Helena Pinheiro

Helena M. Pinheiro

associate professor

E-7258-2011

Web of Science profile

iBB Group: 2brg

helena.pinheiro@tecnico.ulisboa.pt

Expertise: Bioreactors, mixed microbial cultures, wastewater, biowaste, bioresources.

Short Bio:

Helena Maria Pinheiro obtained an MEng in Chemical Engineering at Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), University of Lisbon, Portugal. She further received an MSc in Biochemical Engineering in 1988 and a PhD in Chemical Engineering in 1993, both from IST, the latter on whole-cell biocatalysis in the production of biopharmaceuticals. She is presently Associate Professor at IST, teaching Environmental (Bio)Technology, Bioprocess Engineering and Bioengineering Plant Design. Her research interests are centred on the use of whole-cell bioreactors for biowaste and wastewater valorisation, lately including the application of spectrometry and chemometrics to bioprocess and wastewater quality monitoring.

Research Focus:

Bioreactors in biowaste and wastewater valorisation; bioreactor monitoring with spectroscopy and chemometrics.

PROMISEANG – Alternative PROteins from MIcrobial fermentation of non-conventional SEA sources for Next-Generation food, feed and non-food bio-based applications(HORIZON-JU-CBE-2022-101112378), https://cordis.europa.eu/project/id/101112378

SMART SEAWEED – Smart Valorization of Macroalgae (FA_05_2017_033), https://www.smartseaweed.net/

NanoMicroImpact – Impact of engineered nanoparticles and microplastics on textile wastewater treatment with aerobic granular sludge technology (PTDC/AAG-TEC/4501/2014), https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.4682184

DEMOCON – Decentralized wastewater treatment monitoring and control (PTDC/AAG-TEC/4124/2012), https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.3534319

BIOTEXTILE – Sequencing batch reactor biotechnology toward effective textile wastewater treatment (PTDC/EBB-EBI/120624/2010), https://app.dimensions.ai/details/grant/grant.3524483

Vaz, S. A., Badenes, S. M., Pinheiro, H. M., & Martins, R. C. (2023). Recent reports on domestic wastewater treatment using microalgae cultivation: towards a circular economy. Environ. Technol. Innov., 30, 103107. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eti.2023.103107

Gordalina, M., Pinheiro, H. M., Mateus, M., da Fonseca, M. M. R., & Cesário, M. T. (2021). Macroalgae as protein sources: a review on protein bioactivity, extraction, purification and characterization. Appl. Sci., 11 (17), 7969. https://doi.org/10.3390/app11177969

Franca, R. D. G., Vieira, A., Carvalho, G., Oehmen, A., Pinheiro, H. M., Crespo, M. T. B., & Lourenço, N. D. (2020). Oerskovia paurometabola can efficiently decolorize azo dye Acid Red 14 and remove its recalcitrant metabolite. Ecotox. Environ. Safe., 191, 110007. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecoenv.2019.110007

Franca, R. D. G., Oliveira, M. C., Pinheiro, H. M., & Lourenço, N. D. (2019). Biodegradation products of a sulfonated azo dye in aerobic granular sludge sequencing batch reactors treating a simulated textile wastewater. ACS Sustainable Chem. Eng., 7 (17), 14697-14706. https://doi.org/10.1021/acssuschemeng.9b02635

Franca, R. D. G., Pinheiro, H. M., van Loosdrecht, M. C. M., & Lourenço, N. D. (2018). Stability of aerobic granules during long-term bioreactor operation. Biotechnol. Adv., 36, 228-246. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.biotechadv.2017.11.005

iBB People

Helena M. Pinheiro