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biopolymers, nanobiotechnology, biomaterials, mucin, microfluidics, bacterial quorum sensing
Mexico, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain

Biography

BSc (First-Class Honours) Chemistry/Pharmacy/Biology with majors in Food Science and Technology at Universidad La Salle/UNAM Mexico City (1988); MSc in Food Science in Reading University, UK (1990); PhD in Food Polysaccharides at Cranfield University, UK (1994).
Research Scientist and Group Leader (Laboratory of Biopolymers) at CIAD, Hermosillo Mexico (1995 to 2006); Visiting Scholar at Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Spain (2001-2002); Visiting Scientist at Universidad de Santiago de Compostela collaborated at EU project NanoBioSaccharides (2006-2007) and International Marie Curie fellow (2008-2010); Associate Professor at Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology at University of Münster, Germany (2010 to 2016). Visiting Professor to the School of Food Science and Nutrition of University of Leeds, U.K. (2024-2027); Mercator Fellow of "CodeChi" priority programme (2024-2026) (DFG, Germany).
PI of the Indo-German international graduate school MCGS, also PI of the project FENAMI-Denmark (aiming to formulate novel nano- and microparticles for buccal drug delivery) and workpackage leader EU Project Nano3Bio (aiming at biotechnological bioinspired ways to produce chitosan polymers with defined properties and functionalities).
In 2016 was appointed Full Professor (Chair in Biopolymers) at School of Food Science and Nutrition of University of Leeds, U.K. Principal investigator hosting Marie Slodowska Curie Fellowship ”Biopolymer Assisted Remediation of Microplastics” (MINUSMICRO – EU Horizon2020); Principal investigator of project “Optimization and Demonstration of a Sustainable Bioprocess for Extraction of Value-Added Food Supplements and Ingredients from Crustacean Waste Resource (TAMFI)” UKRI UK-Canada; PI hosting fellowship “Enhancing the bacterial anti-quorum effect by using chitosan based nanoencapsulation” (Academy of Medical Sciences, U.K.). As of December 2023, he has been awarded a Distinguished Professorship, "Beatriz Galindo" at the Faculty of Biology of the University of Murcia, Spain.
Author of more than 200 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters. Has collaborated actively with universities, research centres and companies in Germany, Mexico, Denmark, Brazil, Spain, Netherlands and Argentina.
Founder and elected president of the Iberoamerican Chitin Society (2002 to 2006). Member of the Board of the European Chitin Society (2011 to date). Trustee of the Food Hydrocolloids Trust (U.K.) since 2018. Member of the editorial board of Scientific Reports and Pharmaceutics, Food and Function (2018-2021) and Associate Editor of Food Hydrocolloids since 2021. Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (U.K.) since 2021.
Fields of scientific expertise are biopolymer science, nanobiotechnology and food structure, with more than twenty years of experience researching biomass-sourced polymers as building blocks of novel bio-inspired materials such as soft hydrogels and nanoparticles for biomedical and biotechnological applications.
Areas of research interests include:
• Structure-function relationships that determine the biophysical and biological properties of chitosan- and other biopolymer-based soft material (namely, nano- and microparticles, hydrogels) and their interactions with biological barriers and interface networks (mucosa, epithelia, bacterial biofilms).
• Biopolymer-based materials as vehicles of phytochemicals and active pharmaceutical ingredients intending to modify their biological and sensory profile (e.g., mouthfeel, flavour release, pungency), and enhance their oral bioavailability and thus their health/therapeutic benefits. Bioactive compounds of interest include low molecular weight phytochemicals (e.g., flavonoids, capsaicinoids) and non-Lipinsky biologics such as peptides, proteins, nucleic acids and enzymes.
• Microfluidics phenotype profiling and novel ways of investigating the interactions between biopolymer-based nanomaterials and bacteria immobilised in microgel beads.
• Top-down and bottom-up approaches to developing sustainable structured innovative food products.
• Development of antibiotic-free therapies against the virulence of bacterial pathogens relevant to food, aquaculture and health. Two approaches are pursued in this direction. One is to disrupt pathogenic bacteria's quorum sensing (QS) processes and thus exert control on their virulence responses (e.g., biofilm formation) using biopolymer-based nanoparticles. The other one involves specific polysaccharides as bioactive components of emulsions that exhibit antiadhesive activity against bacteria such as Helicobacter pylori.
• In silico simulations of nanomaterial behaviour and other critical phenomena in living systems. Agent-based models are currently developed to simulate the bacterial quorum sensing response and the interaction between bacteria and nanoparticles.

Activities

Employment (7)

University of Murcia: Murcia, ES

2023-12-01 to present | Distinguished Professor "Beatriz Galindo" (Facutly of Biology)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Leeds: Leeds, GB

2024-01-22 to 2027-01-21 | Visiting Professor (School of Food Science and Nutrition)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Leeds: Leeds, Leeds, GB

2016-11-01 to 2023-11-30 | Professor - Chair of Biopolymers (School of Food Science and Nutrition)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Münster: Münster, DE

2010-12-01 to 2016-10-31 | Visiting Professor (Department of Biology - Institute of Plant Biology and Biotechnology)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Universidade de Santiago de Compostela: Santiago de Compostela, Galicia, ES

2006-06-01 to 2010-09-30 | Visiting Scientist and International Marie Curie Fellow (Farmacia y Tecnología Farmacéutica)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo AC: Hermosillo, Sonora, MX

1995-10-01 to 2006-05-31 | Research Scientist (DTAOA)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Universidad Complutense de Madrid: Madrid, Comunidad de Madrid, ES

2001-12-01 to 2002-01-03 | Visiting scientist (Instituto Pluridisciplinar)
Employment
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Education and qualifications (3)

Cranfield University - Silsoe Campus: Silsoe, GB

1990-10-01 to 1994-06-14 | PhD (Food Research and Technology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Reading: Reading, Reading, GB

1988-10-01 to 1990-08-31 | MSc (Food Science and Technology)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Universidad La Salle: Mexico DF, México DF, MX

1981-09-01 to 1985-02-28 | Químico Farmacéutico Biólogo (Q.F.B.) (Escuela de Química)
Education
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Professional activities (26)

Agència Valenciana d’Avaluació i Prospectiva (AVAP): Valencia, ES

2024 to present | Evaluator
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Microbiology Society: London, GB

2022 to present | Member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Commonwealth Scholarship Commission: London, GB

2022 to present | Evaluator of Commonwealth Scholarships
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

MDPI: Basel, CH

2021 to present | Member of the Editorial Board (Pharmaceutics (Journal))
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Elsevier: London, GB

2021 to present | Member of the Editorial Board (Food Hydrocolloids (Journal))
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council: Swindon, GB

2017 to present | Evaluator of grants for BBSRC and EPSRC (U.K.)
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Cooperation & Development Center (CODEV): Lausanne, CH

2015 to present | Evaluator of Program “Seed Money Grants”
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

European Chitin Society: Lyon, FR

2011 to present | Member of the Board
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

European Chitin Society: Lyon, FR

2009-01-01 to present | Member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Royal Society of Chemistry: London, London, GB

1993-01-01 to present | MRSC, CChem
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

American Chemical Society: Washington, DC, US

1992-01-01 to present | Member
Membership
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Siegen: Siegen, DE

2024 to 2026 | Mercator Fellow (Department of Chemistry-Biology)
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Elsevier: London, GB

2021-10-01 to 2024-12-31 | Associate Editor (Food Hydrocolloids (Journal))
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

University of Leeds: Leeds, GB

2019-03-01 to 2022-07-31 | Director of Research and Innovation. School of Food Science and Nutrition, University of Leeds, U.K.
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

The Royal Society of Chemistry: London, GB

2021-03-23 | Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC)
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

The Royal Society of Chemistry: London, GB

2018 to 2021 | Associate Editor (Food and Function (Journal))
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Springer Nature (United Kingdom): London, GB

2018 to 2021 | Member of the Editorial Board (Scientific Reports (Journal))
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Food Hydrocolloids Trust: Wrexham, Wales, GB

2018 | Food Hydrocolloids Trust
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Universidad de Santiago de Compostela Departamento de Química Orgánica: Santiago De Compostela, Galicia, ES

2008 | Marie Curie International Incoming Fellowship (European Commission FP7 People) (Faculty of Pharmacy)
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

CIAD: Hermosillo, MX

2003 to 2005 | Chair of the Academic Board (Department of Food Technology )
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

USDA: Washington, US

1997 to 2003 | Evaluator USDA. National Research Initiative Competitive Grants. Added value products program.
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Iberoamerican Chitin Society (SIAQ): Hermosillo, MX

2002 | Member, Founder and President
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo Biblioteca: Hermosillo, Sonora, MX

2001 | First Prize – XXV National Award in Food Science and Technology.
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Mexican Biotechnology and Bioengineering Society: Cuernavaca, MX

1998 to 2001 | • Mexican Biotechnology and Bioengineering Society
Invited position
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

CONACYT: Mexico City, MX

1998 to 2000 | Evaluation Committee of International Projects of CONACYT-Mexico
Service
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

SNI: Mexico City, MX

1996 | Member of the National Researchers System (S.N.I.)
Distinction
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Funding (11)

AdvanceYeastPro-Advanced and sustainable yeast-based novel food, grown in vegetable derived scaffolds for a high- structured and protein rich product

2023-09-30 to 2025-09-29 | Grant
Innovate UK (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: 10076698
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

SNAPP - Sustainable Nutrition for Animal Protein Productivity

2023-03-31 to 2025-03-30 | Grant
Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: 10050491
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

CodeChi - Chitin, chitosan and chito-oligosaccharides and their interaction with proteins of the extracellular matrix and cellular signaling

2023 to 2027 | Award
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Bonn, DE)
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea

Biopolymer Assisted Remediation of Microplastics from Fresh and Saline Water Environments using an Integrated Technology of Coagulation-Ultrasonication/Cavitation

2020-11-02 to 2022-11-01 | Grant
European Commission (Brussels, BE)
GRANT_NUMBER: 897736
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

Optimization and Demonstration of a Sustainable Bioprocess for Extraction of Value-Added Food Supplements and Ingredients from Crustacean Waste Resource

2019-11-01 to 2022-01-31 | Grant
Innovate UK (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: 105612
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

Enhancing the bacterial anti-quorum effect by using chitosan based nanoencapsulation of 1,3-di-m-tolylurea and fluoride against dental caries pathogen Streptococcus mutans

2019-03-01 to 2021-02-28 | Grant
Academy of Medical Sciences (London, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: NIF\R1\180856
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

UK-China Agritech Challenge- CITRUSAFE

2019-02-01 to 2021-07-30 | Grant
UK Research and Innovation (Swindon, GB)
GRANT_NUMBER: BB/S020950/1
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

Nano3Bio ? NanoBioEngingeering of Bioinspired Biopolymers

2013-10-01 to 2017-09-30 | Grant
Belgian Federal Science Policy Office (Brussels, BE)
GRANT_NUMBER:

6992744500

Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

FENAMI - Functional Electrospun Nanostructures and Microstructures for Food and Bioengineering Applications

2010-12-03 to present | Grant
Danish Ministry of Higher Education and Science (Copenhagen, DK)
GRANT_NUMBER: grant.7741982
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

GRK 1549:  Molecular and Cellular Glyco-Sciences (MCGS). Understanding Structure/Function Relationships of Carbohydrate/Protein Interactions

2009-01-01 to 2014-12-31 | Grant
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (Bonn, DE)
GRANT_NUMBER: 77760487
Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

Biopolymers in materials and life sciences | Lyon - France

2004-05-01 to 2004-05-31 | Grant
São Paulo Research Foundation (São Paulo, BR)
GRANT_NUMBER:

04/00156-1

Source: Self-asserted source
Francisco M. Goycoolea via DimensionsWizard

Peer review (3 reviews for 3 publications/grants)

Review activity for Drug delivery and translational research. (1)
Review activity for Drug delivery and translational research. (1)
Review activity for Nanomaterials. (1)