative for low-temperature wastewater reclamation. Education: Graduated in Industrial Chemistry (1991) and earned a PhD in Chemical Engineering (1996) at the University of Santiago de Compostela. He conducted research stays at Delft University of Technology (Netherlands) and CIRSEE (France). Research Interests: Membrane Bioreactors (MBR) development, nitrite-dependent anaerobic methane oxidation (N-damo), industrial wastewater treatment, struvite crystallization for phosphorus recovery, and eliminating emerging contaminants like microplastics and antibiotic resistance genes. His work emphasizes sustainable, low-environmental-footprint technologies. Key Projects: ARES (assessing emerging contaminants removal in segregated wastewater systems), COMETT (metabolic biotransformations in wastewater reactors), and SIAMEC (integrated anaerobic systems for European climates). He has supervised doctoral and master’s theses on topics like MBR optimization and nutrient removal. Grants & Partnerships: Over €1M in grants from national and EU sources. Partners include Augas de Galicia, CETAQUA, and food industry collaborators. His lab focuses on developing innovative processes for environmental sustainability and industrial applications. Labs/Teams: Active in the BioGroup Research Team at USC, advancing wastewater treatment and environmental engineering solutions through interdisciplinary collaboration.
Alba Pedrouso is a Postdoctoral Xunta de Galicia Fellow at the University of Santiago de Compostela's Department of Chemical Engineering (School of Engineering). She holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering (2013) and MSc in Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses (2014), both from the same institution. Her PhD thesis (2019) focused on nitritation-anammox processes for mainstream wastewater treatment. She previously worked as a PhD Project Manager at Cetaqua, developing nutrient removal and agrofood waste valorization technologies. Her research focuses on advancing sustainable wastewater treatment through autotrophic nitrogen removal, resource recovery, and bioprocess optimization. Key areas include aerobic granular sludge systems, FNA-based nitritation control, and integration of food waste management with urban water systems. She has supervised three master’s theses on biopolymer production from organic wastes and phosphorus recovery via purple phototrophic bacteria. Recent publications highlight trends in granular sludge stability, food waste-wastewater synergies, and anammox process scalability. Her work emphasizes economically viable, environmentally benign solutions for water infrastructure challenges. Education: BSc Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela (2013) MSc Chemical Engineering and Bioprocesses, University of Santiago de Compostela (2014) PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (2019) Advising & Projects: Supervised 3 master’s theses (2023-2024) Contributed to Cetaqua’s agrofood waste valorization projects Labs/Teams: Member of the Biogroup research team at USC Collaborates with Cetaqua and other institutions in wastewater innovation
Roles & Affiliations: Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela. Member of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS) and the BIOGROUP Environmental Biotechnology research group. Previously affiliated with the Faculty of Biology and the GIPA Aquaculture Pathology Research Group. Education: PhD in Microbiology from University of Santiago de Compostela (2012), with a thesis on Vibrio tapetis intraspecific variability. Postdoctoral fellowships at the University of Sheffield (UK) and multiple grants from Xunta de Galicia and Spanish Government. Research Interests: Focuses on bacterial diversity in wastewater treatment systems, particularly microplastic degradation. Explores microbial communities involved in biodegradation, environmental biotechnology, and anaerobic processes. Recent work includes optimizing protein fermentation for volatile fatty acid production and studying antibiotic resistance in urban water systems. Publications & Grants: Over 75 publications, including high-impact journals like Environmental Science & Technology and Microbial Biotechnology . Principal investigator of projects such as 'PlasticBugs' (Spanish Government) and 'Degradation of Myco- and Macroplastics' (Ramón y Cajal Fellowship). Awards include the Distinguished Researcher Fellowship for Talent Retention (Xunta de Galicia). Lab & Collaborations: Leads research in CRETUS and BIOGROUP, collaborating on interdisciplinary projects involving microbial ecology and environmental engineering. Supervises master’s students, such as Jaime Landeira, and actively participates in international conferences (e.g., ISME19 in Cape Town).
Miguel Mauricio Iglesias is a Full Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela (USC), affiliated with the Higher Technical School of Engineering and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS). He leads the BIOGROUP Environmental Biotechnology research group. His academic journey includes a BSc in Chemical Engineering (USC, 2006), a PhD in Food Technology (University of Montpellier, 2009), and a postdoctoral fellowship at the Technical University of Denmark (2010–2014) before joining USC as a Marie Curie IEF fellow. Research focuses on modeling-driven solutions for chemical and bioprocess engineering challenges, particularly waste-to-chemical conversion. Key areas include metabolic modeling for VFA (volatile fatty acid) production from organic waste, LCA-based efficiency assessments in wastewater treatment, and biorefinery design. His ENERWATER methodology became the European standard (CEN/TR 17614:2021) for energy efficiency in wastewater plants. He develops hybrid models for real-time process monitoring, such as in lignocellulosic ethanol fermentation, and explores microbial community dynamics in anaerobic systems. Publications emphasize optimizing VFA production from diverse waste streams (fish canning, dairy, agricultural residues), bioplastics lifecycle analysis, and energy benchmarking frameworks. His work bridges computational tools with experimental validation to advance circular bioeconomy goals, including protein fermentation valorization and biofilm-based nitrogen removal systems. Awards include the establishment of the ENERWATER European standard. His lab integrates metabolic models, stochastic optimization, and data analytics to address climate change impacts on the dairy sector and biorefinery scalability. Collaborations focus on active packaging design and industrial internship impacts on chemical engineering education.
Frederic Gich Batlle serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Biology at the University of Girona, Spain, affiliated with the Institute of Aquatic Ecology and leading the Molecular Microbial Ecology Research Group. His work bridges fundamental microbiology and environmental engineering, focusing on microbial processes in aquatic ecosystems and engineered treatment systems. Dr. Gich's research centers on microbial community dynamics in bioremediation, particularly nitrogen cycling via anammox processes, siloxane degradation in biogas, and archaeal diversity in freshwater habitats. He investigates how microbial consortia degrade pollutants in biotrickling filters and wastewater reactors, emphasizing reactor optimization through microbial ecology insights. His studies frequently integrate molecular techniques with environmental engineering to address challenges in biogas upgrading and nutrient removal. Analysis of his 15 most recent publications reveals a trajectory from foundational archaeal ecology toward applied environmental solutions. Key trends include the engineering of anoxic biotrickling filters for volatile compound removal, temperature-dependent stability in nitrogen-removing reactors, and dual-use approaches for phosphorus recovery and nitrogen removal. His work consistently links microbial community composition to functional outcomes in engineered systems. As head of the Molecular Microbial Ecology Research Group, Dr. Gich directs experimental work spanning lab-scale reactors to field studies in lakes and wetlands. The group employs microcosm incubations, DNA/RNA community analysis, and process engineering to advance sustainable wastewater treatment and biogas purification technologies.
