PhD student profile, Silvia Donzella

PhD Student:  Silvia Donzella (ORCID n. 0000-0003-4134-2560)

 

Supervisor: Prof. Concetta Compagno (DeFENS)

Co-tutor: Prof. Francesco Molinari (DeFENS)

Dean: Prof. Diego Mora

Research area: Chemistry and Biochemistry

PhD title achieved on: 11^st January 2024

Research topic

Green chemical and biotechnological processes for the development of added-value products from agrifood biomasses and by-products.

 

Project Synopsis

In the contest of circular economy and food-waste revalorization, non-conventional yeasts are known as efficient ‘cell factories’ for the synthesis of value-added products. The aim of my PhD project is to develop and maximize a microbial production strategy industrially scalable thanks to low costs, high yields, and environmental friendly focus. This goal can be achieved by genetically modifying yeasts in order to increase their biosynthetic efficiency and by using food-waste products as components of culture media (Kot et al., 2015). Some different yeast species isolated from environmental and food matrices will be employed to turn biomass waste into valuable products that find application in food and feed industries, such as (but not limited to) lipids, carotenoid pigments, vitamins and low calorie sweeteners.

 

Project keywords

Bioreactor, agro-food waste, circular economy, non conventional yeast

 

Contacts

Department of Food, Environmental and Nutritional Sciences (DeFENS)

Via Mangiagalli 25, 20133 Milan

Email: silvia.donzella@unimi.it

 

Collaborations

Prof. Stefania Arioli

Prof. Ileana Vigentini

Prof. Diego Romano

Dr.ssa Martina Contente, Department of Food, Environment and Nutritional Sciences, UNIMI

 

Sponsor

Fellowship sponsor: Università degli Studi di Milano

 

Pubblications

Oral presentation:

Green chemical and biotechnological processes for the development of added-value products from agri-food waste. The Next Generation of Biocatalysis in Bern (NGBiocatBern) 28/28 May, Bern

Oleaginous yeasts as ‘cell factories’ for food waste valorization. Lake Como School “Novel approaches to the food-health relationship: from molecules to sociotypes” 19/22 October, Como

 

Posters:

Green chemical and biotechnological processes for the development of added-value products from agri-food waste. Silvia Donzella, Immacolata Serra, Concetta Compagno*. 6^th International Conference on Biocatalysis in Non-Conventional Media (BNCM 2021) – 6/8 May 2021, Milan

Food waste recycle for yeast biomass and lipids production by the oleaginous yeasts Rhodosporidium azoricum and Trichosporon oleaginosus. Silvia Donzella, Immacolata Serra, Andrea Fumagalli, Luisa Pellegrino, Concetta Compagno*. 15^th International Congress on Yeasts (ICY) and the 30th International Conference on Yeast Genetics and Molecular Biologs (ICYGMB30) – 26/28 August 2021, Vienna

 

Training Experiences:

Participation at the CS-ThAnMa – Short cycle Course on Thermal Analysis, 4/8 October 2021 – Nicosia, Cyprus.