Her dedication and enthusiasm for research have been driven by a clear goal: to use her knowledge in chemical engineering to improve people’s lives.
A Journey Driven by Determination
Marina’s passion for research has a deeply personal motivation. Her desire to improve the living conditions of farmers, especially those of her father, led her to study Chemical Engineering, believing that this discipline would provide her with the necessary tools to achieve her purpose. Upon completing her academic training, she had the opportunity to carry out her doctoral thesis on the treatment of low-quality compost. Since then, Marina has remained committed to her main objective of making a meaningful difference in people’s lives, which has become a source of personal fulfillment.
Turning Waste into Valuable Products
Currently, Marina works as a postdoctoral researcher in two lines of investigation focused on reducing society’s waste while obtaining high value-added products. The first line aims to obtain humic acids, a type of solid fertilizer, from compost derived from unsorted organic waste. The second line focuses on extracting high-value products such as pectin and pectooligosaccharides from agro-industrial residues, such as sugar beet pulp or rejected red beet. Both research lines are based on the extraction of compounds of interest, followed by purification using membrane technology, and finally, precipitation of the target compounds.
Marina explains: “My research seeks to give a second life to waste. For example, under current regulations, bio-stabilized material cannot be used as compost in agricultural soils due to its origin and composition; if this bio-stabilized material were used to obtain humic acids, it would not end up being landfilled.”
Together with her team, Marina is working to move from a linear economy, where waste is discarded, to a circular economy, where all materials are valorized and waste is eliminated.
Passion for Learning and Growth
Marina finds her greatest motivation in the pursuit of knowledge and in overcoming the daily challenges of her work. In her research, each step is an opportunity to explore the unknown and overcome obstacles. Despite the occasional frustrations, she derives great satisfaction from her work.
Research has left an indelible mark on Marina, shaping not only her career but also her character. She has embraced the importance of continuous improvement in all aspects of life and the need to maintain an open mind to face new challenges. Beyond scientific results, she has learned that integrity and honesty are essential pillars in research and in building strong relationships in society.
“I believe this work has shaped me as a person and made me who I am today. It has shown me how essential continuous improvement is in all areas of life and taught me to keep an open mind toward everything the future may bring.”
