Biorenewables Development Centre Ltd

The Biorenewables Development Centre (BDC), based at the University of York, is an open-access research, development and demonstration centre focused on supporting the bioeconomy and helping businesses establish novel processes and products at scale. The Centre is unique in integrating the latest green chemistry and processing techniques with modern genetics to create renewable chemicals and materials.

Dr Mark Gronnow

Dr Mark Gronnow holds a PhD from the University of York and leads the Process Development Unit at the BDC. He oversees over 40 on-going industrial collaborations. His primary research interests are in adding value to biomass and waste material, microwave pyrolysis of waste along with clean synthesis, novel solvent systems and renewable materials. Previously, he worked with Green Chemistry at the University of York as Technical Manager, and York Test Laboratories for six years also as Technical Manager.

Dr Ana Casas

Dr Ana Casas holds a PhD in Chemical Engineering from the Complutense University of Madrid and works as a Senior Technologist at the BDC. She also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and a Master’s Degree in Environmental Processes Engineering. Ana has nine years of experience working on biomass valorisation and she leads two technology platforms at the BDC, “Biomass Pre-treatments” and “Carbohydrates Platform from Lignocellulosic Materials”. Her main area of research interest is the processing and extraction of high value chemicals from plants and biomass materials using novel technologies such as ionic liquids or supercritical CO2.

Stephane Fernández-García

Stephane Fernández-García is a chemical engineer specialised in environmental engineering and works as at Technologist at the BDC. He also holds a Master’s Degree in Business Administration and Management. Stephane has four years of experience working on biomass processing and separation techniques. At the BDC, he leads the distillation core area. His work has been focused on the extraction, separation and purification of valuable chemicals from biomass and other materials using a wide variety of technologies such as steam distillation, liquid-liquid and supercritical CO2 extraction.

Dr Gail Shuttleworth

Dr Gail Shuttleworth is a biochemist, holding a PhD from the University of Nottingham. She has over fifteen years’ experience working in R&D and primary sector policy development, biosecurity and biosafety. At the BDC she is a member of the business development team, with a particular focus on public funded opportunities.

Role in GENIALG

Biorenewables Development Centre Ltd is involved in WP4 (Seaweed biorefinery prototype design and implementation).