Staff Profile

Before pursuing my academic career, I acquired experience in environmental industrial processes working with companies such as Nestle, J&J, P&G, Kimberly Clarck and Jumex. Since then, I have used a multidisciplinary approach to address current world challenges in areas related to sustainability, biomass valorisation and effective management of waste, with a specific focus on understanding biomass transformations. As part of my PhD and further academic studies, I’ve investigated how biomass can enable energy production, bacterial monitoring and wastewater treatment across multiple applications. My research over the past 10 years has focused in enabling the development of novel technologies such as microbial fuel cells (MFC) across a broad range of applications. To this aim, I have partnered with different Universities (Tanzania, Mexico, US) and companies (Palintest, Northumbrian Water) to enable these novel applications to be tested in the field. As an example, my most recent research, sponsored by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) has allowed us to test an inexpensive MFC in Tanzania wells, aiming to provide early monitoring of faecal contamination to rural communities.

Qualifications

• Integrated PhD in Environmental Sciences Newcastle University, UK. Schools of Civil Engineering & Geosciences and, Chemical Engineering & Advanced Materials.Thesis: Bioelectricity production from simple and complex organic compounds using Microbial Fuel Cells. Master in Environmental engineering courses.
• Postgraduate Certificate in Advance Studies in Academic Practice Newcastle University, UK. Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences. 
• MEng in Environmental Engineering Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM), Mexico. Faculty of Engineering. Thesis: Development of a microbial fuel cell biosensor for wastewater monitoring.
• BEng in Chemical Engineering La Salle University, México. Thesis: Sequential and continuous industrial process simulation and control (Univ. of South Florida, USA).

Awards

• Awarded 2^nd prize in short presentation. 6^th UK Algal Conference.
• Recognised as a Leading Innovator under 35 by MIT Technology Review.  
• Spotlight achievement award given by the School of Chemical Engineering 
• Nominated to the Newcastle student achievement award in the environmental impact category.
• Awarded best conference poster in the 9th UK International Water Association Conference for Young Professionals 

Esteem Indicators

• January 2023 Editor for Water Practice & Technology Journal. International Water Association.
• February 2020 Postgraduate Lead for Chemical Engineering at Newcastle University.
• Since 2012 International and UK Examiner for PhD students.
• January 2015 Invited guest panellist to discuss the Tools for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene implementation. UN International Zaragoza Conference. Water and Sustainable Development from Vision to Action. Zaragoza, Spain
• April 2013 Invited speaker to present the work: Biofuel production from marine microalgae. Instituto Mexicano de Ingenieros Químicos (IMIQ). Instituto Politecnico Nacional (IPN). ESIQUIE. Mexico City, Mexico
• September 2012 Invited guest speaker to the bioelectrochemical systems networking event at IWA 2012. Supported by the Global Partnership Fund (GPF) of UK-BIS. Busan, Korea
• October 2010 – Invited to present a poster in the International Review of Energy organized by EPSRC
• April 2010 – Shortlisted candidate by the Royal Academy of Engineering/EPSRC to obtain a Research Fellowship at Newcastle University to gain research independence in energy from wastes.
• June, 2009 – present. Invited research article reviewer for: Bioresource & Technology; Microbiology & Biotechnology; Fuels; Journal of Chemical Engineering among other various journals.

Research Funding

• 2023 PI EBNET-BBSRC (£4.3k) Bioelectrochemistry for Environmental Systems Workshop (4m).
• 2023 PI Innovate UK (£34k) BEBlock in liaison with Biofuel Evolution Ltd (6m).
• 2022 Co-I Innovate UK (£1.3M) SABRe Reactor (2 y).
• 2022 Co-I European Commission (€1.4M) Contested Territories (3 y).
• 2022 PI NU-UKRI (£6.3k) Participatory Research in Bolivia and Peru (2 m).
• 2022 Co-I BEIS grant for Phase 1 (£125k) of the Hydrogen BECCS Innovation Competition, Green biohydrogen production in liaison with Phoebus Power Ltd (6 m).
• 2020 PI Returners support fund (£9.7k). Project to enhance research, teaching and inclusion in academia (6m).
• 2017-2020 Co-I EPSRC (£2.7M) ISCF Wave 1: North East Centre for Energy Materials (NECEM) (3y)
• 2016-2017 PI Newton Fund (£80k). Collaboration with UNAM, Mexico: "Biofuel production from wastewater treatment" (1y)
• 2018 Co-I C1Net Fund (£50k). Scalable engineering approaches for exploiting a novel biocomposite material applied to light-driven CO2 absorption and utilization (8 m).
• 2016-2017 PI UNAM Mexican International Collaboration Programme (£2.7k) for the project titled: “Produccion de hidrocarburos para bioturbosina a partir de microalgas” (1y)
• 2015-2016 PI Institute for Sustainability NU (£9k). "Can Shewanella Oneidensis MR-1 convert CO2 to biochemicals?
• 2015 PI Newton Fund (£4k) Research visit to UNAM, Mexico: “Development and commercialisation of microalgae technologies for energy production, wastewater treatment and CO2 capture”
• 2014-2015 PI NERC Research Grant (£150k). Collaboration with Ardhi University, Tanzania in the project titled IN-GROUND: Inexpensive monitoring of Groundwater pollution in Urban African Districts (1 y)
• 2012-2014 CoI UNAM Mexican International Collaboration Programme (£14k) for the project titled: “Ozonoflotación de microalgas para la producción de biodiesel” (2 y)
• 2012 - Knowledge Transfer Partnership (£14k) Partnership with Palintest Ltd. to commercialise a biosensor.

Professional memberships

• 2021 Affiliate member of iChemE
• Since 2009 Teaching Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
• 2007-2013 Affiliate Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry
• 2005-2013, 2021-current Member of the International Water association
• 2006-2009 Member of Society of Chemical Industry

Languages

English (fluent), French (fluent), Spanish (native speaker)

My research involves the evaluation of new environmental technologies that can achieve both energy generation and waste remediation. I am interested in the production of renewable energy from liquid, solid wastes by applying bioelectrochemical, biochemical and thermal techniques. Inspired by the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, my vision is to advance environmental technologies that can monitor waste pollution and that can sustainably transform waste or biomass. I lead different projects within the BioRE (Environmental bio-electrochemistry and bio-Renewable Energy) group and I am also part of the Process Intensification Group. Researchers and students that work with me participate on different seminars and engage with an interdisciplinary community working on environmental, process intensification, electrochemistry and biological engineering fields. 

Google scholar citations

Scopus citations

PhD projects offered: I'll be happy to send you a description of the project and a sample of our research articles.

1. Microbial electrosynthesis: converting carbon dioxide to valuable organic compounds
2. Biofuel and biochemical production from wastes using microalgae
3. Continuous monitoring of water pollution using self-reliant systems
4. Novel wastewater treatment operations using microalgae
5. Decreasing CO₂ emissions from the water industry using intensified processes

Areas of research:

Bio-electrochemistry Technology: Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs) are a type of technology that enables wastewater treatment and electricity generation. MFCs utilise various organic electron donors under anaerobic conditions and directly transform chemical energy into electrical energy via a series of electrochemical reactions. I have studied the effect of different organic wastewaters, novel mediator compounds and organic loading rates on bioelectricity production, organic matter removal and microbial diversity. Here the application of microalgae is also of interest by studying its electrochemical properties. I am also interested into using Microbial Electrosynthesis for carbon dioxide transformation to longer chain organic molecules. In this area our group has conducted economic and sustainability evaluations, recently proving the feasibility of using bioelectrochemical reactors on fermentation tanks to convert CO₂ waste emissions. To know more about this research visit: Group Webpage (biore.site)

Bio-fuel Production: Biofuel can be produced from wastewater sludge and microalgae using chemical (in situ transesterification), thermal (catalytic cracking) or biological intensified processes. These processes offer several advantages such as the elimination of the oil extraction step, potential improvement on biofuel yield, and reduction in the transportation of intermediate products. In situ transesterification is utilised for biodiesel production while catalytic cracking can produce several types of biofuels such as methane, biodiesel and jet fuel. To know more about this field of research visit: http://pig.ncl.ac.uk

Sustainable Engineering Systems: Most students that work in their project conduct life cycle analyses to determine the energy use and carbon emissions produced during the transportation, treatment and final disposal of solid wastes or wastewater produced in different parts of the world. To know more about this research visit: 

Supervisor of the following graduated PhD students:

• 2018-2023 Dr. Olatunde Akinbuja (approved viva) Microalgae bioelectrochemical systems for sustainable conversion.
• 2018-2023 Dr. Obaidullah Mohiuddin. Yeast for tertiary wastewater treatment: growth modelling, optimisation of harvesting, and biocomposite development.
• 2017- 2021 Dr. James Hockaday. Equilibrium and uptake kinetics of Copper and Cadmium ions by the microalgae, Chlorella vulgaris and Scenedesmus obliquus
• 2016-2019 Dr. Tobechi Okoroafor. Environmental and experimental evaluation of producing chemicals from carbon dioxide using bioelectrochemical system
• 2013-2016 Dr. Xenia Christodoulou. Microbial electrosynthesis for CO₂ conversion
• 2012-2015 Dr. Kamoru Salam. Reactive extraction of microalgae for biodiesel production

2021-2022 Sustainable Industry (CME8038) 50%, 10credits.

2020-2022 Renewable Energy: Technology for circular and hydrogen economies (SPG8007) Leader 100%, 10credits. 

2011, 2012, 2014-2022 Renewable Energy: Biomass and Bioenergy (SPG8008) 30%, 10credits

2012, 2014-2022 Process Economics (CME 3032, BEng/MEng Chemical Engineering) Leader 34%, 15credits

2012 & 2014-2022 Plant Design (CME3039, BEng/MEng in Chemical Engineering) 5%, 40credits

2019-2022 Offshore subsea and pipeline engineering (MAR8091, MAR8141) 15%, 20credits

2017-2019 Hydrocarbon production and process engineering (CME8022, MSc Pipeline Eng). Leader 80%, 10credits

2016-2019 Energy Sources and Storage (CME8055, MSc in Mechanical Eng).  25%, 10credits

2015 Experimental Design (CME2026, BEng/MEng in Chemical Eng) Module leader 100%, 5credits

2014, 2015 Transfer Processes 2 (CME2022, BEng/MEng in Chemical Eng) 50%, 20credits

2013 Separation Processes 1 (CME2022, BEng/MEng in Chemical Engineering) 15%, 10credits

2012 Delivered two lectures in pollution monitoring (CME 8010, MSc in Clean Technology)

2012 Delivered two lectures in sustainable industry (CME8038, MSc in Clean Technology)

2010 Delivered a lecture in microalgae processing to master students in clean technology.

2010 Delivered a lecture on microbial fuel cells for energy generation to master students in environmental geochemistry.

2006-2010 Delivered lectures and conducted laboratory demonstrations on different courses in the MSc in Environmental Engineering programme.

• Articles

  • Atengueno-Reyes K, Velasquez-Orta SB, Yanez-Noguez I, Monje-Ramirez I, Mijaylova-Nacheva P, Chavez-Mejia A, Orta Ledesma M. Microalgal consortium tolerance to bisphenol A and triclosan in wastewater and their effects on growth, biomolecule content and nutrient removal. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2023, 262, 115117.
  • Walls LE, Otoupal P, Ledesma-Amaro R, Velasquez-Orta SB, Gladden JM, Rios-Solis L. Bioconversion of cellulose into bisabolene using Ruminococcus flavefaciens and Rhodosporidium toruloides. Bioresource Technology 2023, 368, 128216.
  • Hernandez EV, Monje-Ramirez I, Velasquez-Orta SB, Gracia-Fadrique J, Orta Ledesma MT. Surface activity of biomolecules released from microalgae harvested by ozone-flotation. Environmental Technology and Innovation 2022, 26, 102354.
  • Mohiuddin O, Harvey A, Tabraiz S, Ameen MT, Velasquez-Orta SB. Kinetic modelling of yeast growth and pollutant removal in secondary effluent. Journal of Water Process Engineering 2022, 50, 103244.
  • Montaño-San-Agustin D, Orta-Ledesma MT, Monje-Ramírez I, Yáñez-Noguez I, Luna-Pabello VM, Velasquez-Orta SB. A non-sterile heterotrophic microalgal process for dual biomass production and carbon removal from swine wastewater. Renewable Energy 2022, 181, 592-603.
  • Hockaday J, Harvey A, Velasquez-Orta S. A comparative analysis of the adsorption kinetics of Cu²⁺ and Cd²⁺ by the microalgae Chlorella vulgaris and Schenedesmus obliquus. Algal Research 2022, 64, 102710.
  • Okoroafor T, Haile S, Velasquez-Orta S. Life Cycle Assessment of Microbial Electrosynthesis for Commercial Product Generation. Journal of Hazardous, Toxic, and Radioactive Waste 2021, 25(1), 04020062.
  • Gonzalez-Balderas RM, Velasquez-Orta SB, Felix M, Bengoechea C, Yanez Noguez I, Orta Ledesma MT. Identification and effect of ozone and ultrasound pretreatments on Desmodesmus sp. and Tetradesmus obliquus proteins. Algal Research 2021, 60, 102514.
  • González-Balderas RM, Felix M, Bengoechea C, Orta-Ledesma MT, Guerrero A, Velásquez-Orta SB. Development of composites based on residual microalgae biomass cultivated in wastewater. European Polymer Journal 2021, 160, 110766.
  • Nava-Bravo I, Velásquez-Orta SB, Monje-Ramíreza I, Patricia-Güereca L, Harvey AP, Cuevas-García R, Yañez-Noguez I, Orta-Ledesma MT. Catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction of microalgae cultivated in wastewater: Influence of ozone-air flotation on products, energy balance and carbon footprint. Energy Conversion and Management 2021, 249, 114806.
  • Romero-Frasca E, Velasquez-Orta SB, Escobar-Sanchez V, Tinoco-Valencia R, Orta Ledesma MT. Bioprospecting of wild type ethanologenic yeast for ethanol fuel production from wastewater-grown microalgae. Biotechnology for Biofuels 2021, 14(1), 93.
  • González-Gálvez OD, Nava-Bravo I, Cuevas-García R, Velásquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP, Cedeño-Caero L, Orta Ledesma MT. Bio-oil production by catalytic solvent liquefaction from a wild microalgae consortium. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery 2021, 11, 2627–2639.
  • González-Balderas RM, Velásquez-Orta SB, Valdez-Vazquez I, Orta Ledesma MT. Sequential pretreatment to recover carbohydrates and phosphorus from Desmodesmus sp. cultivated in municipal wastewater. Water Science & Technology 2020, 82(6), 1237-1246.
  • Gonzalez-Balderas RM, Velasquez-Orta SB, Valdez-Vazquez I, Orta Ledesma MT. Intensified recovery of lipids, proteins, and carbohydrates from wastewater-grown microalgae Desmodesmus sp. by using ultrasound or ozone. Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 2020, 62, 104852.
  • Valeriano Gonzalez MT, Orta Ledesma MT, Velasquez-Orta SB, Monje Ramirez I. Harvesting microalgae using ozone-air flotation for recovery of biomass, lipids, carbohydrates, and proteins. Environmental Technology 2020, 42(21), 3267-3277.
  • González-Balderas RM, Velásquez-Orta SB, Orta Ledesma MT. Biorefinery process intensification by ultrasound and ozone for phosphorus and biocompounds recovery from microalgae. Chemical Engineering and Processing - Process Intensification 2020, 153, 107951.
  • Hernandez-Garcia A, Velasquez-Orta SB, Novelo E, Yanez-Noguez I, Monje-Ramirez I, Orta Ledesma MT. Wastewater-leachate treatment by microalgae: Biomass, carbohydrate and lipid production. Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety 2019, 174, 435-444.
  • Alves Oliveira G, Monje-Ramirez I, Carissimi E, Teixeira Rodrigues R, Velasquez-Orta SB, Chávez Mejía AC, Orta Ledesma MT. The effect of bubble size distribution on the release of microalgae proteins by ozone-flotation. Separation and Purification Technology 2019, 18, 340-347.
  • Walls L, Velasquez-Orta SB, Romero-Frasca E, Leary P, Noguez IY, Ledesma MT. Non-sterile heterotrophic cultivation of native wastewater yeast and microalgae for integrated municipal wastewater treatment and bioethanol production. Biochemical Engineering Journal 2019, 151, 107319.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Heidrich O, Graham DW. Energy use and carbon emissions across a English wastewater network. Institute of Water Journal 2019, 3, 17-23.
  • Nava Bravo I, Velasquez-Orta SB, Cuevas-Garcia R, Monje-Ramirez I, Harvey A, Orta Ledesma MT. Bio-crude oil production using catalytic hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) from native microalgae harvested by ozone-flotation. Fuel 2019, 241, 255-263.
  • Ekins-Coward T, Boodhoo K, Velasquez-Orta S, Caldwell G, Wallace A, Barton R, Flickinger MC. A microalgae biocomposite integrated Spinning Disc Bioreactor (SDBR): Towards a scalable engineering approach for bioprocess intensification in light-driven CO2 absorption applications. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research 2019, 58(15), 5936-5949.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Heidrich O, Black K, Graham D. Retrofitting options for wastewater networks to achieve climate change reduction targets. Applied Energy 2018, 218, 430-441.
  • Eze V, Velasquez-Orta SB, Hernandez-Garcia A, Monje-Ramirez I, Orta-Ledesma MT. Kinetic modelling of microalgae cultivation for wastewater treatment and carbon dioxide sequestration. Algal Research 2018, 32, 131-141.
  • Oliveira GA, Carissimi E, Monje-Ramirez I, Velasquez-Orta SB, Rodrigues RT, Ledesma MTO. Comparison between coagulation-flocculation and ozone-flotation for Scenedesmus microalgal biomolecule recovery and nutrient removal from wastewater in a high-rate algal pond. Bioresource Technology 2018, 259, 334-342.
  • Christodoulou X, Okoroafor T, Parry S, Velasquez-Orta S. The use of carbon dioxide in microbial electrosynthesis: Advancements, sustainability and economic feasibility. Journal of CO2 Utilization 2017, 18, 390-399.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Werner D, Varia J, Mgana S. Microbial fuel cells for inexpensive continuous in-situ monitoring of groundwater quality. Water Research 2017, 117, 9-17.
  • Salam K, Velasquez-Orta S, Harvey AP. Effect of Soaking Pre-Treatment on Reactive Extraction/in situ Transesterification of Nannochloropsis occulata for Biodiesel Production. Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems 2017, 7(4).
  • Salam K, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. Surfactant-assisted direct biodiesel production from wet Nannochloropsis occulata by in situ transesterification/reactive extraction. Biofuel Research Journal 2016, 3(1), 366-371.
  • Varia JC, Zegeye A, Velasquez-Orta S, Bull S. Process analysis of AuCl₄^- sorption leading to gold nanoparticle synthesis by Shewanella putrefaciens. Chemical Engineering Journal 2016, 288, 482-488.
  • Christodoulou X, Velasquez-Orta SB. Microbial electrosynthesis and anaerobic fermentation: An economic evaluation for acetic acid production from CO₂ and CO. Environmental Science and Technology 2016, 50(20), 11234–11242.
  • Salam K, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. Kinetics of fast alkali reactive extraction/in situ transesterification of Chlorella vulgaris that identifies process conditions for a significant enhanced rate and water tolerance. Fuel Processing Technology 2016, 144, 212–219.
  • Valeriano González MT, Monje-Ramírez I, Orta Ledesma MT, Gracia-Fadrique J, Velásquez-Orta SB. Harvesting microalgae using ozoflotation releases surfactant proteins, facilitates biomass recovery and lipid extraction. Biomass and Bioenergy 2016, 95, 109-115.
  • Salam KA, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. In Situ Transesterification of Wet Marine and Fresh Water Microalgae for Biodiesel Production and Its Effect on the Algal Residue. Journal of Sustainable Bioenergy Systems 2016, 6(2), 17-30.
  • Varia JC, Silva Martinez S, Velasquez-Orta S, Bull S. Microbiological influence of metal ion electrodeposition: Studies using graphite electrodes, [AuCl₄]⁻ and Shewanella putrefaciens. Electrochimica Acta 2014, 115, 344-351.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Garcia-Estrada R, Monje-Ramirez I, Harvey A, Orta Ledesma MT. Microalgae harvesting using ozoflotation: Effect on lipid and FAME recoveries. Biomass and Bioenergy 2014, 70, 356-363.
  • Oladapo K, Velasquez Orta SB, Monje-Ramirez I, Yáñez Noguez I, Harvey AP, Orta Ledesma MT. Biodiesel production from indigenous microalgae grown in wastewater. Bioresource Technology 2014, 154, 297-304.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Lee JGM, Harvey A. Evaluation of FAME production from wet marine and freshwater microalgae by in situ transesterification. Biochemical Engineering Journal 2013, 76, 83-89.
  • Varia J, Silva Martinez S, Velasquez Orta SB, Bull S, Roy S. Bioelectrochemical metal remediation and recovery of Au³⁺, Co²⁺ and Fe³⁺ metal ions. Electrochimica Acta 2013, 95, 125-131.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB. Alternatives for energy production in aerobic wastewater treatment facilities. Water Science and Technology 2013, 67(12), 2856-2862.
  • Velasquez Orta SB, Lee JGM, Harvey A. Alkaline in situ transesterification of Chlorella vulgaris. Fuel 2012, 94, 544-550.
  • Velasquez Orta SB, Head IM, Curtis TP, Scott K. Factors affecting current production in microbial fuel cells using different industrial wastewaters. Bioresource Technology 2011, 102(8), 5105-5112.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Yu E, Katuri KP, Head IM, Curtis TP, Scott K. Evaluation of hydrolysis and fermentation rates in microbial fuel cells. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2011, 90(2), 789-798.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Head IM, Curtis TP, Scott K, Lloyd JR, von Canstein H. The effect of flavin electron shuttles in microbial fuel cells current production. Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology 2010, 85(5), 1373-1381.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Curtis TP, Logan BE. Energy From Algae Using Microbial Fuel Cells. Biotechnology and Bioengineering 2009, 103(6), 1068-1076.
  • Di Lorenzo M, Curtis T, Head IM, Velasquez-Orta SB, Scott K. A single chamber packed bed microbial fuel cell biosensor for measuring organic content of wastewater. Water Science and Technology 2009, 60(11), 2879-2887.

• Book Chapters

  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Mohiuddin O. The utilisation of yeast for industrial wastewater treatment. In: Achlesh Daverey, Kasturi Dutta, Sanket Joshi, Teresa Gea, ed. Advances in Yeast Biotechnology for Biofuels and Sustainability. Elsevier, 2023, pp.353-370.
  • Olatunde Akinbuja, Boodhoo Kamelia, Velasquez-Orta Sharon. Algae-based bioelectrochemical systems. In: Eduardo Jacob-Lopes, Rosangela Rodrigues Dias and Leila Queiroz Zepka, ed. Microalgae-based systems. Berlin, Boston: De Gruyter, 2023, pp.425-440.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Mohiuddin O, Orta-Ledesma MT, Harvey AP. Process intensification of microalgal biofuel production. In: Eduardo Jacob-Lopes, Leila Queiroz Zepka, Ihana Aguiar Severo, Mariana Manzoni Maroneze, ed. 3rd Generation Biofuels. Woodhead Publishing, 2022, pp.269-290.
  • Velasquez-Orta S, Utuk E, Spurr M. Microbial fuel cell sensors for water and wastewater monitoring. In: Sonia M. Tiquia-Arashiro, Deepak Pant, ed. Microbial Electrochemical Technologies. CRC Press, 2018.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Hernández A, Novelo E, Yáñez I, Monje I, Orta MT. Wastewater Treatment by Microalgae-Bacteria Consortia for Biomass Production. In: 6th International Congress on Green Process Engineering (GPE). 2021, Toulouse, France. In Preparation.
  • Boodhoo K, Ekins-Coward T, Velasquez-Orta S, Flickinger MC. Development of a microalgae biocomposite-integrated spinning disk bioreactor (SDBR) for bioprocess intensification of light-driven CO2 absorption. In: AIChE Spring Meeting 2021. 2021, Virtual conference: American Institute of Chemical Engineers.
  • Boodhoo KVK, Ekins-Coward T, Velasquez-Orta S, Flickinger MC. Development of a microalgae biocomposite‐integrated Spinning Disc Bioreactor (SDBR) for bioprocess intensification of light‐driven CO₂ absorption. In: Second International Process Intensification Conference (IPIC2). 2019, Leuven, Belgium.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB. Low cost microbial fuel cell biosensors. In: UN International Zaragoza Conference: Tools for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene implementation. Water and Sustainable Development from Vision to Action. 2015, Zaragoza, Spain: United Nations.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Lee JGM, Harvey AP. Catalytic cracking using ZSM-5 or Zeolite-Y and pyrolysis of Chlorella vulgaris. In: 5th International Conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts. 2015, San Diego, USA.
  • Salam K, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. Intensification of Algal Biodiesel by in situ transesterification. In: 4th International conference on Algal Biomass, Biofuels and Bioproducts. 2014, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA.
  • Salam KA, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. Algal FAME production with a NOVEL surfactant based catalyst in a reactive extraction. In: 2013 AIChE Annual Meeting. 2013, San Francisco, CA: AIChE.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Graham D. Integration of waste emissions and energy use in sustainable urban infrastructure models. In: Planet Under Pressure Conference. 2012, London, UK.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP, Lee J. Biodiesel production from nannochloropsis occulata by in situ transesterification. In: European Process Intensification Conference. 2011, Manchester, UK: AIChE.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB, Head I, Curtis T, Scott K. Power production enhancement by using novel mediators in a microbial fuel cell. In: 6th Worldwater Congress and Exhibition. 2008, Vienna, Austria.
  • Velasquez-Orta SB. New technologies for electricity generation from urban wastewater treatment. In: 7th Worldwide Workshop for Young Environmental Scientists. 2008, Paris, France: University Paris-Est Creteil (UPEC).

• Review

  • Salam KA, Velasquez-Orta SB, Harvey AP. A sustainable integrated in situ transesterification of microalgae for biodiesel production and associated co-product - a review. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews 2016, 65, 1179-1198.