Antoni Planas Sauter

Antoni Planas Sauter is a Full Professor in the Department of Bioengineering at IQS School of Engineering, where he has served since 1993. He is the Head of the Biological and Biotechnological Chemistry Group (GQBB), a leading research group focused on protein and enzyme analysis, therapeutic targeting, and biocatalytic applications in microorganisms. He has held several leadership roles, including Head of the Bioengineering Department (2007–2018) and Head of the Biochemistry Laboratory (1993–present). He is also an elected Fellow of the Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona and has served in key international roles, including President of the European Carbohydrate Organization (2017–2019).

• PhD in Chemical Engineering, IQS (1987)
• Degree in Chemical Engineering, IQS (1982)
• Degree in Biochemistry, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB, 1987)
• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of California, Berkeley (1988–1989)

His research centers on glycoscience, particularly the protein engineering and enzymology of glycosidases, glycosyltransferases, and carbohydrate esterases. His work spans biocatalysis, directed enzyme evolution, metabolic engineering in bacteria, yeast, and microalgae, and the study of amyloid proteins in neurodegenerative diseases. He also investigates therapeutic targets in infectious diseases and the application of engineered enzymes in agriculture and biomedicine.

His recent publications highlight trends in computational enzyme engineering, structural analysis of modular enzymes, and the biotechnological production of bioactive oligosaccharides. These works reflect a strong interdisciplinary approach integrating biochemistry, molecular biology, computational modeling, and industrial applications.

• Emyl Fischer Award 2013 – European Carbohydrate Organization
• Elected Fellow – Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (2019)
• Board Member, European Chemical Society (EuChemS), Division of Chemistry in Life Sciences (2020–)
• President, Grupo Especializado de Hidratos de Carbono, Real Sociedad Española de Química (2021–)

He actively supervises students and leads major research projects, including CROP-SAFE, GLYCOENGIN, and paCOSVALOR. He has secured funding from the European Commission and national agencies, and he serves as a supervisor for doctoral fellows such as Marta Texidó Barahona under the FPI-2020 program. His research group collaborates internationally, with projects involving institutions in the USA, France, Colombia, and across Europe.

The GQBB research group, under his coordination since 1999, operates at the intersection of fundamental biochemistry and applied biotechnology, developing innovative solutions for health, agriculture, and industrial bioprocessing.