Biomolecular and Bioprocess Engineering

This scientific area aims at the development of biological processes to obtain value-added products with potential applications in key areas such as pharmaceutical, food, cosmetics, and fine chemicals as well as in biofuels production and processing effluent and pollution control. This area covers Biological Technologies, including Biocatalysis, Fermentation, Biological  Reactors, Process Separation and Purification of Biomolecules, Monitoring  and Control of Bioprocess, and Biosystems Engineering.

The Biomolecular and Bioprocess Engineering is divided in the subareas of:

i)  Biomolecular Engineering: engineering of proteins, nucleic acids engineering, enzyme engineering, biocatalysis and biotransformations,  biomolecular recognition;

ii) Bioprocess Engineering: bioreactor,  bioseparation and purification processes, project engineering, biosystems engineering, pharmaceutical engineering, food engineering, bioenergy,  environmental biotechnology.

Objectives

• Production,  purification and stabilization of proteins/enzymes; and
• "Design" of  improved bioconversion processes of substrates and waste to obtain compounds with high added value.

Education and Research

The Biomolecular and Bioprocess Engineering scientific area is deeply involved in the undergraduate formation in Biotechnology and Biological  Engineering, as well as in advanced doctoral and postdoctoral training in the field. Students, at all levels, do have the opportunity to actively participate in research training in the laboratories of the BioEngineering Research Group of the Institute of Bioengineering and Biosciences (iBB).