Research Overview

Emmanouil is Chemical Engineer with expertise in biotechnology/food science and more than 15 years research experience in the biotechnological production and downstream processing of added-value compounds. His main fields of research interest include (but not limited to) the understanding microbial production and downstream processing as an integrated bio-process; nanomaterials and membranes technology; utilization of agri-food industry wastes; chemistry of surfaces and their modification; natural products and food chemistry; green and sustainable chemistry; chemistry of chromatographic materials; molecularly imprinted polymers; encapsulation of substances in edible matrices.

He is a regularly invited reviewer for a number of peer-reviewing Journals, such as: LWT-Food Science and Technology, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Food Biotechnology, Food Research International, Biotechnology Progress, Biomacromolecules, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Preparative Biochemistry & Biotechnology, Food and Bioprocess Technology: An International Journal, Industrial Crops and Products.

He is also an invited reviewer for research proposals (BBSRC, EPSRC, EU etc.).

Current Research

Current research projects include,

• Integrating membrane processes into hydroponics systems (EPSRC, funded)
• High throughput technologies for the efficient downstream processing of recombinant proteins (BBSRC - IBioIC , funded PhD studentship)
• Development and cross-validation of microchip electrophoresis protocols for simultaneous quantification of oligosaccharides, proteins and polyphenols (Analytical Chemistry Trust Fund funded)
• Agri-food wastes as a resource for nanocellulose membranes fabrication (Royal Society, funded)
• Recovery of oligogalacturonides with various degrees of polymerization from tomato leaf extracts by membrane processes, (Royal Society, funded)

These, and previous projects, have been funded by the EPSRC, Royal Society, European Union and/or in collaborations with various Industries.

Teaching

Emmanouil is currently convenor for the following undergraduate modules:

• ENGR263 Mass transfer (2020- )
• ENGR365 Catalytic and bio-reaction engineering  (2017- )

and teach on

• ENGR Part I Tutorials (2017- )
• ENGR302 Chemical Process Design Project  (2017- )
• ENGR495 MEng Individual Project (2017- )

He was convenor for the following undergraduate modules:

• ENGR262 Particle Technology and Separation Processes (2021-2022)
• ENGR265 Chemical Engineering Laboratory Projects I    (2017-2021)

Education

• 2009 PhD in Chemical Engineering/Biotechnology (carotenoids microbial production), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• 2004 MSc in Nanosciences and Nanotechnologies (polymeric surfaces modification), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece
• 2001 MEng in Chemical Engineering/Food Science (vitamins B complex analysis), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece

Academic Posts

• 2016-          Lecturer in Bio-Process Engineer, Lancaster University
• 2014-2016  Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship, Northumbria University, UK
• 2009-2014  Post-Doctoral Fellowship, Centre for Research and Technology-Hellas

Awards (personal grants)

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Intra-European Postdoctoral Fellowship, EU for the ‘Sugar and oxalate free beetroot juice: production and assessment of its human health benefits’

Postdoctoral Fellowship, Greek National Institute of Scholarships, Greece, for ‘Biotechnological carotenoids production and purification from agricultural by-products’

Short course “Nano-structured materials and membranes in the food industry”, Marie Curie granted, ITM‐CNR, Cetraro

Short course “Nano-structured materials and membranes for health and sustainable water”, Marie Curie granted, University of Twente

Short course “Nano-structured materials & membrane modeling and simulation”, Marie Curie granted, ICE-HT, Patras, Greece

Supervision Interests

I am willing to supervise PhD and MSc by Research students on projects that are related to my main research interests and in particular in the following areas: i) membrane separation processes ii) biocatalytic transformation iii) fabrication and testing membranes from bio-renewables iv) natural compounds purification using eco-friendly methodologies v) natural products purification and/or encapsulation