The research project falls within the scope of improving environmental sustainability, green chemistry/circular processes, particularly with regard to chemical processes for the production of various chemicals. The aim is to train an expert in the green transition with a solid cultural background in the so-called "green skills", which specifically include the knowledge necessary to assist in the conversion of existing processes into new sustainable and technologically advanced processes that guarantee high quality standards with low environmental impact (use of green solvents, energy savings, automation, etc.). These skills also include the principles of the circular economy that the PhD student will acquire through collaboration with the research group of Prof. Massimiliano Mazzanti from the Department of Economics and Management of the University of Ferrara, coordinator of the inter-University center SEEDS (www.sustainability-seeds.org). In particular, this doctorate intends to study the feasibility of a biotechnological process easily scalable to production scale, which, from the continuous production of bioactive molecules (proteins and peptides, especially), allows to obtain the target active ingredients at a purity level suitable for pharmaceutical purposes with always continuous separation systems (Multicolumn Countercurrent Solvent Gradient Purification, MCSGP).

Analytical chemistry expertisebasic knowledge of chromatographic processesprinciples of biocatalysis

The PhD candidate will be part of a dynamic research group consisting of young, internationally recognized researchers working in the fields of separation science and food chemistry. The team possesses a combination of theoretical knowledge and practical expertise in each step of analytical workflows, from sample preparation to data evaluation. The research group's activities cover a wide range of samples, including (bio)pharmaceuticals and petrochemicals as well as complex mixtures derived from food or plants. The group employs various chromatographic approaches, from targeted to untargeted methods, and utilizes advanced analytical techniques such as multidimensional GC or LC.