Blended Intensive Programme
SPRING 2026
Marta Mª Pazos Currás
A professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Vigo, specializing in industrial biotechnology and environmental technologies. Her research focuses on sustainable treatment of industrial soils and effluents, promoting environmentally responsible development. She also works with microorganisms to obtain valuable industrial compounds from waste, contributing to sustainability and the circular economy. She has completed research stays at prestigious international institutions and led numerous projects as principal investigator. With over 200 publications and an h-index of 50, she has supervised 15 PhD theses and currently serves as Manager of the Science, Technology and Environment area at the Spanish State Research Agency.
Anna Witek-Krowiak
A full professor at Wroclaw University of Science and Technology, where she leads the Biopolymer Laboratory Group and is Head of Education at the Doctoral School in the field of Chemical Engineering. Her research focuses on biopolymers, nanofiber electrospinning, and the design of active and intelligent packaging. She is particularly recognized for her work on waste valorization and recycling, developing circular economy solutions that transform biomass and industrial by-products into advanced materials for agriculture, food packaging, and environmental protection. She has authored numerous scientific publications and patents, coordinated several national and international projects, and frequently contributes to international conferences as a speaker and session chair.
Maria Ángeles Sanromán
Professor M. Ángeles Sanromán earned her PhD in Chemical Engineering at the University of Santiago de Compostela, specializing in Biotechnology. At the University of Vigo, she founded and leads the Bioengineering & Sustainable Processes Group, focusing on technologies for soil and water remediation, waste valorization, circular economy, green chemistry, and catalysis. She has authored over 300 papers, 25 book chapters, 5 patents, and supervised more than 25 PhD theses, participating in 50+ national and international R&D projects. She currently directs CINTECX and has served as Programme Manager at the Spanish State Research Agency. Her work has been recognized with awards including the Isidro Parga Pondal Medal (2022).
Stanislav Obruča
A professor at the Faculty of Chemistry, Brno University of Technology, Czechia. His research primarily focuses on the valorization of waste streams from the food, agricultural, and related industries through microbial biotechnology. In particular, he investigates the use of extremophilic bacteria for converting waste materials into polyhydroxyalkanoates (bioplastics) and other value-added products. He is also interested in bacterial stress response, stress robustness, and resistance, as well as the environmental fate and impact of biodegradable polymers across different ecosystems. He has already published more than 100 scientific papers in this field and is the author of several patents.
Simone Morais
Simone Morais is a full professor at the Polytechnic Institute of Porto, ISEP, Portugal, and Director of the PhD Programme in Analytical Chemistry and Engineering for Environmental Sustainability and, also, of the Master’s Programme in Bioresource Engineering. She develops her research activity at the Associated Laboratory for Green Chemistry of the Network of Chemistry and Technology (REQUIMTE) in the fields of environmental (bio)monitoring (air pollutants, food contaminants, water, human exposure), as well as sensors and biosensors, green technologies, and circular economy, embracing the “One Health” approach.
Wojciech Białas
Prof. Wojciech Białas is employed at the Poznań University of Life Sciences, where he serves as the head of the Department of Food Biotechnology and Microbiology. His research interests lie mainly in industrial biotechnology, bioprocess engineering, and food technology, with a strong focus on the practical application of scientific findings in industrial practice. His work centers on the optimization of microbiological bioprocesses involving yeast and bacteria for the efficient production of biocomponents and heterologous proteins. He also conducts research on separation and recovery processes of bioactive substances derived from plant and animal raw materials, employing methods such as extraction, membrane techniques, and preparative chromatography. Additionally, he investigates preservation technologies for biopreparations and probiotic microorganisms, utilizing spray drying and freeze-drying techniques to ensure stability and functionality of biological materials.
