The main purpose of the Biomass, Bioreactors and Bioproducts for industrial applications research group (B. Factory) is to contribute to sustainable practices, technological advancements, and improved well-being by integrating research across diverse areas related to biomass, biorefineries, protein sources, and nutrition.

The group operates through five main research lines, each addressing specific objectives.

The first research line focuses on biomass and food industry by-products processing for the obtention of added value compounds using green technologies for the development of biorefineries. This involves employing tuned and selective fractionation procedures to improve the properties of biomass fractions, making them applicable and allowing for the exploration of their full potential. The evaluation of value-added compound production from biomass includes various strategies such as pressurized fluid extraction, organosolv, and enzymatic treatments, applied to different sources like lignocellulosic biomass, agri-food, or forestry industry by-products.

The second research line is dedicated to micro and macroalgae-based biorefineries, covering bioreactor design and characterization to the production of biomass, protein and other molecules for food and industry applications. This involves using algae for the production of high-added value metabolites (e.g., proteins, pigments, lipids, hydrocolloids), byoptimizing the culture conditions and bioreactor’s design to enhance biomass and metabolites production, based on the circular economy concept and on the development of efficient biorefinery approaches.

The third research line focuses on bioreactors fundamentals and applications, specifically designing new reactors for process intensification. This includes the evaluation and characterization of new reactors, with a particular emphasis on Oscillatory flow reactors, addressing processes where mixing and mass transfer limitations have been identified. Protein crystallization, especially in scale-down reactors, will be used as a model to tackle limitations in current bioseparation techniques, such as chromatography.

The fourth research line explores new sources of protein for healthier food applications. The goal is to maximize the use of current protein sources, upcycling agri-food by-products targeting circularity and zero protein waste, via new protein sources based on the nutrient recovery from other agri-food waste streams and exploring under-used protein sources available, such as legumes. Designing and optimizing innovative processes to increase feasibility, processability, sustainability and improve techno-functional, nutritional and organoleptic properties will be addressed.

The fifth research line, nutrition and well-being is dedicated to developing functional foods containing bioactive ingredients (prebiotics, probiotics, phytochemical antioxidants, and polyphenols). It includes validating health claims for food and nutraceuticals targeting the microbiota-gut-brain axis and exploring the intricacies of the microbiota-gut-brain axis and its modulation, via targeted dietary interventions. Additionally, the research addresses food preservation and safety, through the optimization of multifunctional bio-based food packaging materials using biosynthetic metallic nanoparticles and active and intelligent nanostructured food packaging materials.