The Faculty of Biotechnology and the Centre for Biotechnology and Fine Chemistry of the Universidade Católica Portuguesa were represented at the Winter School dedicated to “Microbial Fermentation as a Strategy for Enhancing Food Safety, Nutrition and Sustainable Food Security”, held in Nairobi, Kenya. The initiative, which brought together experts and researchers within the framework of the ACHIEVE-IT project, was coordinated by the Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, a member of the International Federation of Catholic Universities.
The event featured Cristina L. M. Silva, leader of the Food Engineering and Packaging Group, as invited keynote speaker. In her presentation, “An Engineering Perspective on Fermentation: Modelling Microbial Kinetics and Sustainable Process Design”, she highlighted the role of integrated process engineering and mathematical modelling in the development of sustainable fermentation systems.
Research carried out at the University was also showcased through the participation of two Biotechnology students at Católica. Mahsa Farrokhi, a PhD student, presented her work on improving the structure of gluten-free systems using EPS-producing lactic acid bacteria. Marta Barriga, a Master’s student in Food Engineering, shared her research on non-destructive protein prediction in lupin flour using NIR-hyperspectral imaging, aimed at enabling rapid quality control in food systems.
The Winter School took place on 13 and 14 April, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and fostering international collaboration around innovative solutions for food safety, nutrition and sustainability.
