Sustainable Bioprocesses for Valorization of Food Industry Waste: Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations and Reactor Design

A special issue of Processes (ISSN 2227-9717). This special issue belongs to the section "Biological Processes and Systems".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 20 January 2026 | Viewed by 831

Special Issue Editors


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Guest Editor
1. BioRG—Bioengineering and Sustainability Research Group, Faculty of Engineering, Universidade Lusófona, Campo Grande 376, 1749-024 Lisbon, Portugal
2. iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Instituto Superior Técnico (IST), Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
3. Associate Laboratory i4HB—Institute for Health and Bioeconomy at Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Av. Rovisco Pais, 1049-001 Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: biocatalysis; bioreactors; bioprocess engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

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Guest Editor
iBB—Institute for Bioengineering and Biosciences, Department of Bioengineering, Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
Interests: bacterial adaptation; marine biotechnology; biocatalysis; bioreactors; bioprocess engineering
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

According to FAO, approximately a third of all food produced for human consumption is lost or wasted. In the European Union alone, it is estimated that 132 kg of food waste per inhabitant are generated annually. Innovative strategies for the valorization of this waste for nutrient recovery, as an example, is thus paramount. This Special Issue focuses on cutting-edge biotechnological solutions that harness microbial and enzymatic processes to convert waste streams into valuable products, promoting circular economy principles. Key areas to be addressed include the following:

  • Microbial and Enzymatic Innovations: Exploration of novel microbial strains, enzymatic catalysts, and metabolic engineering approaches that enhance the efficiency of product recovery and bioconversion processes.
  • Bioreactor Design: Advances in reactor configurations, optimization strategies, and process control mechanisms that improve scalability and performance at industrial level.
  • Sustainability and Environmental Impact: Assessing the ecological benefits, economic feasibility, and lifecycle analyses of these bioprocesses in achieving a sustainable food sector.

By integrating bioprocess engineering, microbiology, and enzyme technology, this Special Issue aims to provide transformative insights into waste valorization strategies that support global sustainability goals, with interest for researchers, industry professionals, and policymakers.

Dr. Pedro Fernandes
Dr. Carla C. C. R. de Carvalho
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • sustainable bioprocesses
  • bioprocess engineering
  • microbial and enzymatic processes
  • waste valorization strategies
  • valuable products
  • reactor design

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Review

23 pages, 2706 KB  
Review
Sustainable Production of Alternative Proteins from Basidiomycetes: Valorization of Mycelial and Fruiting Body Biomass
by Amanda Rubia de Figueiredo Trindade, Isadora de Brito Hilario, Ederson Aparecido Gimenes da Rocha, Leonardo Antônio da Rosa Borges dos Santos, Cristina Giatti Marques de Souza, Marina Proença Dantas, Bruna Mayara Roldão Ferreira, Rúbia Carvalho Gomes Corrêa, Natália Ueda Yamaguchi, Adelar Bracht and Rosane Marina Peralta
Processes 2025, 13(11), 3746; https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13113746 - 20 Nov 2025
Viewed by 597
Abstract
Global population growth, climate change, and the environmental impact of livestock production have accelerated the search for sustainable and efficient protein sources. Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) and mycelial biomass have emerged as promising alternatives due to their high nutritional quality, low ecological footprint, and [...] Read more.
Global population growth, climate change, and the environmental impact of livestock production have accelerated the search for sustainable and efficient protein sources. Fruiting bodies (mushrooms) and mycelial biomass have emerged as promising alternatives due to their high nutritional quality, low ecological footprint, and compatibility with circular bioeconomy principles. This review highlights the nutritional, biotechnological, and environmental aspects of fungal proteins obtained from both fruiting bodies and mycelial biomass of Basidiomycetes. Emphasis is placed on amino acid composition, protein digestibility, and advances in cultivation and fermentation systems for large-scale production. Submerged and solid-state fermentation processes are analyzed in terms of scalability, resource efficiency, and integration with agro-industrial residues for sustainable bioprocessing. Comparative analyses reveal that mycelial biomass production achieves high protein yields with significantly reduced land, water, and energy requirements compared to conventional protein sources. Emerging fungal species such as Schizophyllum commune and Auricularia polytricha demonstrate strong potential for producing protein-rich mycelia applicable to functional and plant-based foods. Finally, the review discusses current technological innovations, regulatory frameworks, and market perspectives that position fungal biomass as a strategic component in the ongoing global protein transition. Full article
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