Hello!
I’m Marcel
Vilaplana
Artigas
Senior Project manager/
R & D engineer
marcelvilaplana@gmail.com
Barcelona, Spain
About me
Senior Project Manager and Bioprocess engineer, Barcelona
Welcome to my professional profile. I am Marcel Vilaplana, and I bring a wealth of experience and expertise in the fields of Biotechnology, Environmental Engineering and Chemistry.
Currently, I am working as a Senior Project Manager for R&D projects at Cetaqua, where my focus is on improving the efficiency of wastewater treatment plants, converting waste into high-value products, producing green energy, and minimizing the carbon footprint.
Until July 2024 I worked as a Bioprocess Engineer on the ESA MELiSSA project (Micro-Ecological Life Support System Alternative). In this role, I was responsible for developing and operating a ground-based demonstration of a closed life support system designed to produce food, water, and oxygen for long-term manned space missions.
During my previous work at Fujifilm Manufacturing Europe in the Netherlands and before at Ioniqa Technologies, I had the privilege of working on cutting-edge projects that have deepened my understanding of these industries.
My academic journey began with a focus on Environmental Engineering, culminating in a PhD from the Autonomous University of Barcelona in 2011. My doctoral research centered on the biological treatment of wastewater contaminated by organic pollutants, a subject I remain passionate about to this day.
Following my PhD, I embarked on a one-year Postdoctoral Position at the same institution, further honing my skills and knowledge in this critical field. My educational foundation also includes Master’s degrees in both Environmental Engineering and Chemical Engineering, earned in 2006 and 2004, respectively, also from the Autonomous University of Barcelona.
I am committed to advancing sustainability and environmental stewardship through my work. Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to sharing my journey and insights with you.
Experience
Senior Project Manager
Cetaqua – Water Technology Centre
07/2024- Present
Line of Research: Zero Waste and Decarbonisation.
R&D projects focused on increasing the efficiency and minimizing the risks from wastewater treatment plants, converting waste into high value-added products, producing green energy and minimizing carbon footprint.
For further information, please visit Cetaqua – zero waste and decarbonisation
Bioprocess Engineer
European Space Agency (ESA)
MELiSSA Pilot Plant at Universitat Autonòma de Barcelona
07/2020 – Present
Member of MELiSSA Pilot Plant, the ESA external Ground Demonstrator located in Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and focused on the development of a Regenerative Life Support System for Long-term Space Missions.
- Continuous operation in axenic conditions at pilot plant scale, encompassing various bioreactors and compartments (i.e. photobioreactor, nitrifying bioreactor, plant compartment and animal compartment).
- Process scale-up and design to integrate liquid and gas phases among the different bioreactors and compartments.
- Development and performance of Clean Room operations
- Lab-scale research, including supervision of technicians and MSc students.
- Adherence to ISO 9001 specifications and maintenance of a GMP environment during lab and pilot plant operations.
- Development of analytical techniques, such as chromatography, spectrophotometry, protein extraction, TIC/TOC.
- Elaboration and evaluation of experimental results, along with the creation of corresponding test reports
- Development of technical documentation
Postdoctoral Researcher
Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
02/2020 – 06/2020
- Development of a pilot plant to treat wastewater by Microbial Electrolysis Cells
- Mounting and operation. Performing analyses and experiments to optimize pilot plant performance. Data processing and reporting
R&D Engineer
FUJIFILM Manufacturing Europe, Tilburg, The NL
06/2015 – 08/2019
- Responsible of development and improvement of photgraphic paper products at lab and production scale
- Development of coatings for photographic paper application
- Business development of FUJIFILM products
- Screening of patentability of new products
R&D Engineer
Ioniqa Technologies, Eindhoven, The NL
10/2012 – 05/2015
- Business development of company technologies:
o Development and optimization of chemical recycling of PET at lab-scale and scale-up of the process up to pilot-plant scale
o Formulation and testing of custom-made ferrofluids with high stability under extreme conditions of temperature and pressure
o Formulation and production of thermoplastic magneto rheological elastomers using injectionmoulding compounding. - Management of a research team composed of professionals on chemical engineering, and MSc and bachelor students
- Reporting of results from research projects for private customers and public sector.
- Screening of patentability of company novel research technologies and writing of patent documents, resulting on the publication of three patents
- Writing of scientific project proposals for national and EU (H2020, FP7) public subsidies
- Technical sales representative to acquire new customer research projects and selling Magnetic Smart Materials.
Postdoctoral Researcher
Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
09/2011 – 09/2012
- Biodegradation of dye Orange G in a lab-scale simulation of a real aquifer using a biological barrier containing the fungus Trametes versicolor.
- Evaluation of degradation of different organic pollutants in liquid media by T. versicolor using the compound stable isotope analysis (CSIA).This technique is used to quantify the variation of ratio between different isotopes of the same element (e.g. 13C and 12C, 2H and 1H) present in a compound due to its degradation by a biological organism.
- Publication of results from research activities in scientific journals
PhD Student
Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
08/2006 – 07/2011
- Design and operation of a bioreactor to degrade halogenated organic solvent trichloroethylene in liquid media by T. versicolor
- Biodegradation of different commercial mixtures of flame retardants named polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE’s) in liquid media and soil by T. versicolor
- Description of novel PBDE’s degradation pathways by T. versicolor.
- Degradation of trichloroethylene and antiepileptic pharmaceutical product carbamazepine in liquid media by quinone redox cycling process with T. versicolor.
- Publication of results from research activities in scientific journals
Visiting Researcher
UFZ Environmental Research Center, Leipzig, Germany
10/2010 – 12/2010
- Application of CSIA technique to determine the degradation by T. versicolor in liquid media of organic fuel additives methyl-tert butyl ether and ethyl-tert butyl ether.
Teaching Assistant
Chemical Engineering Department, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
05/2005 – 09/2010
Lessons
- Biotechnological Processes and Products (MSc Biotechnology)
- Introduction to Environmental Engineering (MSc Environmental Sciences)
- Fluids Circulation (MSc Chemical Engineering)
- Chemical Engineering Laboratory Experimentation (MSc Chemical Engineering)
- Computer Fundamentals in Matlab (MSc Chemical Engineering)
- Basic Operations in Chemical Engineering (MSc Chemical Engineering)
- Advanced Operations in Chemical Engineering (MSc Chemical Engineering)
Check out my publications and patents!
Education & SKills
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
PhD in Environmental Engineering
07/2006 – 07/2011
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
MSc in Environmental Engineering
10/2004 – 07/2006
Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
MSc in Chemical Engineering
09/1999 – 09/2004
Skills
I am fluent in English (C2), Spanish (native), and Catalan (native), with a working proficiency in Dutch (B1) and Hungarian (B1). I have strong computer skills, including advanced knowledge of Windows, Linux, Microsoft Office (Excel, Word, PowerPoint), Sigma Plot, and Microsoft Visio. Additionally, I have experience with Matlab, Aspen Hysys, and AutoCAD.