Short Course in Bioprocesses – BlueBio4Future

BlueBio4Future Training Courses

26th January 2026

Auditório Infante D. Henrique
Marina de Leça da Palmeira
Matosinhos, Porto, Portugal

This January, we will host researchers and industry professionals for the BB4F Short Course in Bioprocesses, a full-day training initiative organized under the BlueBio4Future ERA Chair. The course will bring together internationally recognized experts in the field, providing a unique opportunity for participants to deepen their technical understanding and engage with real-world bioprocessing strategies.

Throughout the day, attendees will explore topics such as advances in microalgae production systems, industrial uses and technological innovation, and fundamentals of cultivation and scaling.

Confirmed speakers include:

Maria Barbosa (Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands)
F. Gabriel Acién (University of Almería, Spain)
J. Diogo Cruz (Arborea, Portugal)
Elisabeth B. Padilla, Cecilia Salvagnini, Ihana A. Severo (AstaReal, Inc., USA)

This short course exemplifies the ERA Chair’s commitment to equipping CIIMAR researchers with advanced knowledge and practical skills in underdeveloped fields, aligning with the broader vision of fostering excellence in biotechnological research.

We thank the guest speakers for their invaluable contributions and dedication. Their insights will undoubtedly inspire innovative research projects in bioinformatics and natural product discovery at CIIMAR.

Looking ahead, the ERA Chair BlueBio4Future will continue its mission to enhance the expertise of CIIMAR researchers, focusing on areas like Green Chemistry, Synthetic Biology, Bioinformatics, and Bioprocessing.

SHORT COURSE IN BIOPROCESSES_MG (1)

Invited Speakers:

Maria Barbosa (Wageningen University & Research, Netherlands)

Lecture: Towards Digital Twins in Microalgae Production

Maria Barbosa is Professor in Bioprocess Engineering and Director of AlgaePARC (www.AlgaePARC.com) at Wageningen University and Research Centre, the Netherlands. She has been president of the Dutch Biotechnology Association (NBV) and is a member of the European Algae Biomass Association (EABA) steering group. She holds a Ph.D. in Bioprocess Engineering obtained at Wageningen University. She has worked at ETH (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology), Switzerland, IBET, and at EMBO (European Molecular Biology Organisation), Germany. She presently leads the group on microalgal biotechnology and coordinates several large research programs covering the entire microalgae production chain. Her scientific interests are in microalgae strain improvement, process design and scale-up.

F. Gabriel Acién (University of Almería, Spain)

Lecture: Challenges and opportunities in the development of industrial processes based on microalgae

F. Gabriel Acién graduated from the University of Granada in 1992, and PhD at the University of Almería (Spain) in 1996. He is Professor at the Department of Chemical Engineering of the University of Almería since 2012. He is Vice-President of EABA and a member of international societies such as the International Society for Applied Phycology, the Latino American Society for Algal and Environmental Biotechnology, and the Spanish Platform of Biomass (BIOPLAT). Major contributions to the biotechnology of the microalgae field are related to the improvement of photobioreactor design, scale-up of production systems, and economic analysis of production processes.

J. Diogo Cruz (Arborea, Portugal)

Lecture: From bioprospecting to production bottlenecks: lessons in exopolysaccharides

J. Diogo Cruz holds a Bachelor’s (2015) and Master’s (2017) in Biotechnology from the University of Aveiro, including a research visit to Wageningen University. He contributed to the EnhanceMicroAlgae project at the University of Porto, focusing on the European regulatory framework for microalgae as food. He completed a PhD in Marine Biotechnology at the University of Porto in 2024, with research visits to Institut Pascal, Allmicroalgae, and GreenCoLab. He is currently working as Biotechnology Scientist at Arborea, working on microalgae biology for industrial applications. He also completed the Ignition programme at Porto Business School (2024), a science-based entrepreneurship training that included hands-on startup development.

Elisabeth B. Padilla, Cecilia Salvagnini, Ihana A. Severo (AstaReal, Inc., USA)

Lecture: Industrial Microalgal Bioprocesses: Astaxanthin Production from Haematococcus pluvialis – The AstaReal Case

Elisabeth B. Padilla is Director of Microalgae at AstaReal, Inc. (USA). She has a strong background working on microalgae biotechnology: autotrophic growth at lab scale and lab scale photobioreactors (Infors), metabolites (carbohydrates, hydrocarbons, lipids, pigments) accumulation and analysis. Her earlier career includes postdoctoral research at the University of Manchester and other European research centers. Elisabeth holds a Ph.D. in Marine Sciences.

Cecilia Salvagnini is a Microalgae Cultivation Specialist at AstaReal, Inc. (USA). She holds a Master’s degree in Industrial and Environmental Biotechnology from the University of Padova (Italy). Her background integrates academic research in microalgal genetic engineering and cultivation optimization in photobioreactor systems at the University of Padova and the University of Verona (Italy), as well as industrial experience in scale-up, bioprocess development, and the production of high-value compounds from biological systems.

Ihana A. Severo is a Microalgae Cultivation Engineer at AstaReal, Inc. (USA), with active research collaborations at Florida State University (FSU, Center for Advanced Power Systems) and the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR, Sustainable Energy Research and Development Center). She holds a Ph.D. and an M.Sc. in Food Science and Technology from the Federal University of Santa Maria (Brazil). Her background combines academic research and applied engineering, with experience in microalgae-based processes and bioproducts. Her expertise includes microalgae cultivation, process integration, environmental bioremediation, renewable energy, and photobioreactor systems.