AGR203:ENGINEERING AND FOOD TECHNOLOGY

In 1992 I obtained a degree in Chemistry with the speciality of Industrial Fermentation and Oenology from the University of Cadiz. In 1994 I obtained my degree with a thesis entitled "Application of multivariate statistical analysis in the ripening of Palomino fino grapes in the context of Jerez". Since then, my doctorate has focused on the study and application of new technologies in sherry production, obtaining the degree of Doctor of Chemical Engineering from the University of Cadiz in 1998. In this doctoral thesis I studied the application of a) ion exchange in the acidification of musts and the demetalization of wines; b) tangential filtration for sweet and fortified wines; and c) mathematical models for the optimization of tank cleaning.  Later, as a thesis supervisor, I worked on other technologies such as electrodialysis for tartaric stabilization and the technique of supraextraction for the aromatic improvement of musts and wines. Then in 2005 I was granted (as principal researcher) a National project on the use of lysozymes for the control of microbial alterations in biological ageing, which resulted in a significant number of international articles and patents. In 2006 I participated as principal researcher  in a PETRI project on improved strains of Saccharomyces cerevisiae for the production of bakery products and biological ageing of sherry wines. From then on, my work was focused on research and development for companies in the agro-food sector through numerous OTRI contracts, without abandoning research in the field of sherry. My approach to the world of sherry allowed me to carry out research studies on sherry vinegar and recently on the origin of the sensory deviation responsible for the appearance of Palo Cortado wines, which have been published in JCR magazines. I have also participated as senior researcher and researcher in studies on the recovery and recycling of fishery by-products for the production of high value-added foods (VALORA) and fish sauces (NOVELFISH). Recently I have participated in 2 interdisciplinary research National projects in coordination with a group of Archaeology of the UCA on the experimental recovery of the Roman garum sauce (Pompeii and Baelo Claudia) whose results have derived in the creation of a spin off and in the transfer, industrial elaboration and putting in market of products like Flor de garum, paté de garum, oxigarum, etc, (company Productos Majuelo, S.L.). Currently, research work is focused on the study of viticultural strategies to combat climate change from both an agronomic and oenological point of view: the use of pollen as activator of yeast growth in alcoholic fermentation, the search for new local grape varieties, the recovery of ancestral winemaking techniques (sun dried grape and orange wine) with the aim of obtaining new types of sherry wine (aged whites and naturally sweet wines). As a summary of my academic activity I have about 30 JCR publications, of which 90% are in the first tercil, 7 industrial patents of which 6 have been granted with prior examination; I have participated in 16 research projects with public funding of which 7 as principal researcher; I have participated in 28 OTRI contracts, of which 15 as PI; I have directed 5 doctoral theses; I have 3 six-year research recognition periods plus 1 requested (in the last Dec2019) and 1 six-year transfer to companies recognition period. (ORCID ID: 0000-0002-6225-0975)