Filomena Freitas completed her degree in Applied Chemistry, Biotechnology, at FCT NOVA, in 1995, and obtained her PhD in Biological Engineering, Microbial Technology, from FCT NOVA, in 2004. The work developed during her PhD consisted of developing a strategy to improve the removal of nutrients from effluents, based on the use of short aeration cycles (intermittent aeration), with the aim of reducing operating costs, without compromising process efficiency. After completing the PhD, her research topics were expanded to the development, from laboratory to pilot scale, of sustainable and economical bioprocesses for the production of different value-added microbial products, including biopolymers (polysaccharides and bioplastics) and fine chemicals (pigments, rhamnolipids, xylitol, etc.), based on the use of agro-industrial wastes and by-products as raw materials. Her scientific research work also focused on the development of environmentally and economically efficient processes for the recovery of bioproducts from microbial broth/biomass, as well as the study of their properties, envisaging to develop them into commercial products. This approach is aligned with the concept of circular economy and contributes to reducing the environmental impact of waste disposal currently carried out by many agro-industrial sectors, through their conversion into value-added products. The Post-Doctoral activity began in 2005, at the Associated Laboratory REQUIMTE (FCT NOVA) and at the Institute of Experimental and Technological Biology (iBET), in projects financed by the companies Telener and 73100 Lda., which resulted in processes and products patented by the companies. In 2011, she received funding from the Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT/MCTES), through a Post-Doctoral scholarship (SFRH/BPD/72280/2010), to develop scientific research in the Biochemical Engineering Group (BIOENG), of UCIBIO-REQUIMTE, FCT NOVA, where she established a new line of research focused on microbial polysaccharides. The work carried out involved the development of polymeric structures based on two microbial polysaccharides (FucoPol and the chitin-glucan complex). In 2016, she obtained funding under the FCT Researcher Program for the development of a microbial platform for the valorization of industrial and agri-food byproducts into sustainable multiproducts, namely polysaccharides, oligo- and monosaccharides rich in rare sugars. She is a member of the team of 33 scientific research projects, 8 of which as Principal Investigator. Thirteen projects involved international consortia, and 20 are/were carried out in collaboration with companies. Her scientific productivity includes 119 articles published in international scientific journals with peer review, 13 book chapters, 135 communications at Conferences and 5 International Patents (granted in various geographies). She has more than 3900 citations and an h-index of 34, according to SCOPUS, having been included in the “World’s Top 2% Scientists list” in the list of researchers with impact throughout 2020 - 2022. She has taught regularly since 2011, as a Guest Professor, at the Department of Chemistry (DQ), FCT NOVA, namely in the Curricular Units of Biochemical Engineering I, Industrial Bioenergetics and Biocatalysis and Bioremediation. In January 2019, she became an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry, FCT NOVA, teaching the courses of Biochemical Engineering, Bioreaction Engineering, Industrial Bioenergetics, Biocatalysis and Bioremediation, Enzyme Technology and Bioprocess Engineering. Supervised 10 PhD Theses and 31 Master Theses completed between 2007 and 2022. Currently, she supervises 10 PhD students and 2 Master students. She also supervised the final degree project of 18 students from the Degrees in Biochemistry and Applied Chemistry, as well as short-term internships for 7 foreign PhD students.