Rodrigo Oliver Simancas

Holding a Ph.D. in Chemistry, his professional journey has been marked by a dedication to the revalorization of food wastes and other organic biomasses for their potential applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries. His educational background in Food Science and Product Development, combined with his doctoral research, has provided him with a solid theoretical foundation and practical experience in the processing of food side-streams and their biotechnological conversion for sustainable and circular utilization. This academic path, coupled with his scientific production and outreach activities, has equipped him with the capabilities to lead research projects and oversee the scientific aspects of proposed research activities.

He has worked on the valorization of by-products from pineapple, papaya, mango, and grapes, as well as the development of natural bioactive-loaded hydrogels for food packaging. Moreover, he has been involved in processing and conservation improvements of various food systems beyond revalorization activities. Considering all of this, he can assert that he is deeply invested in sustainable and green chemistry principles research and excels in devising innovative methods and identifying opportunities to refine revalorization processes, always aiming to contribute to a more sustainable society.

His current engagement with the CIRCALGAE HEU Project is in line with these values, seeking to transform underutilized algal biomass into valuable ingredients for feed, food, and cosmetic applications. His role involves pioneering green extraction techniques for algae by-products and characterizing the resultant biopolymers and bioactive compounds through analytical methods such as HPAE-PAD, GCMS, HPLC, uncovering their potential applications in the aforementioned fields.