Food Research Department. School of Chemistry – Autonomous University of Coahuila

BioEnergy Research Journal.

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Welcome to the Biorefinery Research Group | Food Research Department | School of Chemistry | Autonomous University of Coahuila

The conversion of biomass into high added-value compounds and bioenergy (advanced biofuels) is essential in order to sustain our present and future. The term “Biorefinery” of 2nd and 3rd generation refers to the biomass conversion. The  biorefinery concept emergence with the necessity of identifies the most promising products, considering environmental and economic aspects. Therefore, this philosophy that integrates processes and technologies for biomass conversion demands efficient utilization of all components.

The Biorefinery Group is active in various aspects of biorefinery processes using lignocellulosic and aquatic (micro and macro – algae) biomass for the production of biofuels and compounds with high added-value through the integration of clean processes as Hydrothermal Processing taking into consideration environmental aspects “sustainability”, based today in the context of Circular Bioeconomy.


Work team – Biorefinery group
Work team – Biorefinery group

Our current research falls into four main categories:

1) Intensification of hydrothermal processing:

Hydrothermal processing at different scale levels from bench to pilot scale reactors (autohydrolysis , steam explosion, liquid hot water (LHW), high pressure technology using subcritical and supercritical water ) for biomass fractionation and extraction of the main components of lignocellulosic, micro and macro – algae biomass. 

2) Chemical characterization and applications:

Extraction , optimization process, chemical characterization and applications of  cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, fucoidan, carrageenan, alginate, laminarin, galactan and  production of high added-value compounds as xylooligosaccharides, fucoxanthin, mannitol, phycocyanin, nanocrystalline cellulose with focus on the valorization of these biomasses in the production of commodity and specialty chemicals and biochemicals and application in different areas such as food technology, bioenergy and biomaterials.

3) Bioprocess engineering and design:

In the biorefinery group is based at small scale must be translated to other different scale levels. Research in this area has focused on new process configurations for enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic and aquatic biomass, fermentations strategy at high solid loading, as well as on development of mathematical models for both descriptive and predictive purposes, and bioreactor design for hydrolytic enzymes production, biofuels production such as bioethanol and lactic acid.

4) Microalgae-based biorefinery:

Our interest in this area centre on the design of photobioreactors and the cultivation systems and use of micro-algal biomass for biofuels production as bioethanol and bio-based products (new foods and high added-value compounds: (lipids, proteins, carbohydrates, phycocyanin) in terms of biorefinery.


We invite you to explore the pages of this web site and see the different activities that this Biorefinery Research Group is developing in the Food Research Department, School of Chemistry at the Autonomous University of Coahuila in order to find new alternatives in the concept of biorefinery and circular bioeconomy.

Co-leaders of Biorefinery GroupRosy Rodríguez-Jasso |  Héctor A. Ruiz


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