Raquel Barrena Gomez

Raquel Barrena Gomez is a Professor in the Department of Chemical, Biological and Environmental Engineering at Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, where she leads significant research in solid-state fermentation, composting, and biowaste valorization. As a member of the BRAVE research group (Grup de recerca en tecnologies de (Bio) Remediació Ambiental i Valorització d'Efluents residuals), she has established herself as a leading expert in sustainable waste management solutions. Her research spans multiple applications including biopesticides, biostimulants, and circular bioeconomy approaches.

Her research interests focus on solid-state fermentation techniques for converting biowaste into valuable products, composting process optimization with emphasis on respiration index monitoring, and organic waste valorization for sustainable agriculture applications. She has pioneered approaches for producing biopesticides from biowaste digestate and developing biostimulants from green waste to enhance crop resilience under water stress conditions. Her work bridges environmental engineering with practical agricultural applications, creating closed-loop systems for organic waste management.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend toward community-scale sustainable solutions for biowaste management, with increasing focus on Mediterranean regional applications. Her research integrates multiple disciplines including environmental engineering, agricultural science, and biotechnology to address critical challenges in waste management and resource recovery. The work demonstrates consistent advancement from fundamental process understanding to demonstration-scale applications.

Dr. Barrena Gomez has successfully supervised numerous research projects and mentored students through her extensive research program. She currently leads multiple significant research initiatives including the RETROFIT project (funded by European Regional Development Fund) focused on portable energy sources, and the CirBioWaste project addressing sustainable bio-waste management in the Mediterranean region.

Her laboratory work centers on the BRAVE research group, which specializes in environmental bioremediation technologies and waste stream valorization. The team employs advanced analytical techniques for monitoring biological processes in waste treatment systems, with particular expertise in respirometric methods for assessing composting efficiency and biological activity.