Description
The Laboratory of Biotechnology (LABIOTEC) group is devoted to applied research in the fields of industrial and environmental biotechnology with main focus on exploiting natural microbes (both in single cultures and in complex microbial communities enriched from natural, impacted and extreme aquatic and terrestrial environments) and/or enzymes for the bioremediation and regeneration of contaminated ecosystems, soils, sediments and waters and the integrated valorization of agro-industrial and municipal by-products, effluents and wastes through bioprocess engineering, and development of tailored innovative chemical and biological integrated solutions and technologies for the dispose and valorization of emerging liquid and solid wastes, including plastics.
In particular, research activities include:
- isolation, enrichment and characterization of microbes and mixed cultures from anthropogenic, contaminated and extreme environments, as well as obtaining and characterizing microbial enzymes and gene elements;
- bioprocess engineering for the production of chemical compounds with added value and / or energy from by-products, effluents (including gaseous rich in carbon dioxide) and agro-industrial and municipal wastes;
- development and optimization of integrated enzymatic and (bio)chemical processes for the recycling and upcycling of plastics and industrial production of chemical compounds and biobased materials with high added value;
- development and optimization of bioremediation and regeneration processes of compromised soils, sediments and waters based on single microorganisms or mixed cultures, native and inoculated, aerobic and anaerobic, also assisted (bioelectrochemistry);
- study of innovative technologies, including integrated chemical and biological technologies, for the treatment and enhancement of wastewaters and plastics;
- study of the impact of anthropogenic activities on environmental microbial communities through molecular taxonomic characterization of the prokaryotic and eukaryotic population, as well as targeted functional approaches for the study of specific microbiome-related ecosystem services.
ERC Sectors
- PE8_2 Chemical engineering, technical chemistry;
- PE8_3 Civil engineering, architecture, maritime/hydraulic engineering, geotechnics, waste treatment;
- PE8_8 Materials engineering (metals, ceramics, polymers, composites, etc.);
- PE8_9 Production technology, process engineering;
- PE8_13 Industrial bioengineering;
- LS8_2 Population biology, population dynamics, population genetics;
- LS8_10 Microbial ecology and evolution;
- LS9_1 Non-medical biotechnology and genetic engineering (including transgenic organisms, recombinant proteins, biosensors, bioreactors, microbiology);
- LS9_6 Forestry and biomass production (including biofuels);
- LS9_7 Environmental biotechnology (including bioremediation, biodegradation)