Our Research
The School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering’s research and innovation mission is to undertake research of value to industry and society in Ireland and beyond ensuring excellence and impact of our research, innovation and scholarship.
Our People
Within the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, a diverse cohort of people are working to achieve our research mission. Our PhD students, postdoctoral researchers, technical staff and academic faculty have joined us from around the world and from a wide range of scientific and engineering backgrounds. They are motivated and passionate about delivering excellent research with significant scientific and societal impact.
Research Themes
Chemical and bioprocess engineering research seeks to address a variety of challenges facing society including manufacturing new therapies to address unmet medical needs, engineering new functional materials for a wide range of applications and developing the circular economy. Our School’s efforts are focussed on the areas of biopharmaceutical and pharmaceutical engineering, energy and the environment and advanced materials engineering.
Biopharmaceutical & Pharmaceutical Engineering
Biopharmaceutical & Pharmaceutical Engineering is one the key pillars of research in the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering. Ireland is a global player in the Biopharmaceutical Industry with all of the top 10 pharmaceutical companies operating in Ireland. With many of our graduates working in this sector, the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering has strong ties with the industry. This is also reflected in continuing world class research carried out by the school.
Faculty
- (opens in a new window)Brian Glennon
- (opens in a new window)Niall Barron
- (opens in a new window)Susan McDonnell
- (opens in a new window)Steven Ferguson
- (opens in a new window)Ioscani Jimenez del Val
- (opens in a new window)Jessica Whelan
- (opens in a new window)Roderick Jones
- (opens in a new window)Colin Clarke
- (opens in a new window)Jonathan Bones
- (opens in a new window)Philip Donnellan
- (opens in a new window)Georg Pesch
- (opens in a new window)Daniela Boehm
Energy and the Environment
With the world's population growing and its resources dwindling, advances in energy conversion and storage are key to ensuring a sustainable future. In the School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, we are leading the field in the research of advanced solar technologies, material and molecular simulations as well as carbon reduction. This forms part of a wider UCD research focus on Energy Systems Integration.
Faculty
- (opens in a new window)Recep Kaan Dereli
- (opens in a new window)Niall English
- (opens in a new window)Philip Donnellan
- (opens in a new window)Eoin Syron
- (opens in a new window)Eoin Casey
- (opens in a new window)Ravindranathan Thampi
- (opens in a new window)Damian Mooney
- (opens in a new window)Georg Pesch
- (opens in a new window)Veronica Sofianos
Advanced Materials Engineering
The School of Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering conducts cutting edge research in the area of advanced materials engineering. Challenges such as energy generation and storage, drug delivery, tissue engineering and green technologies are all driving the need for significiant innovations in the area of materials.
Faculty
Spin Outs
There has been a great deal of technical innovation and commercialisation work led by academic staff in SCBE for many years, across a range of areas from pharmaceuticals, wastewater treatment and the broader energy/materials and environment themes. This has often expressed itself in their leading roles in university spin-out company efforts, and we detail below a number of spin-outs in which SCBE academic staff have provided business, technical and scientific leadership.
Impact Case Studies
- Energy-saving UCD technology breathes life into wastewater treatment
- Engineering design to solve long-term problems in energy storage and medicine
- Gas Hydrates – a Potential New Fuel Source or a Cause of Mass Extinctions?
- Serendipity Swings Doors of Opportunity Open Wide for Nanobubble Generator Developers