Hi! I am Silvia, and I am a postdoctoral researcher at LEQUiA, University of Girona (Spain). I am also a member of many (too many!) working groups of YWPIT Chapter, and I was elected as External Relations Coordinator. I got both my bachelor’s (Civil and Environmental Engineering) and master’s degree (Environmental Engineering) at University of Pavia, and I continued there my PhD studies in Design, Modeling and Simulation in Engineering. In 2019, I signed a Joint Doctorate agreement with University of Girona, enrolling in the PhD course in Water Science and Technology, during my one-year long abroad experience at LEQUiA… And apparently, it was only the beginning of a new, exciting adventure! 

I graduated in March 2021, and when travelling was still restricted due to the pandemic, I was moving back to Girona to start a new chapter of my life. 

My main research project is about microbial electrosynthesis of CO2 into added value products, in particular biofuels. In the past, I’ve dealt with different microbial electrochemical technologies for biofuels and bioenergy production, and I tried to couple those technologies with microalgae. I am a dynamic person, and it is reflected into my eclectic research activity… I spaced from wastewater treatment to groundwater autotrophic denitrification, to bio-electrosynthesis, to oil and protein extraction… I love to work in the lab and try to find new ideas to face emerging environmental issues. I am a water enthusiast, but also a waste-valorization freak!

I spent nine months (August ’21 – April ’22) living in the Czech Republic, in Ostrava. Google it, definitely not Prague! 😊 There, I was working on a project for CO2 bio-electro conversion into acetate in a pilot plant at a wastewater treatment facility. It has been a nice experience, especially because until then I only dealt with “lab-scale” problems. Well, if you want spoilers… Bigger plant, bigger problems :’D 

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

Cheers!

Silvia