Research Group on Environmental Sustainability and Bioresources

The Research Group on Environmental Sustainability and Bioresources aims to contribute to scientific, technological, and sustainable development through applied research in the efficient use of water, the valorization of agro-industrial residues, and the development of environmental solutions based on biological processes, clean technologies, and circular economy principles.

Valorization of Agro-industrial Residues
Efficient Water Use and Sustainable Water Management
Biorefineries and Microalgae Biotechnology
Treatment and Valorization Technologies for Agricultural and Agro-industrial Effluents and Residues
Pyrolysis as a Tool for Waste Transformation and Climate Change Mitigation
Biological Processes and Green Technologies
Characterization of Discarded Wool for the Development of Sustainability Alternatives

Valorization of pulp industry sludge as a soil amendment for acidic soils
Participants: UTEC
Funding: CTagua

Hydroponic green forage with reuse of wastewater
Participants: UTEC
Funding: UTEC

Prototype development of a lysimeter for a forestry nursery
Participants: UTEC
Funding: ANII, María Viñas Fund

Biochar production from agro-industrial residues
Participants: UTEC
Funding: UTEC

Microalgal biomass production as a productive and sustainable alternative in the agroindustry
Participants: UTEC
Funding: INIA

Microalgal biomass production for agroindustrial use (biofertilizers)
Participants: UTEC
Funding: UTEC

Development and optimization of microalgae biorefineries from dairy processing agroindustry
Participants: UTEC
Funding: UTEC

MFe2O4/biochar as improved photocatalysts for use in purifying water containing emerging pollutants
Participants: UTEC
Funding: UTEC

Rodríguez Padrón, R. A., da Silva, L. S., Zarza, R., & Swarowsky, A. (2025). Phytotoxicity of pulp industry sludge in Festuca arundinacea and Triticum aestivum in different soils. Revista Brasileira de Engenharia Agrícola e Ambiental, 29(9), e286542.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G., Morón de Salim, A., Reyes, D., Rivero, A., Sánchez, L. A., & Sánchez, L. K. (2016). Antimicrobial effect of ethanol extract of leaf neem (Azadirachta indica A. Juss) on Listeria monocytogenes. Archivos Latinoamericanos de Nutrición, 66(1), 60–65. Retrieved from

Streit, N. M., Ramírez Mérida, L. G., Queiroz Zepka, L., Jacob-Lopes, E., & Queiroz, M. I. (2017). Pigment production by Aphanothece microscópica Nägeli from dairy industrial waste. Ingeniare. Revista chilena de ingeniería, 25(2), 350–358.

Deprá, M. C., Ramírez Mérida, L. G., de Menezes, C. R., Zepka, L. Q., & Jacob-Lopes, E. (2019). A new hybrid photobioreactor design for microalgae culture. Chemical Engineering Research and Design, 144, 1–10.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G., & Pereira dos Santos Richards, N. S. (Eds.). (2020). 2º Fórum Itinerante do Leite: Rumo à Excelência (1st ed.). Mérida Publishers.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (Ed.). (2020). Agrobiology (1st ed.). Mérida Publishers.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (2020). Microalgae for wastewater management: current status and perspectives. In L. G. Ramírez Mérida (Ed.), Agrobiology (1st ed., pp. 30–44). Mérida Publishers.

Escalona Jiménez, G., Hernández García, E., Ramírez Mérida, L. G., Alcano, T., & Richards, V. (2022). Greek vs traditional yogurts: Sensory and physicochemical comparison. Revista chilena de nutrición, 49(2), 167–172.

Basso Sartori, R., Rodríguez Padrón, R. A., & Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (2023). Current status of the microalgae application in agriculture and aquaculture. In S. Aydin (Ed.), Microalgae – Current and Potential Applications. IntechOpen.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G., & Rodríguez Padrón, R. A. (2023). Application of microalgae in wastewater: Opportunity for sustainable development. Frontiers in Environmental Science, 11, 1238640.

Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (2023). Chapter 4 – Commercial facilities of microalgae-based products around the world. In E. Jacob-Lopes, M. I. Queiroz, M. M. Maroneze, & L. Q. Zepka (Eds.), Handbook of Food and Feed from Microalgae (pp. 33–40). Academic Press.

Sartori, R. B., Jacob-Lopes, E., Rodríguez Padrón, R. A., & Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (2024). Evaluation of different microalgae concentrations as a potential biostimulant for germination of Raphanus sativus seeds. LINKS (Revista Internacional de UTEC), 2.

Rodríguez Padrón, R. A., & Ramírez Mérida, L. G. (2025). Chapter 30 – Hybrid and nonconventional photobioreactors applied to microalgae production. In Y. Gagnon, E. Jacob-Lopes, L. Q. Zepka, & M. C. Deprá (Eds.), Algal Bioreactors (Woodhead Series in Bioenergy, pp. 483–491). Elsevier Science Ltd.

Research Group on Environmental Sustainability and Bioresources

Schuster, Jean

Schuster, Cristiano

Rodríguez, Mónica

Ramirez, Luis

Rodriguez, Richard

García, Melody

Lenz, Raisi

de los Santos, Ernesto

Alves, Gislayne

Santana, Álvaro

Borge, Cristian

Swarowsky, Alexandre

Contact