Mónica Giménez (ICMol), grant Leonardo-BBVA for research on clean biodiesel production

Researcher Mónica Giménez-Marqués from the Institute of Molecular Science (ICMol) at the University of Valencia has been awarded one of the 60 scholarships granted this year in the Leonardo program by the BBVA Foundation, specifically in the category of Basic Sciences.

Giménez-Marqués holds a Ph.D. in Chemistry, is a Ramón y Cajal researcher, and co-lead of the Crystal Engineering Lab (CEL) group at ICMol. The institute is accredited as a María de Maeztu Center of Excellence by the Ministry of Science and Innovation. Mónica Giménez’s project aims to delve into the production of advanced biohybrid materials useful for sustainable biodiesel generation.

This research falls within the realm of what is known as ‘white biotechnology.’ The goal is to replace polluting industrial technologies based on fossil fuels with cleaner chemical, material, and fuel production alternatives. In this case, the ‘renewable’ sources are living cells or their enzymes.

The advantages of using enzymatic processes in industry lie in their specificity and low energy and water consumption. On the other hand, a significant drawback of industrial enzyme use is their structural instability under ambient conditions.

Giménez-Marqués proposes a solution based on the metal-organic frameworks (MOFs), which are porous materials composed of organic and inorganic components. These MOFs are thermally and chemically stable, and she has been working on their synthesis and characterization for nearly a decade.

MOFs allow for the encapsulation of molecules and their controlled release, even for biomolecules. This approach opens up possibilities for enzyme ‘stabilization’ solutions and provides a ‘bio’ alternative to the highly polluting current catalysts. Specifically, Giménez Marqués’ project explores various strategies for creating biocomposites based on MOFs.

The BBVA Foundation’s Leonardo program supports innovative projects by researchers aged 30 to 45 in various fields of science and culture. In Giménez-Marqués’ case, not only do they recognise the interest in developing more sustainable fuels but also reinforce her already established career with several accolades -including recognition as the best young researcher by the Spanish Royal Society of Chemistry- and significant scientific production.

In the 2022 call for applications, a total of 884 submissions were received. Another representative from the University of Valencia, Humberto Gracián Ferrón Jiménez, a postdoctoral researcher at the Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, also received a scholarship in the category of Environmental and Earth Sciences.