Sociedade Portuguesa de Inovação (SPI), is an innovation consultancy leading Communication, Dissemination and Exploitation in PURPLE4LIFE. SPI advances dissemination, exploitatation and communication strategies, and stakeholder engagement. SPI: Connecting Innovation...
UMONS is studying six purple bacteria strains in PURPLE4LIFE, producing up to 10 g biomass each, with 3–5 mg/g CoQ10, strong antioxidants, and carotenoids. The top strain will be selected for scale-up and safety testing, showcasing their potential as sustainable...
The Universidad Rey Juan Carlos (URJC) brings together two complementary teams working on Purple4Life: the High-Performance Research Group in Chemical and Environmental Engineering led by Dr. Daniel Puyol, specializing in purple phototrophic bacteria cultivation and bioprocess optimization, and the Ciberimaginario group led by Prof. Manuel Gertrudix, experts in scientific communication and audiovisual content production.
The Universidad Rey Juan Carlos teams are based in Móstoles, Madrid, Spain. The High-Performance Research Group in Chemical and Environmental Engineering (GIQA) focuses on developing technologies using PPB for wastewater treatment and high-value-added product generation. T
The Ciberimaginario group, from the Faculty of Communication Sciences, specializes in scientific communication, production of innovative audiovisual and digital content, and stakeholder engagement for European research initiatives.
The High-Performance Research Group in Chemical and Environmental Engineering at URJC has established itself as a leading European center for PPB biotechnology research. The group coordinated the groundbreaking DEEP PURPLE project (2017-2021), which pioneered photo-bioelectrochemical systems for simultaneous wastewater treatment and PPB biomass production. This work resulted in the development of Anphora technology, a patent-pending system that achieves unprecedented PPB yields while treating urban organic waste.
The group’s expertise in PPB biofilm processes and photo-electrosynthesis has been demonstrated through numerous high-impact publications, including breakthrough studies on metabolic tuning of mixed PPB cultures and the use of volatile fatty acids for protein production. Their work on hydrogen production enhancement through genetic engineering has positioned them at the forefront of sustainable biofuel research.
Recent achievements include successful pilot-scale demonstrations of PPB cultivation systems treating real industrial wastewater streams, achieving protein contents exceeding 65% in dry biomass. The High-Performance Research Group has also developed advanced analytical methodologies for PPB characterization, including novel approaches for carotenoid profiling and essential amino acid quantification.
The Ciberimaginario group at URJC has extensive experience in scientific communication and dissemination for European research projects. As active partners in the PurpleGain COST Action, they have developed innovative communication strategies that have significantly increased the visibility of PPB research across Europe. Their work includes the creation of multimedia content, management of digital platforms, and coordination of stakeholder engagement activities.
The group has successfully led communication activities in several EU-funded projects, including CS-Track (Citizen Science Track), DOMINOES (Digital cOmmunicatioN servIces, innOvative business modEls Standardisation), and CRESCENT (Collective CREative platform for Sustainable Cities and ENergy Transition). This experience has resulted in the development of sophisticated digital tools and content strategies tailored for scientific audiences.
Ciberimaginario’s expertise extends to audiovisual production, with state-of-the-art facilities for video production, editing, and post-production. They have created award-winning scientific documentaries and educational materials that translate complex research findings into accessible content for diverse audiences, including policymakers, industry stakeholders, and the general public.
The URJC teams play dual and complementary roles in Purple4Life. The Chemical and Environmental Technology group is the leader of Work Package 1: PPB Process Development and Optimisation. Specifically, the team leads Task 1.1: Evaluation of ex-ante selected PPB strains alignment with Purple4Life goals, where four PPB strains (Rhodopseudomonas palustris, Rhodobacter capsulatus, Rhodospirillum rubrum, Cereibacter sphaeroides) are tested for CoQ10 and carotenoid productivity under different light intensities to select the best performer(s) for Purple4Life. The group contributes to Task 1.2: Optimisation of PPB production using Purple4Life bioprocesses, developing innovative bioprocesses for by-product valorisation, Task 1.3: Light quality and quantity optimisation, studying illumination strategies including discontinuous lighting to reduce electricity costs, Task 1.4: Digital strategy for smart electricity consumption, developing model-based control laws and smart electricity management, and Task 1.5: PPB production key parameters for LCA, determining culture metrics for environmental impact evaluation. Additionally, URJC contributes to Task 2.1: Pilot-scale production of PPB in Work Package 2, where the team’s 170-L tubular photobioreactor will be used for large-scale biomass production. The Ciberimaginario group leads Task 6.2: Communication and Dissemination tools design and development in Work Package 6, developing the Purple4Life website, brochures, videos, infographics, flyers, document templates, project newsletters, press releases, and managing social media presence across LinkedIn, X, and Instagram. The team also contributes to other WP6 tasks including stakeholder engagement, policy outreach, and impact maximization activities.
These capabilities permit URJC to develop and optimize innovative PPB cultivation strategies at lab and pilot scale, produce biomass for downstream applications, and create comprehensive communication materials to maximize project impact and stakeholder engagement.
The URJC teams participate in different international networks. The Chemical and Environmental Technology group is an active member of the PurpleGain COST Action (CA21146, 2022-2026), a network of excellence connecting stakeholders across the entire PPB value chain, where Luis Díaz Allegue serves as Co-Chair of WG2 centered on Resource Recovery. This network provides extended visibility for Purple4Life activities within a community of over 200 members working on purple phototrophic bacteria. The group also collaborates with FCC AQUALIA in developing and implementing large-scale PPB wastewater treatment technologies.
The Ciberimaginario group maintains active connections with European research communication networks and has participated in multiple Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe projects focused on science communication, stakeholder engagement, and public outreach.
Both teams contribute to URJC’s commitment to knowledge transfer, innovation, and international collaboration in research and innovation activities.
Dr. Daniel Puyol Santos – Project Leader for the High-Performance Research Group and Main Contact Person. Senior researcher in environmental biotechnology, PPB cultivation, and bioprocess engineering. Expert in photo-bioelectrochemical systems and resource recovery from waste streams.
Dr. Amanda Prado de Nicolás – Team member specialized in PPB biofilm processes, photoheterotrophic cultivation, and microbial electrosynthesis systems.
Dr. Yolanda Segura Urraca – Leading researcher focused on environmental microbiology, wastewater treatment technologies, and sustainable bioprocesses.
Dr. Emma Barahona Martín – Team member specialized in genetic engineering of PPB, hydrogen production enhancement, and molecular biology techniques for strain improvement.
Dr. María Ventura Sánchez-Hornero – Team member focused on communication strategies, stakeholder engagement, and social media management for research projects.
Prof. Manuel Gertrudix Barrio – Leading researcher for Ciberimaginario team. Expert in scientific communication, audiovisual production, and digital content strategies for European research projects.
Dr. Alejandro Carbonell Alcocer – Team member specialized in multimedia content production, video editing, and digital communication tools for science dissemination.
Nerea Benítez Aranda – Team member focused on communication strategies and content development for research projects.
Alberto Sánchez Acedo – Team member specialized in audiovisual production and digital content creation for scientific dissemination.