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Assoc. Prof. Dr. Juan M. Bolivar

Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering
Faculty of Chemical Sciences, Complutense University, 28040, Madrid, Spain

www.ucm.es

 

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Juan M. Bolivar
is research associate (Talento programme from Madrid Government) at the Complutense University of Madrid from July 2020. After completing his studies of Chemical Engineering at the University of Granada, Juan M. Bolivar carried out his PhD Thesis at the Institute of Catalysis from Spanish National Research Council in Madrid. He has been assistant professor at the Graz University of Technology until 2019. His expertise lies in enzyme immobilization and stabilization, advanced design and characterization of heterogeneous biocatalysts; design of O2-dependent enzyme-catalysed transformations, and development of immobilized-enzyme reactors. He will contribute with the supervision and of ESR1 and ESR2 and general training. ESR1 and ESR2 will be integrated in the environment of the FQPIMA research group (“Físicoquimica de Proyectos Industriales y Mediambientales”). The research group has a consolidated tradition in integrated biorefineries and it aims at the development of new processes and bioprocesses (both enzymatic and microbial processes); using tools as analytical techniques; catalytic and biocatalytic synthesis and mathematical modelling.

Key Research Facilities, Infrastructure and Equipment
The facilities at the department allow the development of new processes and bioprocesses (both enzymatic and microbial processes); using tools as analytical techniques; catalytic and biocatalytic synthesis and mathematical modelling. This research is performed in three well-equipped laboratories, within the fields of biotechnology, environmental science, intensification of processes and catalysis. The laboratories include equipment for carrying out all required steps of biocatalyst preparation and characterization and reactor development. Further complex analytical and processing research can be performed in the Central Services Facilities (CAIs) that the UCM offers its researchers.

Hosting University: Universidad Complutense de Madrid
The Complutense University in Madrid (UCM) is one of the oldest and greatest universities in Spain. The UCM enrols over 80,000 students (13% international students), almost 6,000 faculties and more than 3,000 administration and service staff and consistently ranks as one of the top universities in Spain. The UCM currently offers 70 Bachelor’s Degrees, 16 double Bachelor’s Degrees, 152 Master’s Degrees, 58 Doctoral Programs, and 11 International degrees in 26 Schools and 98 Departments. The research at UCM is developed through its 26 faculties, 9 associated centres, 37 university institutes and research centres, 7 schools for professional specialization, 14 university clinics and hospitals, and 9 research assistance centres and ICTS. The participant department will be the Chemical Engineering Department. It is one of the eight departments in the Faculty of Chemistry. Research is mainly focused on chemical, environmental and biological processes. 

Relevant Publications and/or Research / Innovation Product

  1. Bolivar, J.M., Gallego, F. L. Characterization and evaluation of immobilized enzymes for applications in flow-reactors, Curr. Opin. Green Sustain. Chem. (2020) In Press https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogsc.2020.04.010.
  2. Bolivar, J.M., Mannsberger, A., Thomsen, M.S., Tekautz, G., Nidetzky, B. Process intensification for O2 -dependent enzymatic transformations in continuous single-phase pressurized flow (2019) Biotechnology and Bioengineering, 116 (3), pp. 503-514. DOI: 10.1002/bit.26886
  3. Bolivar, J.M., Valikhani, D., Nidetzky, B. Demystifying the Flow: Biocatalytic Reaction Intensification in Microstructured Enzyme Reactors (2019) Biotechnology Journal, 14 (3), art. no. 1800244, DOI: 10.1002/biot.201800244