Sepehr Shakeri Yekta

Sepehr Shakeri Yekta serves as an Associate Professor and Department Head at Linköping University's Department of Theme within the Theme Environmental Change. His academic career is centered at the Biogas Research Center (BRC), where he leads research on the chemical and biological mechanisms of organic decomposition in biogas production processes. He teaches courses including The Biogas Process, Design of Environmental Studies, Environmental Monitoring, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, and Environmental Chemistry within environmental science programs.

Professor Shakeri Yekta's research focuses on the interaction between chemical and biological mechanisms in organic decomposition, specifically examining trace metal availability in biogas reactors and molecular-level properties of organic matter. His work investigates how trace metals affect enzyme activity in anaerobic microorganisms and how molecular characteristics of organic compounds determine conversion efficiency to biogas. He employs advanced analytical techniques like nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy to characterize organic matter in biogas systems.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong emphasis on optimizing biogas production through understanding substrate characteristics, trace element interactions, and process modifications. His research spans fundamental investigations of microbial processes to applied studies on digestate treatment and waste valorization. Key trends include exploring sulfide's role in regulating lipid degradation, thermal post-treatment methods to enhance biomethane yield, and meta-analyses of pretreatment effects based on substrate composition.

Professor Shakeri Yekta leads significant research projects including 'The role of sulfide in regulating anaerobic lipid degradation' funded by FORMAS and 'Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy for molecular characterization of bioresources in biogas and biofertilizer production systems' funded by the Swedish Energy Agency through the Biogas Research Center. His collaborative network includes major industry partners such as Scandinavian Biogas Fuels AB, Tekniska Verken i Linköping AB, and Nordvästra Skånes Renhållnings AB.

His laboratory work centers on the Biogas Research Center at Linköping University, which serves as a national competence center for biogas research. The center functions as a base for developing innovative and resource-efficient biogas solutions with positive local and regional impacts on environment and economy. His research team collaborates closely with Annika Björn (Project Leader), Alex Enrich Prast (Professor), and Luka Safaric (Postdoctoral Fellow) on various aspects of biogas process optimization and characterization.