Ana Catarina Leite is a Researcher at the Center for Biological Engineering (Universidade do Minho), specializing in food science and biotechnology. Her work focuses on plant-based proteins, edible delivery systems, and functional food materials. She holds a Master's in Chemical and Biological Engineering from Universidade do Minho. Research interests include: - Development of protein aerogels for food applications - Antiviral edible coatings and films - Processing technologies for food safety enhancement - Formulation of sustainable plant-based alternatives for bakery products Recent publications explore topics such as electrical field effects in food processing, functional characterization of plant proteins, and anti-SARS-CoV-2 edible materials. She collaborates actively on projects like PROVEGG4PASTRY targeting industrial pastry innovation. Key contributions include: • Conference presentations at Gums & Stabilisers and Food Proteins Conferences • Journal articles in Food Hydrocolloids , Trends in Food Science & Technology , and Food Microbiology • Development of anti-viral food packaging solutions
Dr Lee Yee Ying is a Senior Lecturer at the Malaysia School of Science, Monash University. She holds a PhD in Food Science and Technology from Universiti Putra Malaysia (2016), where her doctoral research focused on functional oil development via enzymatic interesterification of palm oils for obesity management. Her research interests include enzymatic/chemical modification of edible fats, functional lipid synthesis, in vivo health studies, and sustainable palm oil utilization. She teaches courses in Food Science and Functional Foods. Dr Lee has led multiple research projects, including biorefinery of microalgae and synthesis of medium-long chain triacylglycerols (MLCT). She has published over 80 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, with a focus on lipid chemistry, structured lipids, and food product development. Notable awards include the Best PhD Award (2016) and innovation awards for plant-based milk products (2024). Her work aligns with UN SDGs related to sustainable consumption and health. Recent research trends emphasize functional lipid applications in health management, emulsion stabilization using nanocellulose, and mitigation of harmful oil processing byproducts like 3-MCPDE and glycidol esters.
Maria Mercedes Lopez Fernandez is a Professor at the Department of Food Hygiene and Technology within the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine at the University of León. She specializes in food safety and preservation technologies, particularly focusing on microbial control in food processing environments. University of León Faculty of Veterinary Medicine Department of Food Hygiene and Technology Research Group: NEWTEC (NEW Technologies for Food Preservation and Food Safety) Research Focus: Her work examines microbial communities in food systems, biofilm control using non-thermal atmospheric plasma, antimicrobial resistance dynamics, and biopreservation techniques. She has developed optimized DNA extraction protocols and studied Listeria monocytogenes control through plasma-activated water and lactic acid bacteria. Recent Article Trends: Show strong emphasis on microbiome analysis of food processing environments, antimicrobial resistance gene tracking, and plasma-based decontamination methods across meat and dairy industries.
Professor Rick Greenough at De Montfort University is a leading academic in energy systems and sustainable manufacturing. Affiliated with the School of Engineering and Sustainable Development and the Institute of Energy and Sustainable Development (IESD), he focuses on industrial sustainability, low carbon manufacturing, and energy efficiency. Based in Leicester, UK, he teaches courses like Renewable Energy Technology and Low Impact Manufacturing while leading research on thermal energy systems. His research spans renewable energy integration, biomass power systems, and exergy analysis. Key projects analyze geothermal storage, solar-thermal hybrid systems, and energy flows in manufacturing. His work bridges academia and industry through EPSRC-funded initiatives and EU FP7 partnerships. Publications highlight shallow boreholes for ground source heat pumps, steam storage in biomass CHP plants, and rural energy solutions for Central Asia. He contributes to professional societies like IET and the Energy Institute, emphasizing sustainable development across engineering disciplines.
Prof. Chris-Carolin Schön is a full Professor of Plant Breeding at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), holding her position since 2007. She is affiliated with the TUM School of Life Sciences and leads research on molecular biology integration in agricultural processes, focusing on molecular markers in crop breeding, biodiversity characterization, and optimized breeding strategies for complex traits. Her academic journey includes studies in agricultural sciences at Hohenheim University and Oregon State University, followed by postdoctoral work at Hohenheim University and a leadership role at the State Plant Breeding Institute there. Prof. Schön’s research emphasizes enhancing crop resilience through genomic tools, particularly in maize, with studies on drought tolerance, cold adaptation, and genetic diversity utilization. She pioneered Synbreed, an interdisciplinary network for genome-based breeding research in plants and animals. Her awards include the Bavarian State Medal (2024), an Honorary Doctorate from Heinrich-Heine-University (2024), and the Bavarian Order of Merit (2018). Her work spans genomic prediction models, haplotype analysis, and improving imputation quality in genomic data. Key projects include exploiting European maize landraces for resistance traits and developing libraries of doubled-haploid lines to safeguard genetic resources. She collaborates on initiatives like AgroClustEr for synergistic plant and animal breeding, and her lab focuses on traits like photosynthetic efficiency, root system adaptation, and protein networks in crops.
Yang Liu is a Lecturer at the University of Leicester, United Kingdom, and previously served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Materials at Imperial College London (2019–2024). His research spans two key areas: failure mechanisms of metallic materials using crystal plasticity modelling and water systems engineering, with a focus on sustainability and integrated modelling. He holds an Academic Visitor affiliation at Imperial College’s Faculty of Engineering. Research interests include water quality management, socio-hydrological phenomena, resilience assessment frameworks, and the application of nature-based solutions. He has developed the WSIMOD Python package for simulating water systems and contributed to global infrastructure sustainability studies. His work emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, blending hydrological models, urban-rural coordination, and meta-modelling to address water management challenges. He has authored numerous papers on topics such as constructed wetlands, catchment classification, and cost-efficient resilience strategies.
Akshay Kumar Burusa is a Researcher in the Department of Agricultural Biosystems Engineering at Wageningen University & Research . His work focuses on integrating robotics, computer vision, and deep learning for agricultural automation, particularly in greenhouse environments. Research Interests : Robotics and machine learning for agro-food systems 3D pose estimation and keypoint detection in plants Real-time object tracking in cluttered environments Next-best-view algorithms for plant reconstruction Biomechanical modeling for robotic grasping Recent Publications highlight advancements in agricultural robotics, including multi-view active vision for plant node detection, deep learning-based grasping of deformable objects, and self-supervised 3D reconstruction algorithms. His work emphasizes practical applications in tomato greenhouses and poultry processing automation. Collaborations : Collaborates with experts like Eldert van Henten and Gert Kootstra on projects involving robotic perception and tracking. His research contributes to improving efficiency in agro-food robotics through advanced vision systems and algorithm design.
Peyman Mirtaheri is a Professor at the Department of Mechanical, Electronics and Chemistry (MEK) under the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design at Oslo Metropolitan University (OsloMet). He also holds an Adjunct Professor position at the Faculty of Biomedical Engineering at Michigan Technological University, USA. His primary role involves teaching courses such as Medical Sensors and Actuators (ACIT4720) and the upcoming BioInspired Systems (fall 2025). Research Interests: Professor Mirtaheri leads the ADEPT lab (ADvanced hEalth intelligence and brain-insPired Technologies) and ADEPT_technology, focusing on: Developing measurement techniques for brain activity detection and analysis Applying fNIRS (functional near-infrared spectroscopy) and EEG (electroencephalography) to study movement, balance, and cerebral cortex activity Advancing bio-inspired systems and health technology Key Projects: His active research includes Use of 3D printers in future rehabilitation (knowledge-based and patient-centered solutions) and completed work on Brain activity during walking and balance . Labs & Collaborations: He integrates his optical/NIRS laboratory into OsloMet's ADEPT lab, collaborating with institutions like Michigan Technological University and contributing to global conferences such as the IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems and the ISPO World Congress .
Dr. Nisa Salim is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Engineering, Swinburne University of Technology , where she conducts pioneering research in multifunctional composite materials, smart coatings, and sustainable energy technologies. Her work is aligned with national and global priorities in space technology, clean energy, and circular economy. Institution: Swinburne University of Technology School: School of Engineering Academic Rank: Senior Lecturer Email: nsalim@swin.edu.au ORCID: 0000-0001-8069-8039 Dr. Salim’s research focuses on developing smart, engineered materials that can sense, actuate, and store energy. Her key areas include graphene-based composites, structural health monitoring, hydrogen storage, and digitalization of composite manufacturing. She leverages advanced nanomaterials to create next-generation composites for aerospace, marine, robotics, and energy applications. The recent publications highlight a strong trend in multifunctional materials, particularly in energy storage (supercapacitors, hydrogen), smart sensing (graphene sensors, digital twins), and sustainable composites (biomass-derived carbon, recycled polymers). Her work integrates machine learning, IoT, and Industry 4.0 principles into material design and manufacturing processes. Scientific Awards and Recognition Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship Philip Law Award, Royal Society of Victoria Theo Murphy Award, Australian Academy of Science Alfred Deakin Post-Doctoral Fellowship Victoria Fellowship Endeavour Research Fellowship AINSE Gold Medal for PhD Excellence University Ambassador, Royal Australian Chemical Institute Dr. Salim actively supervises PhD and master’s students in cutting-edge projects related to hydrogen storage, lunar dust mitigation, structural batteries, and smart coatings. She has secured multiple competitive grants from ARC, CSIRO, and industry partners, including projects on Scalable Graphene Enabled Smart Composites and Passive Lunar Dust Mitigation . Her editorial roles include serving on the boards of Chemical Engineering Journal , Polymers , and Journal of Composites Science . She leads research in advanced labs focused on composite manufacturing, nanomaterial synthesis, and smart sensor integration, often in collaboration with CSIRO, University of Melbourne, and international institutions. Her vision is to develop living materials that enable digitalization and IoT integration in engineering systems.
Prof. Francesco Musiari is a fixed-term Researcher at the Department of Industrial Systems and Technologies Engineering (DISTI) within the University of Parma . His academic activities focus on Integrated and Virtual Product Design and Sustainable Design for Food Systems for first-cycle degree programs in Management Engineering across multiple academic years (2021/2022 to 2024/2025). Teaching Roles : Course instructor for Integrated and Virtual Product Design (2023/2024–2024/2025), Sustainable Design for Food Systems (2021/2022–2024/2025), and Management Engineering (2022/2023–2024/2025) Research Focus : Virtual design methodologies, hygienic design in food processing, adhesive bonding optimization through laser ablation, and fatigue analysis of metallic joints Collaborations : Works with researchers including A. Pirondi , C. Favi , F. Moroni , and A.H.A. Lutey The researcher's 2024–2025 publications demonstrate cross-disciplinary expertise in mechanical design for food industry applications and materials engineering for structural integrity. His recent articles address computer-aided hygienic design systems , laser-manufactured interlocking patterns , and fatigue behavior of adhesive joints , reflecting integration of CAD technologies , molecular adhesion principles , and advanced manufacturing techniques .
Gemma Eibes is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), Spain. She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering (2007) and has conducted postdoctoral research at the Technical University of Lisbon (2007–2009) and USC (2009–present). Her research focuses on enzymatic biocatalysis, biorefinery technologies, and sustainable waste valorization, with particular emphasis on lignocellulosic biomass conversion, pollutant bioremediation, and bio-based product development. Eibes leads projects funded by national and EU grants, including the Proyectos I+D+i (Mineco) and ERA-IB2 programs. Education: BSc in Chemical Engineering (USC, 2001); PhD in Chemical Engineering (USC, 2007), supervised by Dr. Juan Manuel Lema and Dr. María Teresa Moreira. Research Interests: Enzymatic degradation of pollutants, bioprocess optimization, bioactive compound extraction from agro-industrial wastes, and development of eco-friendly biocatalytic systems. Her work integrates chemical engineering principles with biotechnology to create sustainable solutions for environmental and industrial challenges. Notable Projects: CREPÉ (PET biorecycling), PETzyme (enzymatic PET recycling), and ULTREIA (apple pomace biorefinery). She has supervised multiple PhD and MSc students on topics like enzymatic polymerization, lignin valorization, and biofuel production. Awards: FPI Fellowship (Spanish Government, 2002), Postdoctoral Grants (Xunta de Galicia, 2013, 2015), Principal Investigator roles in major grants. Labs/Teams: BIOGROUP Biotecnoloxía Ambiental, affiliated with the Interdisciplinary Research Center in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS). Collaborations include institutions in Portugal, Germany, and the EU.
Sara Gonzalez Garcia is an Associate Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, affiliated with the Higher Technical School of Engineering and the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in Environmental Technologies (CRETUS). She holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the same university (2009), supervised by Dr. Gumersindo Feijoo Costa and Dra. Maria Teresa Moreira Vilar, focusing on environmental assessments of wood and non-wood products. Her research emphasizes sustainability evaluation through Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and carbon footprint analysis in industrial, agricultural, and food systems. Key research areas include environmental biotechnology, circular economy, and waste valorization. She has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers (56 as first author), 8 book chapters, and contributed to 3 PhD theses. Her work bridges environmental science with practical applications, such as optimizing biorefineries, sustainable farming practices, and eco-labeling frameworks for the hospitality sector. She leads the BIOGROUP (Environmental Biotechnology Research Group) and has received the prestigious Agustin de Betancourt y Molina Medal (2016) for young researchers. Her academic contributions span international collaborations and policy-relevant studies, including assessments of municipal carbon footprints and the environmental impact of dietary patterns. Current projects focus on multi-criteria sustainability indicators for urban systems and advancing bio-based economies through circular principles.
Ana Arias Calvo is a Postdoctoral researcher at the Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Santiago de Compostela, affiliated with the Higher Technical School of Engineering. She is part of the BIOGROUP (Environmental Biotechnology) research group. Her doctoral thesis focused on transforming biowaste into biomaterials and bioactive products within circular economy frameworks, completed in 2023 under the supervision of Dra. María Teresa Moreira Vilar and Dr. Chewing Feijoo Costa. Research Interests: Ana's work centers on sustainable biorefinery design, waste valorization, and environmental impact assessments. She explores how circular economy principles can drive innovation in bio-based materials, renewable resources, and eco-efficient technologies. Her research integrates life cycle analysis (LCA), multi-criteria decision-making, and policy frameworks to evaluate sustainability outcomes. Key Themes in Publications: Her recent work emphasizes the environmental and economic feasibility of biorefinery systems, biofuel production from agro-industrial byproducts, and the development of sustainable bio-based polymers and adhesives. She also investigates governance mechanisms to align certification systems with bioeconomic policies. Advising & Grants: No advising roles or grants are explicitly listed, though her research often involves collaborative projects with industry and academic partners. She contributes to advancing the bioeconomy through interdisciplinary approaches that bridge technological innovation and environmental stewardship. Labs/Teams: Active member of the BIOGROUP lab, focusing on environmental biotechnology and circular economy applications.
Agustín Merino García is a Professor at the University of Santiago de Compostela, affiliated with the Department of Soil Science and Agricultural Chemistry within the Higher Polytechnic School of Engineering. He earned his PhD in 1993 from the same institution, focusing on Factors that determine ion mobility in artificially acidified Galician soils , under the supervision of Dr. Eduardo García Rodeja Gayoso. His research aligns with strategic groups Strategic Grouping in Sustainable Management and Production of Bioresources (BioReDes) and UXAFORES (Sustainable Environmental and Forest Management Unit) . Research interests span soil biogeochemistry, fire ecology, agroforestry systems, and environmental restoration. He investigates soil carbon dynamics, post-wildfire recovery, and sustainable land-use practices. His work integrates interdisciplinary approaches, addressing both applied and theoretical challenges in tropical and Mediterranean ecosystems. Publications highlight advancements in soil amendment development, cadmium contamination in agroforestry systems, and fire impacts on soil properties. He emphasizes knowledge transfer through service-learning initiatives in forest fire management and collaborates internationally on land degradation projects (e.g., Erasmus+). No formal student advisees are listed, though collaborations with global institutions and projects suggest active mentorship roles. His email agustin.merino@usc.es is publicly accessible.
Dipal Patel is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Manufacturing Engineering at the SCEDT Engineering Centre for Sustainable Engineering, Teesside University. Their research focuses on combustion dynamics, hydrogen energy integration, and sustainable manufacturing technologies. PhD in Direct Numerical Simulation of turbulent mixtures (Newcastle University, 2013-2016) Research interests include: Hydrogen blending in conventional fuel systems Direct numerical simulation of combustion processes Industrial burner optimization for net-zero applications Decarbonization through CO 2 capture and utilization Recent work demonstrates expertise in hydrogen-enriched combustion, emission reduction, and power generator efficiency. Patel actively contributes to projects targeting net-zero transitions in energy and food sectors.
