People

Group Leader

Prof. Pedro A. Saa

Education

Ph.D. The University of Queensland, Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, 2013 – 2017.

Thesis: “A Bayesian framework for sampling the feasible kinetic behaviour of metabolic reaction networks”.

M.Eng.Sc. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, School of Engineering. Master in Engineering Science, Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, 2011 – 2012.

Thesis: “Modelling oxygen dissolution during pulse oxygen additions under oenological conditions”. Maximum distinction.

B.Eng. Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, School of Engineering. Biological Engineering, 2006 – 2012. Honours.

Research interests

Metabolic Engineering; Biosystems Modelling; Optimization; Computational Statistics; Applied Machine Learning.

Current Lab Members

PhD students

Reinier Rizo (2024 - ongoing). PhD in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Sheila Valdés (2024 - ongoing). PhD in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Francisca Villanueva (2024 - ongoing). PhD in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Jorge Garay (2023 - ongoing). PhD in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Álvaro Altamirano (2019 - ongoing). PhD in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Master students

Celeste Vargas (2024 - ongoing). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Ignacio Tapia (2024 - ongoing). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

María Catalina Casanueva (2022 - ongoing). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Ricardo Leiva (2021 - ongoing). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

Past Lab Members

Carolina Deantas (2021 - 2023). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

(Bioprocess Engineer at Merkén Biotech)

Sebastián Zapararte (2022 - 2024). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

(Bioinformatician at Sticta Biologicals)

Benjamín Elizondo (2021 - 2024). Master in Engineering Science, mention in Chemical and Bioprocess Engineering, PUC. Supervisor.

(Applying for PhD positions)