The researchers

ESR: UDE, Germany

I am an Early Stage Researcher at UDE in Duisburg, Germany. I will work in Extracellular Polymeric Substances (EPS) analysis and their role in biocorrosion processes (IP4).

I am a chemist with research experience in Molecular Spectroscopy, especially in Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and background in Organic Chemistry and analytical techniques such as Chromatography and Electrochemistry. I finished my studies at the Department of Chemistry, University of Warsaw, Poland.

It is a great opportunity for me to be a member of the BIOCOR Network. As an Early Stage Researcher I’ll have the possibility to work with experienced researchers and industrial partners from the whole of Europe. This is the best possibility to enhance my background in Chemistry and gain experience in Environmental Microbiology.

ESR: CNRS-LPCS, France

I am an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) at the CNRS-LPCS in Paris, France. I am working with the individual project related with the influence of the adsorption of bio-macromolecules on the chemical composition of passive layers and the electrochemical behavior of materials (IP8).

The main objective of this individual project is to understand the role of adsorbed biomolecules on the oxide layers developed on the metals and to investigate the chemical action of the oxidizing species dissolved in water on these oxide layers in order to define the best conditions for the control and mitigation of biocorrosion.

I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemical Engineering from Chemical Engineering Faculty, Universidad Autónoma de Yucatán (UADY) of Mexico and the topic of my final project was: “Application of electrochemical impedancimetry for real-time monitoring of growth and activity of bacteria resistant to mercury compounds”. I have practical experience in the area of electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, molecular biology, microbiology and bioprocesses.

I have a highly interest in electrochemistry focused on real-time monitoring of bioprocesses, characterization, monitoring and control of microbial populations and biofilms related to corrosion, the interactions of biomolecules on solid surfaces and surfaces characterization in general.
I am excited to participate in a project involving several countries and highly trained people in the area of the corrosion. This is a wonderful opportunity for increasing my knowledge and apply it to the needs of industry and society.

ESR: CNRS-LGC, France

I joined the BIOCOR ITN project in April 2010 to work as an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) for the LGC in Toulouse, France. My current role as ESR is to work in new biocorrosion experimental models from the field (IP2). 

I have got a BAC+5 in Industrial Microbiology from the Javeriana University (PUJ) in Bogota, Colombia and an MA. IBM from the University of Westminster in London, UK.

I’m fluent in Spanish, English and Italian and struggling with French.

I have had experience in biofilm-water microbiology which I gathered in the Laboratory of drinking water of Bogota’s Aqueduct and also research experience as research assistant in the biotechnology lab of the University of Westminster.

I am thrilled to be working with such a wide network and with so many experienced researchers from a variety of fields joining efforts to tackle this problem. I am even more thrilled to be sharing these scientific experiences with scientists from all over the world working all over Europe. 
 

ESR: UDE, Germany

I am an Early Stage Researcher at UDE in Essen, Germany. I am involved in studying exopolymeric substances of bacterial biofilms as a possible corrosion inducer or inhibitor (IP4).

I completed my Bachelor’s Degree in Biology and Master’s Degree in Microbiology and Virology at Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, Ukraine. During my studies I was able to take part in the biocorrosion research at Zabolotny Institute of Microbiology and Virology, Kyiv, Ukraine, as a part of my practice.

As a member of BIOCOR ITN I have the opportunity to continue studies of biofilm surface activity paying special attention to the exopolymeric substances and their contribution to the biocorrosion processes. I am excited with the chance to gain such an amazing experience working in the network joined by experts in different fields of knowledge to solve important industrial problems.

ER: Swerea-KIMAB, Sweden

I joined BIOCOR ITN in March 2011 as an Experienced Researcher (ER) for the Swerea KIMAB institute in Stockholm, Sweden. I am working on the individual project IP6/RSP2. The objective of the research project is to design a statistical model correlating physical and chemical parameters and to create a basis for modelling the prediction of MIC in produced water from oil & gas processes; e.g. extracted from the hydrocarbon stream.
I graduated with a BSc in Chemical Engineering in 2005 at the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti Romania. I then undertook postgraduate studies in Modern Technologies in Oil Processing and Petrochemistry in 2006 with an Erasmus scholarship at the University of Portsmouth, UK. In 2008 I graduated with an MSc in Oil Management and Computer Aided Chemical Engineering Applied in Refineries and Petrochemistry, from the Petroleum-Gas University of Ploiesti. In 2010 I completed a PhD in Chemical Engineering at the same university.
I have one year's experience in the oil & gas industry, with Perodesign Company, a design company for petrochemical and oil & gas industries. As process engineer in the process department, my job was mainly thermodynamic modelling, and industrial plant process simulation using software such as ASPEN HYSYS, Pro/II, and HTRI.
Beside the great opportunity for developing my professional career, I am honoured to be part of this international team, trying to discover new solutions for prediction and mitigation of this global scale problem, biocorrosion.

ESR: UoP, United Kingdom

I am an Early Stage Researcher (ESR) at the University of Portsmouth, United Kingdom. I am involved in the Individual Project 5 (IP5) which involves the development of biochips for the detection of metabolic pathways that lead to biocorrosion in oil fields.

I obtained a Bachelor’s degree in Microbiology from Bowen University, Nigeria. My research project for my Bachelor’s degree was entitled “Efficiency of cleanliness among poultry egg handlers in Bowen University”. I also have a Master’s degree in Health promotion and Public health from Brunel University, London. I speak English and looking forward to learning new languages.

I have microbiology laboratory experience which I acquired while working at the Ministry of Defense, Staff clinic Nigeria, using electrophoresis and biochemistry techniques. I have also worked as an environmental analyst with Nigerian Bottling Company, a food processing industry. I am looking forward to improving my knowledge and experience whilst working as a part of the BIOCOR network.

I am highly elated at the opportunity to meet and work with experienced and trained individuals in the BIOCOR network. Taking part in this project gives me an invaluable opportunity as a young researcher to develop myself and to help in contributing to finding a solution to biocorrosion problems in the oilfields.

ESR: FFCT-UNL, Portugal 

I joined the BIOCOR ITN network in April 2010 to work as an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) at the REQUIMTE-FCT in Campus de Caparica, Faculdade de Ciências e Tecnologia, Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Portugal. My Individual Project (IP3) as ESR is to develop a new experimental model with SRB driven biocorrosion, to identify component candidates to be involved in the electron transfer between bacteria and metal surfaces, and to look deeply into the mechanisms involved in MIC.

I have a Bachelors Degree in Biology from the Universidade Federal do Pará (UFPA), Belém, Brazil and an M.Sc. in Genetics and Molecular Biology from the same institution.

I’m fluent in Portuguese, Spanish and English.

I have experience in water microbiology, diversity and biochemistry of bacteria which I gathered in the Laboratório de Microbiologia of the Instituto de Ciências Biológicas/UFPA and also in genetic and molecular biology, especially in genomic and metagenomic, during my mastery at the Laboratório de Polimorfismo de DNA/UFPA.

I am very excited to participate in such an interdisciplinary network with experienced researchers from complementary fields trying to unravel the complex problem of biocorrosion with an innovative and applied proposal.
 

I joined the BIOCOR ITN network in June 2011 to work as an Experienced Researcher (ER) at DNV, Bergen. I will bring my expertise to support the individual project (IP) that has the objective of developing more reliable biocorrosion monitoring and decision support in the oil & gas industry (IP 1). The aim of this IP1 is to provide installation operators with improved decision support through more reliable monitoring of biocorrosion to detect unwanted development and confirm effect from treatment. The final goal is to find how to better handle biocorrosion during the injection operations, to reduce costs and for safety & environmental reasons.

I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Biology from the University of Paris 6 “Pierre et Marie Curie” in 2005, a Master’s Degree in Environmental Engineering  and Materials Science from National School of Bridge and Road (ENPC) in 2007, and a Doctorate in Geoscience and specialized in Biogeochemistry from Nancy University in 2010.

I am very excited to participate in such an interdisciplinary network with researchers from complementary fields trying to unravel the complex problem of biocorrosion with an innovative and applied research.
 

ER: RCNS-HAS, Hungary

I have been fascinated by science since my childhood. I consider it an exciting game for grown-ups. Science to me means experimenting, measuring, comparing, examining, interpreting, and always questioning...

Born in Romania, I received a BSc in chemistry from the Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca, Romania and an MSc in nanotechnology from the University of Twente, Enschede, the Netherlands.

My main interest is in surface science. I work on IP10 at the RCNS.

ESR: UoP, United Kingdom

I have been an Early Stage Researcher and PhD student at the University of Portsmouth since February 2010.

The main objective of my project (IP5) is creating Biochips for Biocorrosion Monitoring.

I graduated in Biotechnology (5-year Master degree program) at Medical University of Silesia in Katowice (School of Pharmacy and Division of Laboratory Medicine in Sosnowiec, Poland). The topic of my thesis was: „The secretion of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6 and IL-8 via chondrocytes cultivated on a biodegradoble poliester surfaces.”

I have experience in molecular techniques (e.g.: PCR, electrophoresis, DNA purification) industrial microbiology, molecular biology and genetic engineering. I speak Polish, English and I am learning German.

It is a great opportunity to be a member of the BIOCOR Network. I have the possibility to work with experienced researchers and industrial partners so I will improve me knowledge in Biotechnology and gain appreciation of the scale of the biocorrosion problem.  
 

ESR: ERSE, Italy

I am an Early Stage Researcher at ERSE, Spa in Milan, Italy. My Individual Project (IP7) has the objective of clarifying the effect of biofilm and chlorination on the oxide layers developed on copper alloys in cooling circuits circulating seawater. Under the supervision of ERSE, it will be studied and monitored the passivation of metal surfaces under the influence of the biofilm, chlorination and other parameters, in the real conditions of an Italian power plant.

I hold a Chemical Engineering degree with specialization in “Technology of Environmental Protection”, from Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto (ISEP), Portugal.
During my last academic year, I had the chance to do my final project "Biogas Production by a mixture of cow waste and maize” run through the Erasmus exchange program at Politecnico di Torino (Italy) in the DITAG (Dipartimento di Ingegneria del Territorio, dell'Ambiente e delle Geotecnologie).

Besides my mother language, Portuguese, with this ERASMUS project I had the opportunity to learn Italian and improve my English.

I enrolled two internships. One in a Portuguese sugar refinery, RAR, S.A., that provided me to work in an industrial, chemical and microbiological lab, and another one, through a Portuguese program called InovJovem, which I learned and applied some standards of quality and food safety (as ISO 9001:2000).

I think that it is a great opportunity to be a member of the BIOCOR Network. I’ll have the possibility to work with experienced researchers and industrial partners from the whole of Europe and I will improve my knowledge in biocorrosion problem and all the areas related (microbiology, electrochemistry, biochemistry, energy production…).

ESR: DNV, Norway

I joined the BIOCOR ITN network in November 2010 to work as an Early-Stage Researcher (ESR) at DNV, Bergen. I will start to work with the individual research project (IP) that has the objective of developing more reliable biocorrosion monitoring and decision support in the oil & gas industry (IP 1). The aim of this IP is to provide installation operators with improved decision support through more reliable monitoring of biocorrosion to detect unwanted development and confirm effect from treatment. The final goal is to find how to better handle biocorrosion during the injection operations, to reduce costs and for safety & environmental reasons.

I am a chemical engineer with research experience in electrochemistry, especially in inorganic and electrochemical processes and products. I gained knowledge and experience in various areas like electrochemical corrosion of materials, electrochemical engineering, energy conversion, electrochemical processes, etc. I finished my studies at the Faculty of chemical engineering and technology, University of Zagreb, Croatia.

It is a great opportunity for me to be a member of the BIOCOR Network. In that matter, as a highly motivated individual I see this post graduate study as a window of opportunity that is completely adequate to my personal preferences for further improvement and education. At the same time this is opportunity to travel and meet new people.

ESR: CEA, France

I am joining to BIOCOR ITN project in September of 2010. I will work in the Nuclear Technology Department of the Commissariat à l'Energie Atomique (CEA) - Cadarache, France as Early Stage Researcher (ESR).

My Individual Project will be the “Interaction between H2 Production and Microbial Growth in Underground Nuclear Waste Storage” (IP11). This project has as main objective the study of impact of hydrogen on bacterial activity in clay environment on carbon steel corrosion.

I have Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering (2008 - 2010) at Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul (PUCRS) - Porto Alegre, Brazil and Bachelor’s Degree in Industrial Chemistry (2003 - 2007) and Teaching Degree in Chemistry (2003 - 2007) from the same University.

In Master’s Degree I had the opportunity to be a part of the first Brazilian Center for Excellence in Research and Development on CO2 Geological Storage Technologies (CEPAC) for climate change mitigation and energy production. The Center is a joint initiative of PETROBRAS (the Brazilian state-owned Oil Company) and PUCRS. The focus of my dissertation was the “Study on the Fluid-Rock-CO2 Interactions in the Process of Carbon Dioxide Storage of Saline Aquifers”.

In Undergraduate I worked in different research projects as Scientific Initiation Scholar (2005 - 2007) in the fields of Organic Chemistry, Organic Syntheses and Environmental Chemistry and also as Monitor in the Support Center for Education in Science and Mathematics (NAECIM) at PUCRS (2003 - 2004). I had the possibility to participate in the organization of events as the Academics Chemistry Weeks, as well as, give short courses in the College of Chemistry at PUCRS.  

Besides the great professional experience that BIOCOR ITN project will bring to me in the technical area, which also excites me is the opportunity of working with experienced researchers from all over Europe and from both the academic and industrial sectors. In this context, it will be feasible to promote the knowledge interchange between different research teams and, thus, the harmonization of the topics and methodologies in biocorrosion study. In addition, I see significant value on an industry-oriented research designed to the biocorrosion process in large industrial sectors, such as, the oil and gas industry and power supply facilities.

VISITING SCIENTIST

Mirna Urquidi-Macdonald is a professor of engineering science and mechanics at Penn State, an adjunct professor at Massey University in New Zealand, Adjunct Professor at King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals, Jefferson Fellow (Energy and Latin America theme) semi-finalist to become a scientific advisor to Dr. Condoleezza Rice, US State Secretary, a technical advisor to the Mexican Institute of Oil and Gas (IMP) in Mexico, and a past governing faculty member of the School of International Affairs. Prior to joining Penn State, she was a senior research scientist at the Sciences and Technology Business Group at SRI International (Stanford Research Institute) in Menlo Park, California.

Dr. Urquidi-Macdonald's current research focuses on fuel cells, corrosion detection and assessment of underground pipelines, cathodic protection of underground structures, new energy technologies, and corrosion and failure analysis.

We are delighted that Mirna will be joining the BIOCOR network as a visiting scientist for 4 months in 2011. More details of Mirna's collaboration with BIOCOR will appear here very soon. In the meantime you can download her short CV here.

ER: CNRS-LGC, France

I am joining BIOCOR-ITN in September 2010 as an Experienced Researcher (ER) for the CNRS-LGC at Toulouse, France. I will be working on the individual project related to experimental models for water injection systems (IP2); the goal of this project is to elucidate plausible mechanisms of bio-corrosion by developing models based on those bio-electrochemical mechanisms that account for the experimental findings. My role in this project is developing and performing experimental tests to analyze the electrochemical response of bio-corrosion in specific media and then, proposing the mechanisms of reaction that describe the bio-corrosion process.

I obtained a Bachelor’s Degree in Metallurgical Engineering from the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) in 2003, a Master’s Degree in Materials and Corrosion Science from UNAM in 2005, and a Doctorate in Materials Science and Engineering from The Pennsylvania State University in 2009. All my academic work has been related to the electrochemistry and corrosion in oil and gas industry; specifically, bio-corrosion in water injection systems and development of fuel cells as cathodic protection systems for the Mexican Petroleum Institute (IMP), and recently corrosion of low-carbon steel pipelines by carbon dioxide in enhanced oil recovery techniques (EOR), partially sponsored by British Petroleum (BP). Besides the experimental work, I perform modeling using techniques such as Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) to describe the electrochemical behavior at interfaces.  I am fluent in Spanish and English with basic knowledge in French.

Joining the BIOCOR-ITN project is an outstanding opportunity for me. As an Experienced Researcher, I have the responsibility of conducting research and deciding the pathways we have to follow to achieve our goals. In addition, I have the chance of being the link of communication between the principal investigators and our early stage researchers and the link between microbiologists and materials scientists. I am confident that receiving feedback from different fields and with a different point of view will make my work a full development position and it will provide me with the tools I need to become an exceptional researcher as my colleagues in this project are.
 

ESR: CNRS-LISE, France

I joined BIOCOR ITN in April 2010.  I am currently an early-stage researcher located at Université Pierre et Marie Currie at the Laboratoire Interfaces et Systemes Electrochimiques, Paris. The project I am involved with studies the nuclear waste in geological storage  (IP 12 - interface mechanisms of iron biocorrosion in the presence of iron reducing bacterium in clay environment). My main role in this project relates to the identification of the mechanisms involved in the clay-bacteria-carbon steel relationship found in nuclear waste containers.

I graduated in Food Engineering from Estácio de Sá University in Rio de Janeiro in 2003. During my university experience, I had the opportunity to work in a research in the field of Biotechnology conducted by professors from the university itself. I also have a Masters Degree in Food and Drink Quality Control from SENAI-RJ. I have vast experience in the Food Industry, having coordinated projects, trained personnel and developed new products.

Being a member of BIOCOR ITN is an exceptional career experience for this is an innovative and stimulating project. I am sure that being a researcher in this ground-breaking project will expand my knowledge in the area, still limited by a one country’s experience, and provide me with vaster content and greater expertise in the area. I am delighted to be working and learning with experienced researchers from all over the world and with various backgrounds. Group alliance and cooperation inspires me the most and I am eager to contribute as positively as possible to the perfect development of the project through my academic and professional skills.

VISITING SCIENTIST

Robert E. Melchers, FTSE, is a graduate of Monash and Cambridge Universities. He was appointed Professor of Civil Engineering at The University of Newcastle, Australia in 1986. He is an Australian Research Council Professorial Fellow (2004-2008,2009-2013) awarded for research into infrastructure corrosion and deterioration.

His corrosion research has won a number of major awards, including the 2009 Corrosion Medal (Australasian Corrosion Association), the 2009 PF Thompson Memorial lecturer (ACA), Gordon Conference Invited Lecturer 2008, The Guy Bengough Award 2007, TP Hoar Prize 2004, and the Marshall Fordham Research Paper Award (3 times). He has given numerous keynote addresses at international conferences. 

Melchers has a long history of consulting to industry. He acts and has acted on a number of advisory committees, including the Nuclear Safety Committee, ARPANSA, Technical Review Committee (Integrity issues with Collins Class submarines); and Technical Committee for the Probabilistic Risk Assessment and Remaining Life Study of the HIFAR Reactor.  

He has published 3 books, 9 edited books, 11 book chapters and over 200 papers in refereed journals and more than 200 in refereed conference proceedings. He has received over $A13million in research grants, some shared with other investigators. He is foundation editor of AJSE and on the editorial board of 8 international journals.  

We are delighted that Rob will be joining the BIOCOR network as a visiting scientist for 4 months in 2011 & 2012. More details of Rob's collaboration with BIOCOR will appear here very soon. In the meantime you can download his CV here.

ESR: UCL, Belgium

I have been working on the BIOCOR ITN individual project 9 at UCL, Belgium since April 2010. My job in this program is to investigate the mechanisms of competitive adsorption of biomolecules on metallic surface (titanium, copper alloy and stainless steel) used in cooling circuits.

I completed a 4-year Bachelors degree program majored in bioengineering in Shanghai University, China. From Aug 2007 to July 2009, I undertook a 2-year international Masters degree in Chemical Engineering in Mälardalen University, Sweden. The topic of my master thesis was “Polymer grafting on platinum surface”, which is a small part of the Neuroprobes project.  

I gained practical experience in molecule biology for 8 months at Institute of Plant Physiology & Ecology Shanghai institutes for biological Sciences, Chinese academy of Sciences. And I have more than 1 year's research experience in polymer modification and surface analysis (AFM, XPS).

My interest area in the research is to find out how the biomolecule or microorganism interacts with different surfaces (metal or polymer) and in what ways the nanocoating surface influences the adsorption of proteins. I believe that surface biotechnology is a practical and contributive topic which certainly will have a very wide range of applications in human life, such as biocorrosion, implant biomaterial, biosensor and etc.

I expect to broaden my horizons in surface science and enrich my knowledge in biocorrosion field during my 3 years’ PH.D study. I would be happy to share my knowledge and experience with researchers and professionals who have the same interest in this area.