Biomass as Renewable Raw Material to Obtain Bioproducts of High-Tech Value

Valentin I. Popa is Professor emeritus of Wood Chemistry and Biotechnology at Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Romania. Dr. Popa obtained his BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering (1969) and PhD in the field of polysaccharide chemistry (1976) in Polytechnic Institute of Iasi, Romania. He was awarded with Romanian Academy Prize for his contributions in the field of seaweed chemistry (1976). He published more than 600 papers in the following fields: wood chemistry and biotechnology, biomass complex processing, biosynthesis and biodegradation of natural compounds, allelochemicals, bioadhesives, bioremediation, and he is author or co authors of the 38 books or book chapters Associate Professor, Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iasi, Environmental Engineering and Management Department, Senior Researcher. Doctor of Science (Chemical Engineering). Publications: author of 6 books, author/co-author of 5 book chapters, 40 ISI peer-reviewed journal articles, 35 peer-reviewed journal articles indexed in international databases, 35 international conference proceeding publications, 1 patent. Internal and international scientific projects: 24. Research interests: biomass conversion, natural treatment systems: bioremediation of degraded land and poor crop production based on vegetal material (peat, sawdust, lignocellulose and polyphenolic products) as amendments, phytoremediation, regulators of plant growth based on natural products, industrial biotechnology.

• 1. Biomass for Fuels and Biomaterials2. Microalgae as Renewable Raw Material for Bioproducts: Identification and Biochemical Composition of Microalgae from a Raceway Pond in The Netherlands3. Macroalgae Biomass as Sorbent for Metal Ions 4. Integrated Processing of Biomass for Fine Chemicals Obtaining: Polyphenols5. Assessing the Sustainability of Biomass Use for the Production of Biofuels6. Biodiesel a Green Fuel Obtained Through Enzymatic Catalysis7. Catalytic Approaches to the Production of Furfural and Levulinates from Lignocelluloses8. Biomass Derived Polyhydroxyalkanoates: Biomedical Applications 9. Biochemical Modification of Cellulosic Biomass10. Chemically Modified Polysaccharides with Applications in Nanomedicine11. Cellulose-Based Hydrogels for Medical/Pharmaceutical Applications12. Thermoresponsive Supramolecular Hydrogels Comprising Diblock Methylcellulose Derivatives