- a) Center for Spirulina-Enriched Food
Supervising professor: Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa
The laboratory is aimed to elaborate food and medicine with Spirulina microalgae in its formulation. At this laboratory, students of the Graduate Program in Food Engineering and Science, as well as those from Undergraduate Degrees in Food Engineering and Biochemical Engineering develop research and extension projects. It has an area of 150 m², mainly equipped with Y mixer, mills, mixers, beaters, and setters of mass, vacuum wrapping machines, scales of different capacities, among others.
- b) Laboratory of Sensorial Analysis and Quality Control
Supervising professor: Janaína Fernandes de Medeiros Burkert
The laboratory has an area of 110m2 with the necessary infrastructure for sensorial tests, in order to develop different food formulation of commercial interest. Studies to obtain biocolorants and bioaromas from submerged microbial culture and enzyme synthesis, respectively, are also performed. Nowadays, different agricultural industry coproducts have been used to produce carotenoids, along with their encapsulation. Also, synthesis of different fruit aromas using commercial lipases and obtainment of functional dairy beverages are made at this laboratory.
- c) Laboratory of Biotechnology
Supervising professor: Lucielen Oliveira dos Santos
The current studies developed in the laboratory are focused on the application of magnetic fields in bioprocesses using mainly yeast and microalgae; anaerobic digestion to produce biogas using mainly food residues; and the development of low cost biochemical reactors for the application to research, teaching and extension activities.
- d) Laboratory of Biochemical Engineering
Supervising professor: Jorge Alberto Vieira Costa
This Laboratory was created in 1996 and since then research projects have been developed on the properties and conditions of microalgae culture, as well as the application of Spirulina microalgae biomass in the formulation of food products and the obtainment of bioproducts. In the area of Nanotechnology, the Laboratory coordinates the Nanofotobiotec Network, a partnership among several national and international universities, research institutes and national companies. The third line of research of LEB involves the study of Fermentation in Solid State, especially in the production of enzymes and biosurfactants.
The Laboratory also has one pilot plant of microalgae production. This plant are aimed to enrich food for schools, counting on a partnership with city halls, public and private companies, and non-governmental organizations. There are two raceway bioreactors with 12,000 L each and one with 1,000 L to spread inoculum.
In 2004, the Laboratory signed an agreement with ELETROBRÁS S.A. (“Brazilian Electric Power Company”) and the CGTEE (“Company of Electric Power by Thermal Generation”) to develop biofixation of CO2 originated in the combustion of mineral coal by microalgae. With such agreement, the Pilot Plant of Biofixation of CO2 by Microalgae was planned and built, and started operating in the municipality of Candiota (State of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil) at the Thermoelectric Power Plant President Médici – UTPM/CGTEE, formed by a modular system composed by 2 laboratory containers of 12 m (40 feet) each, 2 raceway photobioreactors 15x3x0.4 wide and 18m³ of volume, and a photobioreactor 4 x 0.08 x 0.4 wide and 1 m³ of volume, in order to grow and maintain inoculum. The structure includes pavement of the area destined for tanks and containers, construction of concrete foundation for containers, lobby for external access to the pilot plant, installation of effluent system, and electrical and hydraulic installations for bioreactors and laboratories. This Pilot Plant is the major structure built in Brazil for biofixation of CO2 by microalgae.
e) Laboratory of Bioprocess Engineering
Supervising professor: Carlos André Veiga Burkert
This laboratory has an area of 130 m² with the necessary structure for microbial cultivation, in order to obtain bioproducts of commercial interest. Currently, the following studies are developed: cultivation of bacteria and yeasts using agroindustrial byproducts, such as crude glycerol, whey permeate and soy molasses, to obtain exopolysaccharides, lipids and pigments; extraction processes of these compounds and their characterization; applications in food products.
f) Laboratory of Mycotoxins and Food Science
Supervising professors: Eliana Badiale Furlong and Jaqueline Garda Buffon
Research activities have been developed at this laboratory since in 1994, focused on the study of strategies to handle the risk impact of mycotoxins in the food production chain. The research topics are organized according to three levels: development of reliable analytical methods to verify the presence of mycotoxin and other contaminants in food; identification of biotic and abiotic variables favoring the occurrence of contaminants; and definition of protocols to mitigate their effect in human and animal health. The theoretical and experimental activities for studying these topics have been used to train professionals and generate knowledge on important aspects for producing safe food.
g) Laboratory of Microbiology and Biochemistry
Supervising professor: Michele Greque de Morais
The Laboratory of Microbiology and Biochemistry (MIBI) was founded in 2014, belonging to the College of Chemistry and Food Engineering at FURG. The MIBI group is composed of 22 members, including professors, technician, undergraduate, master, and doctoral students and postdoctoral researcher. The projects developed at MIBI include teaching, research, extension, and innovation in the areas of Nanofibers Engineering applied in the food area. The research lines address the following topics: production of nanofibers from biopolymers extracted from microalgal biomass; antimicrobial and antioxidants nanofibers for active packaging development; time, temperature and pH indicator nanofibers for application in intelligent food packaging; nanofibers for the production of sensors for gas adsorption in packaging. The projects approved by the team have partnerships with national and international institutions.
h) Laboratory of Microbiology and Bioseparation
Supervising professor: Susana Juliano Kalil
This laboratory has structure for obtaining and purifying bioproducts. Nowadays, the studies developed include the production of compounds, such as enzymes, through submerse culture using mainly yeast; and processes of recovering and purifying bioproducts using techniques that enable high scale.
i) Laboratory of Unit Operations
Supervising professor: Luiz Antonio de Almeida
At this Laboratory, experimental teaching activities are performed with students aimed at understanding the main equipment functioning, in order to identify the fundamental parameters that govern each operation; elaborating or testing mathematical models through the handling of data obtained in experiments performed; and planning and specifying equipment through calculation, using dimensioning equations.
j) Laboratory of Food Processing
Supervising professor: Myriam de Las Mercedes Salas Mellado
This laboratory is aimed at the elaboration of products added with bioactive peptides and/or wrapped with intelligent films with functional properties, as well as the preparation of vegetable raw materials, such as milling and extraction of components, and animal raw materials, such as fish subproduct obtainment.
k) Drying Laboratory
Supervising professor: Luiz Antonio de Almeida Pinto
The research developed at this laboratoryis aimed atanalyzing the operation kinetics and the functionality of equipment used in drying products, rejects and residues of food processing. Such studies are performed through experimental curves of drying, operation conditions, phenomenon modelling, and physical, chemical, morphological and thermogravimetric assessments.
l) Laboratory of Food Technology
Supervising professor: Vilásia Guimarães Martins
This laboratory is aimed at research activities related to master’s and doctoral projects, mainly focused on bioactive peptides of animal and vegetable protein, as well as encapsulating materials with active principles that are beneficial to health and inclusion of polymeric films.
m) Laboratory of Industrial Technology
Supervising professor: Luiz Antonio Almeida Pinto
This laboratory is aimed at research projects on the use of fish residues and other hydrobiological and agro-industrial resources, in order to add value to raw materials and residues of the production sector.
n) Plant of Food Processing
Supervising professor: Vilásia Guimarães Martins
This Plant has potential to develop processes and products based on fish and other agriculture and livestock raw materials using the concept of process escalation. It has average scale equipment to assist processes with fish and hydrobiological resources. It also has capacity to offer teaching and extension courses to students and the community in general.