Mia is originally from Croatia and holds a Master’s degree in Chemistry, specializing in Physical and Inorganic Chemistry, from the University of Zagreb, Croatia. Her research in inorganic chemistry focused on the synthesis and structural characterization of copper(II) metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) using amino acids and heterocyclic bases. Her Master’s thesis—carried out partly at the University of Zagreb and partly during an Erasmus + internship at the University of Twente—focused on the preparation and characterization of polyelectrolyte multilayers and polyelectrolyte complex free-standing membranes.
Mem-Fast project description: In her Mem-Fast project (“Developing polyelectrolyte multilayer (PEM) membranes for solvent-stable nanofiltration in biorefineries”), Mia develops solvent-stable nanofiltration membranes for harsh operating conditions. Her work aims to enable the selective separation of valuable organic molecules from salts. Using a layer-by-layer fabrication approach, she fine-tunes PEM properties to deliver high separation performance alongside strong chemical stability.
Home Institution: University of Twente (Netherlands, www.utwente.nl)
Secondments: LUT University (Finland www.lut.fi), NX Filtration (Netherlands, www.nxfiltration.com), RAIZ-Navigator (Portugal, https://en.thenavigatorcompany.com/)
Supervisors: Prof. Wiebe M. de Vos (University of Twente), Prof. Nieck Benes (University of Twente), Dr. Hannah Roth (University of Twente) and Prof. Mika Mänttäri (LUT University)
Originally from India, Khalid holds two Master’s degrees, one in Chemistry (Analytical Chemistry) from Aligarh Muslim University, and a second in Materials Science and Engineering (M2) from Chimie ParisTech - PSL. His master’s research focused on the valorisation of rice husk, including silica extraction, activated carbon preparation, and the development of monolithic materials for water depollution, targeting contaminants such as PFAS and glyphosate.
Mem-Fast project description: Within MEM-FAST, Khalid is working on the development of novel cellulosic membranes with enhanced resistance to microbial activity and organic solvents compared to conventional cellulose-based membranes. These advanced membranes are intended for a range of biorefinery applications, including the recovery of hemicelluloses and lignin from biomass-derived streams, wastewater purification, and solvent recycling.
Home university: LUT University (Finland, www.lut.fi)
Secondments: Nova University of Lisbon (Portugal, www.unl.pt)
Supervisors: Prof. Mika Mänttäri (LUT University), second supervisor Prof. João Crespo (Nova University of Lisbon)
Originally from China, Yongjie holds a Master’s degree in Physical Chemistry from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences. His previous research focused on strategies to enhance process efficiency while reducing fouling and scaling in membrane distillation systems, providing him with strong expertise in membrane surface modification and the tailoring of membrane structure–property relationships.
Mem-Fast project description: Within the MEM-FAST project, Yongjie is developing eco-friendly nanostructured biocatalytic membranes to improve the efficiency of biorefinery processes. His research includes a systematic comparison of free versus immobilized enzyme systems, with the goal of identifying approaches that offer superior catalytic performance, operational stability, and long-term durability. The project is carried out under the supervision of Dr. Lidietta Giorno and Dr. Rosalinda Mazzei (CNR-ITM), Prof. Gabriella Cipparrone (University of Calabria), and Prof. Emmanouil Papaioannou (University of Lancaster), reflecting the strong interdisciplinary and international collaboration within the network.
Home Institution: National Research Council-Institute on Membrane Technology, on the campus of the University of Calabria (Italy, www.itm.cnr.it). The PhD student will be registered at the University of Calabria in the Department of Physics, Doctorate in "Physical, Chemical and Materials Sciences and Technologies” and will carry out the research activity at CNR-ITM.
Secondments: Lancaster University (United Kingdom, www.lancaster.ac.uk) and DeltaMem (Switzerland, www.deltamem.ch)
Supervisors: Dr. Lidietta Giorno (CNR-ITM), Dr. Rosalinda Mazzei (CNR-ITM), Gabriella Cipparrone (University of Calabria), Prof. Emmanuoil Papaioannou (University of Lancaster)
Originally from Pakistan, Ali holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Fluid Mechanics and Interfacial Science from POSTECH (South Korea). He conducted his research at the Future Fluid and Biomimetics Lab (FFBL), where he later continued as a graduate researcher for 1.5 years. His work focused on developing shear-stable, oil-infused polymeric coatings for marine vessels, achieving a 20% reduction in interfacial drag while maintaining anti-biofouling performance for six months under real marine conditions. This research resulted in publications in prestigious journals and an international patent.
Mem-Fast Project description: Ali’s PhD project, “Understanding and Controlling Membrane Fouling in Biorefinery Applications,” aims to deepen insight into fouling mechanisms in biorefining processes. His work combines artificial and real biorefinery streams, advanced fouling characterization techniques, and membrane fouling models to optimize operating conditions and cleaning strategies minimizing fouling while maximizing membrane selectivity.
Home Institution: University of Twente (Netherlands, www.utwente.nl)
Secondments: Lund University (Sweden www.lunduniversity.lu.se), Alfa Laval (Sweden, www.alfalaval.com)
Supervisors: Prof. Wiebe M. de Vos (University of Twente), Prof. Frank Lipnizki (Lund University), Dr. Antoine Kemperman (University of Twente), Dr. Sander Haase (University of Twente).
Habtamu is originally from Ethiopia and holds bachelor’s and master’s degree in chemical engineering. He has experience in academic teaching and research in membrane technologies, functional materials, and their applications. His academic and research work has focused on polymeric membranes, nano functional materials for water treatment and separation processes, with particular emphasis on nanocomposite membrane fabrication characterization and fouling phenomena.
Mem-Fast project description: In his Mem-Fast project, Habtamu is developing fluorescence-based sensing strategies to monitor fouling phenomena directly at the membrane interface. His work focuses on detecting early-stage biofouling and inorganic scaling by tracking nanoscale changes in local chemical environments.
Home university: Nova University of Lisbon (Portugal, www.unl.pt)
Secondments: CNR-ITM (Italy, www.itm.cnr.it) and B4C (Denmark, www.b4c.net)
Supervisors: Dr. Carla Portugal (Nova University of Lisbon); second supervisors Prof. João Crespo (Nova University of Lisbon) and Lidietta Giorno (CNR-ITM)
Usman Khan, originally from Pakistan, completed his bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering with distinction (Gold Medalist) from the University of Engineering and Technology, Peshawar, Pakistan. He pursued an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s in Biorefinery, studying across different European universities, including the University of Lille (France), Cracow University of Technology (Poland), Université de Technologie de Troyes (France), and the Institute Jean Lamour (France). During his previous research, Khan worked on advancing the performance of graphene oxide embedded geopolymer membrane with the application of TiO2 and GO coatings for water purification. His technical background encompasses membrane fabrication, nanoporous materials, and various analytical tools, including SEM, XRD, XRF, Raman spectroscopy, and permeability testing. Currently, Khan is also supervising a master’s thesis titled “Synthesis of Advanced Membranes for treatment of Acidic Mining Effluent, Brines & Critical resource recovery.”
Mem-Fast project description: Usman's research focuses on integrating membrane processes for future biorefineries and supporting circular, low-carbon industrial solutions. His project aims to advance environmentally friendly membrane materials that combine high performance with scalable, cost-efficient production, enabling cleaner processes across biorefineries, specifically cellulose-based biorefineries.
Home university: LUT University (Finland, www.lut.fi)
Secondments: University of Twente (Netherlands, www.utwente.nl) and UPM (Finland, www.UPM.com)
Supervisors: Prof. Mika Mänttäri (LUT University), second supervisor Prof. Wiebe de Vos (University of Twente)
Sisi Pu, originally from China, holds a Master’s degree in Chemical Engineering from the Shanghai Normal University. Her master’s thesis focused on circulating tumor cells sorting from normal blood cells using immune-responsive super-paramagnetic beads, and verification based on immunofluorescence technology. Subsequently, she worked as an in vitro diagnostic kit research & design engineer, researched diagnostic kits based on immunoturbidimetric assays for auxiliary diagnosis kidney and liver diseases. Later, she contributed to the development of bio microplastic composite and conducted potential application assessment and performance evaluation of commercial graphene-based membrane, building a strong expertise in membrane technology.
Mem-Fast project description: Sisi is working on project titled "bioinspired nanostructured and multifunctional membranes with self-cleaning properties applied in biorefinery". Sisi contributes to the project by focusing her research on creating magnetically responsive membranes through stepwise chemical modifications, aiming to reduce fouling during protein separation from biomass using ultrafiltration.
Home Institution: National Research Council-Institute on Membrane Technology, on the campus of the University of Calabria (Italy, www.itm.cnr.it). The PhD student is registered at the University of Calabria in the Department of Physics, Doctorate in "Physical, Chemical and Materials Sciences and Technologies” and will carry out the research activity at CNR-ITM.
Secondments: Universidade Nova de Lisboa (Portugal, www.unl.pt); MemBrain (Czech Republic, www.membrain.cz)
Supervisors: Dr. Lidietta Giorno (CNR-ITM), Prof. Joao Crespo (Universidade Nova de Lisboa), Dr. Rosalinda Mazzei (CNR-ITM), Gabriella Cipparrone (University of Calabria)
Sare Akkol, originally from Türkiye, holds a Bachelor’s degree in Chemical Engineering from Yildiz Technical University and Master’s degree from Middle East Technical University. Her academic background includes membrane processes, nanoparticle-enhanced polymeric membranes, and the development and characterization of MOFs and ZIFs. She has experience with pervaporation, gas separation, adsorption studies, and laboratory-scale process design.
Mem-Fast project description: Sare’s doctoral research focuses on the valorization of fusel oil, a by-product of bioethanol production, by converting it into value-added chemicals through membrane-based separation and catalytic upgrading. Her work places emphasis on polymeric and ceramic membrane processes. Through this research, she aims to contribute to greener biorefinery concepts and support circular economy approaches by improving the utilization of industrial side streams. By working with membrane-based separation and catalytic upgrading strategies, she aims to support the development of more sustainable chemical processes within the Mem-Fast project
Home Institution: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland, www.chem.umk.pl, https://sites.google.com/view/membranesncu/)
Secondments: Lund University (Sweden, www.lunduniversity.lu.se) and MemBrain (Czech, www.membrain.com)
Supervisors: Prof. Wojciech Kujawski (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń) and prof. Frank Lipnizki (Lund University)
Evangelia is originally from Greece and holds an integrated Master’s degree in Agriculture with a specialization in Food Science, as well as a Master’s degree in Food Science and Nutrition from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH). Her academic background focuses on sustainability, cereal science, and the valorization of agri-food by-products to create nutritionally and functionally enhanced food systems. For her master’s thesis, she explored innovative approaches to producing “clean-label” gluten-free bread by incorporating flaxseed, sesame press cake, and lentil sprouts, aiming to improve both nutritional quality and functionality.
Mem-Fast project description: In her Mem-Fast project, Evangelia focuses on developing sustainable strategies to extract high-quality proteins from oilseed by-products and reduce phytic acid content through advanced processing techniques, including membrane technology. Her research aims to optimize these plant-based ingredients for improved nutritional value and functionality, ultimately incorporating them into meat analogues. By addressing phytic acid reduction and protein enhancement, her work contributes to creating healthier, more sustainable alternatives in the growing plant-based food sector.
Home Institution: Lund University (Sweden, www.lunduniversity.lu.se) Membrane Group (www.membranegroup.lu.se)
Secondments: LUT University (Finland, www.lut.fi)
Supervisors: Prof. Frank Lipnizki (Lund University), Prof. Mika Mänttäri (LUT University), Dr. Jeanette Purhagen (Lund University) and Dr. Karolina Östbring (Lund University)
Lou comes from France and holds an engineering degree from ENSTIB, a school oriented towards the wood industry, in which he gathered generalistic skills; he also has a Master’s degree with a specialization in wood and agro-resources biorefinery from the ENSAIA. After working as a research engineer in Norway with a focus on material science on post-consumer wood reuse in particleboards, obtaining hands-on experience in research and broadening his experiences.
Mem-Fast project description: Lou’s PhD project aims to develop paired membrane systems for in-situ product removal in biofuel-producing fermentation processes, with a focus on forward osmosis and pervaporation as downstream processes to limit the energy expenditure required for product purification, an especially important step as very little water can be tolerated in the fuel. Through this project, Lou aims at reducing the production costs of biofuels, particularly ethanol and butanol, hoping to make them economically attractive options for the industry.
Home Institution: Lund University (Sweden, www.lunduniversity.lu.se) Membrane Group (www.membranegroup.lu.se)
Secondments: Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń (Poland, www.umk.pl/en/) and DeltaMem (Switzerland, www.deltamem.ch/)
Supervisors: Prof. Frank Lipnizki (Lund University) and Prof. Wojciech Kujawski (Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń)
Carla holds Bachelor's degrees in Microbiology and Chemical Engineering, as well as a Master's degree in Chemical Engineering from Los Andes University in Colombia, where she is originally from. Her research background focused on the biotransformation of agri-food waste into added-value products such as enzymes and platform chemicals. Her Master's research aimed to produce Laccases and depolymerise lignin using fungi in solid-state co-cultures with rice husk and sugarcane bagasse as raw material.
Mem-Fast project description: In her Mem-Fast project, Carla is working with enzymatic preparations to hydrolyse fruit juice wastes, such as beetroot pulp and apple pomace, and using these sugar-rich hydrolysates to produce succinic acid through bacterial cultures. Then, implementing a coupled system of bioreactor and membrane for an energy-efficient continuous production method.
Home University: Lancaster University (UK, https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/)
Secondments: CNR-ITM (Italy, www.itm.cnr.it) and NX Filtration (Netherlands, www.nxfiltration.com)
Supervisors: Dr Emmanouil H. Papaioannou (Lancaster University), second supervisor Dr Lidietta Giorno (CNR-ITM)