Miguel Ladero

Miguel Ladero is a doctor in industrial chemistry with 29 years of experience in the development and optimization of bioprocesses and catalytic green chemical processes. He is also Associated Professor at the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering of the UCM. He got his M.Sc. in chemistry in 1992. His Ph.D. thesis was focused on the hydrolysis of lactose based on the use of free and immobilized beta-galactosidases of several origins, applying new mathematical techniques and kinetic models to reflect the effect of main phenomena taking place in reacting systems, including enzyme deactivation by heat, pH, and chemical agents. Afterwards, his research has covered different aspects (process development, kinetic modelling, phenomenological studies) studying several microbial (fungi, bacteria), enzymatic and catalytic systems: diesel biodesulfurization with R. erythropolis and P. putida, anaerobic and microaerobic bioprocesses with biosafety class 1 microorganisms to 2,3-butanediol, D-lactic, fumaric, succinic acids, sunscreen ingredients (UVB chemical filters) by thermal and catalytic procedures, plasticizers and prodrugs with industrial lipases, derivatives of rosin by esterification and disproportionation by catalytic and thermal processes, stabilization of enzymes by immobilization and reaction media engineering, development of thermal and catalytic green processes to obtain carbonates and ketals from glycerol in biphasic-monophasic media, and development of physicochemical, enzymatic and microbial processes in lignocellulosic/oleaginous integrated biorefineries, among other research lines. This research effort has resulted, up to now, in 10 Ph.D. thesis, being supervising 4 Ph.D. theses more, and more than 100 Bs.C. and Ms.C. theses. He has been involved, since 1993, in 23 research projects (Regional, National and International), being PI in 5 of them and general coordinator of a recent M.ERAnet (2021) focused on Retinal Ganglion Cell production from Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells differentiated on dedicated biomaterials based on exopolysaccharides (BioMAT4EYE). He has been also involved in 8 contracts with chemical companies of the energy and chemistry sectors, which resulted in 16 private reports.