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I am a researcher with extensive experience in Environmental Biotechnology and Bioengineering. In 2009, I obtained my Bachelor's degree in Applied Biology from the University of Minho (UM). Subsequently, I pursued a Master's degree in Bioengineering from the school of engineering of UM, which focused on bioaugmentation strategies to enhance the conversion of long-chain fatty acids to methane. This graduate work allowed me to develop a broad understanding of anaerobic digestion processes and establish a strong foundation in the environmental biotechnology field. From 2012 to 2015, I was a research fellow at the CEB - Centre of Biological Engineering, contributing to the successful completion of 2 FCT project. In 2017, I was awarded a PhD FCT grant focused on the development and characterization of aerobic granular sludge for wastewater treatment. As a result from my PhD work, my research article entitled "Monitoring morphological changes from activated sludge to aerobic granular sludge under distinct organic loading rates and increasing minimal imposed sludge settling velocities through quantitative image analysis" was awarded with the best paper under the IACOBUS 2022/2023 program. After earning my PhD in late 2022, I started a post-doctoral position at the University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, where I worked on advanced oxidation processes for wastewater treatment and water reuse at the Chemistry Research Centre of Vila Real (CQ-VR). In 2024, I returned to CEB as a postdoctoral researcher, where I have been collaborating with the CENTRO ALGORITMI on the development of hybrid models to reduce the impact of wastewater treatment in receiving waters. To date, I have authored 9 peer-reviewed articles in respected scientific journals, which have over 185 citations (Scopus).
Identification

Personal identification

Full name
Sérgio Alves da Silva

Citation names

  • Silva, Sérgio A.

Author identifiers

Ciência ID
1215-F9FF-981B
ORCID iD
0000-0003-2354-1558
Google Scholar ID
1LmKRHMAAAAJ
Scopus Author Id
56196183200

Email addresses

  • sergiosilva@ceb.uminho.pt (Professional)

Knowledge fields

  • Engineering and Technology - Environmental Biotechnology
  • Natural sciences - Biological Sciences - Biology
  • Engineering and Technology - Chemical Engineering
  • Engineering and Technology - Environmental Biotechnology - Bioremediation
Education
Degree Classification
2023/01/26
Concluded
Complete Machine Learning & Data Science Bootcamp 2023 (Outros)
Udemy Inc, United States
https://shorturl.at/JlqFB
2017/04/01 - 2022/11/15
Concluded
Programa Doutoral em Engenharia Química e Biológica (Doutoramento)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Engenharia, Portugal
"Novel insights to develop and characterize aerobic granular sludge for wastewater treatement" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
Approved (Very Good)
2009 - 2011
Concluded
Bioengenharia (Mestrado)
Universidade do Minho Departamento de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
"Bioaugmentation strategies to enhance long chain fatty acids (LCFA) conversion to methane" (THESIS/DISSERTATION)
17/20
2006 - 2009
Concluded
Biologia Aplicada (Licenciatura)
Universidade do Minho Escola de Ciências, Portugal
14/20
Affiliation

Science

Category
Host institution
Employer
2024/08/01 - Current Contracted Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho, Portugal
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
2023/04/01 - 2024/07/31 Contracted Researcher (Research) Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro, Portugal
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Centro de Química Vila Real, Portugal
2018/05/04 - 2022/07/28 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Escola de Engenharia, Portugal
2022/03/01 - 2022/06/30 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2021/03/01 - 2022/01/31 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2016/01/01 - 2017/03/31 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2015/07/01 - 2016/09/30 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2014/05/01 - 2015/04/30 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
2012/02/15 - 2014/02/14 Researcher (Research) Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Universidade do Minho, Portugal
Projects

Grant

Designation Funders
2022/03/01 - 2022/06/30 Eco-efficient bioprocess for valorisation of saline resources towards the production of biopolymers
PTDC/BTA-BTA/30902/2017
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2021/11/01 - 2022/01/31 INNOVsyn - Innovative strategies for syngas fermentation
PTDC/BTABTA/ 31377/2017
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2021/06/01 - 2021/09/30 Novel insights to develop and characterize aerobic granular sludge for wastewater treatment
COVID/BD/151748/2021
PhD Student Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2017/04/01 - 2021/05/31 Novel insights to develop and characterize aerobic granular sludge for wastewater treatment
SFRH/BD/122623 /2016
PhD Student Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2016 - 2017 PEst UID/BIO/04469/2013 - Strategic funding 2015-2018
UID/BIO/04469/2013
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2014 - 2015 Strategies to optimize Anaerobic Digestion of recalcitrant wastes
PTDC/AAG-TEC/3048/2012
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded
2012 - 2014 Anaerobic lipids/LCFA conversion in bioreactors: from microbial ecophysiology to enhanced biogas production
PTDC/EBB-EBI/114364/2009
Research Fellow
Universidade do Minho Centro de Engenharia Biológica, Portugal
Concluded

Contract

Designation Funders
2024/08/01 - Current AIM4WATER - Hybrid models implementation to reduce the impact of wastewaters treatment in receiving waters
2022.06822.PTDC
Post-doc
Ongoing
2023/04/01 - 2024/07/31 PRR Vine&Wine Project ZE-Wave: Zero waste value chain in the Portuguese wine industry.
Project no C644866286 – 0000001
Post-doc
Universidade de Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro Centro de Química Vila Real, Portugal
Ongoing
Outputs

Publications

Conference abstract
  1. Silva, Sérgio A.; Duarte, Maria Salomé; Amaral, A. Luís; Ferreira, Eugénio C.; Alves, M. Madalena; Mesquita, Daniela P.. "Assessing the influence of long-chain fatty acids on aerobic granular sludge stability in a sequencing batch reactor". Paper presented in International Chemical and Biological Engineering Conference (CHEMPOR), Bragança, 2023.
    Published
  2. Silva, Sérgio A.; Duarte, M. Salomé; Amaral, A.L.; Ferreira, E.C.; Lucas, M.S.; Alves, M.M.; Mesquita, D.P.. "The effect of oleate in the biological nitrogen removal". Paper presented in 8th Portuguese Young Chemists Meeting, Vila Real, 2023.
  3. Duarte, Maria Salomé; Martins, Gilberto; Oliveira, João V.; Oliveira, Pedro; Silva, Sérgio A.; Novais, Paulo; Pereira, M. Alcina; Alves, M. Madalena. "Modelling anaerobic digestion of sewage sludge: mechanistic models vs machine learning". Paper presented in 17th World Conference on Anaerobic Digestion, Ann Arbor, 2022.
  4. Duarte, Maria Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Pereira, M. Alcina; Alves, M. Madalena. "Untangling the role of facultative bacteria in LCFA conversion to methane". Paper presented in CEB Annual Meeting 2017, Braga, 2017.
  5. Duarte, Maria Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Alves, M. Madalena; Pereira, M. Alcina. "What is the role of Pseudomonas sp. in the anaerobic digestion of long-chain fatty acids?". Paper presented in 2016 MIT Portugal Annual Conference - 10 Years Engineering a Better Future, Braga, 2016.
  6. Oliveira, João Vítor; Silva, Sérgio A.; Costa, José Carlos; Pereira, M. Alcina; Alves, M. Madalena. "Enhancement of biomethane production from the anaerobic co-digestion of sewage sludge and macroalgae by continuous and intermittent addition of glycerol". Paper presented in 2016 MIT Portugal Annual Conference - 10 Years Engineering a Better Future, Braga, 2016.
  7. Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Duarte, Maria Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Salvador, Andreia F.; Guedes, Ana P.; Ribeiro, Joaquim A.; Sousa, Diana Z.; et al. "Energy production from lipids by novel anaerobes". Paper presented in MicroBiotec'15 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Évora, 2015.
    Published
  8. Guedes, Ana P.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Silva, Sérgio A.; Alves, M. Madalena; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Effect of sulfate and iron (III) on LCFA degradation by a methanogenic community". Paper presented in MicroBiotec'15 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Évora, 2015.
  9. Salvador, Andreia F.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Silva, Sérgio A.; Guedes, Ana P.; Pereira, M. Alcina; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Sousa, Diana Z.; Alves, M. Madalena. "Growth of sulfate reducing bacteria on the methanogenic inhibitor". Paper presented in MicroBiotec'15 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Évora, 2015.
  10. Silva, Sérgio A.; Salvador, Andreia F.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Pereira, M. Alcina; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Alves, M. Madalena; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Toxicity of unsaturated and saturated long chain fatty acids towards Methanosaeta concilii". Paper presented in AD14 - World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion, Vina del Mar, 2015.
  11. Duarte, Maria Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Pereira, M. Alcina; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Alves, M. Madalena. "Comparison of oleate conversion under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions". Paper presented in 2015 MIT Portugal Annual Conference - Light: Designed by Nature, Transformed by Science, Lisboa, 2015.
  12. Duarte, Maria Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Pereira, M. Alcina; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Alves, M. Madalena. "Comparison of oleate conversion under microaerophilic and anaerobic conditions". Paper presented in AD14 - World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion, Vina del Mar, 2015.
  13. Guedes, Ana P.; Cavaleiro, A. J.; Silva, Sérgio A.; Alves, M. Madalena; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Addition of electron acceptors stimulates methanogenesis from lipids by anaerobic sludge". Paper presented in AD13 - 13th World Congress on Anaerobic Digestion, Santiago de Compostela, 2013.
  14. Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Salvador, Andreia F.; Silva, Sérgio A.; Pereira, M. Alcina; Sousa, D. Z.; Alves, M. Madalena. "New strategies for optimal methane production from long chain fatty acids". Paper presented in ecoSTP – EcoTechnologies for Wastewater Treatment, Technical, Enviromental & Economic Challenges Conference, Santiago de Compostela, 2012.
Conference paper
  1. Nuno Jorge; Ana R. Teixeira; Sérgio Silva; António Pirra; José A. Peres; Marco S. Lucas. "Homogeneous vs. Heterogeneous Photo-Fenton Processes in the Treatment of Winery Wastewater". 2023.
    10.3390/ASEC2023-15405
  2. Silva, Sérgio; Pirra, António; Jorge, Nuno; Peres, José A.; Lucas, Marco S.. "Enhancing Sustainability in Wine Production: Evaluating Winery Wastewater Treatment Using Sequencing Batch Reactors". 2023.
    10.3390/asec2023-15522
Conference poster
  1. Silva, Sérgio A.; Val del Río, Angeles; Alves, M. Madalena; Mesquita, Daniela P.. "Monitoring morphological changes of suspended sludge during aerobic granulation process". Paper presented in MicroBiotec'19 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 2019.
  2. Silva, Sérgio A.; Cavaleiro, Ana Júlia; Alves, M. Madalena; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Bioaugmentation strategies to enhance long chain fatty acids (LCFA) conversion to methane". Paper presented in MicroBiotec'11 - Congress of Microbiology and Biotechnology 2011, 2011.
Journal article
  1. Sérgio A. Silva; M. Salomé Duarte; António L. Amaral; Eugénio C. Ferreira; M. Madalena Alves; Daniela P. Mesquita. "Monitoring the stability of aerobic granular sludge under increasing fractions of slowly biodegradable substrate using quantitative image analysis". Chemosphere (2025): https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144233.
    10.1016/j.chemosphere.2025.144233
  2. Silva, Sérgio A.; Val del Río, Angeles; Amaral, António L.; Ferreira, Eugénio C.; Madalena Alves, M.; Mesquita, Daniela P.. "Monitoring morphological changes from activated sludge to aerobic granular sludge under distinct organic loading rates and increasing minimal imposed sludge settling velocities through quantitative image analysis". Chemosphere 286 (2022): 131637. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131637.
    Published • 10.1016/j.chemosphere.2021.131637
  3. Cavaleiro, Ana J.; Guedes, Ana P.; Silva, Sérgio A.; Arantes, Ana L.; Sequeira, João C.; Salvador, Andreia F.; Sousa, Diana Z.; Stams, Alfons J. M.; Alves, M. Madalena. "Effect of Sub-Stoichiometric Fe(III) Amounts on LCFA Degradation by Methanogenic Communities". Microorganisms 8 9 (2020): 1375. http://dx.doi.org/10.3390/microorganisms8091375.
    10.3390/microorganisms8091375
  4. Salvador, A. F.; Cavaleiro, A. J.; Paulo, A. M. S.; Silva, S. A.; Guedes, A. P.; Pereira, M. A.; Stams, A. J. M.; Sousa, D. Z.; Alves, M. M.. "Inhibition Studies with 2-Bromoethanesulfonate Reveal a Novel Syntrophic Relationship in Anaerobic Oleate Degradation". Applied and Environmental Microbiology 85 2 (2019): http://dx.doi.org/10.1128/aem.01733-18.
    10.1128/aem.01733-18
  5. Duarte, M. Salomé; Silva, Sérgio A.; Salvador, Andreia F.; Cavaleiro, Ana J.; Stams, Alfons J. M.; Alves, M. Madalena; Pereira, M. Alcina. "Insight into the Role of Facultative Bacteria Stimulated by Microaeration in Continuous Bioreactors Converting LCFA to Methane". Environmental Science & Technology 52 11 (2018): 6497-6507. http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.8b00894.
    10.1021/acs.est.8b00894
  6. Silva, Sérgio A.; Salvador, Andreia F.; Cavaleiro, Ana J.; Pereira, M. Alcina; Stams, Alfons J. M.; Alves, M. Madalena; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Toxicity of long chain fatty acids towards acetate conversion by Methanosaeta concilii and Methanosarcina mazei". Microbial Biotechnology 9 4 (2016): 514-518. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/1751-7915.12365.
    10.1111/1751-7915.12365
  7. Silva, Sérgio A.; Cavaleiro, Ana J.; Pereira, Maria Alcina; Stams, Alfons J.M.; Alves, Maria Madalena; Sousa, Diana Z.. "Long-term acclimation of anaerobic sludges for high-rate methanogenesis from LCFA". Biomass and Bioenergy 67 (2014): 297-303. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.05.012.
    10.1016/j.biombioe.2014.05.012
Thesis / Dissertation
  1. "Novel insights to develop and characterize aerobic granular sludge for wastewater treatment". PhD, Universidade do Minho, 2022. https://hdl.handle.net/1822/80695.
  2. "Bioaugmentation strategies to enhance long chain fatty acids (LCFA) conversion to methane". Master, Universidade do Minho, 2011.
Activities

Event participation

Activity description
Type of event
Event name
Institution / Organization
2017/06/19 - 2017/06/20 Workshop: MATLAB (MathWorks) - Process parameters and kinetics SuperPro Designer (Intellingen, inc) - Process design and simulation with commercial software
Workshop
Universidade do Minho, Portugal

Consulting

Activity description Institution / Organization
2015/07/01 - 2016/09/30 R&D Activities AMBISYS, S.A., Portugal
Distinctions

Award

2023 IACOBUS Program 2022/2023 - Papers
Agrupamento Europeu de Cooperação Territorial – Galicia-Norte de Portugal (GNP-AECT), Spain

Other distinction

2021 Grant (COVID/BD/151748/2021)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal
2017 PhD Grant (SFRH/BD/122623 /2016)
Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Portugal