Fernanda FONSECA

#### **EDUCATION** **Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches (HDR).** Université de Technologie de Compiègne, 2010. Title : « Stabilization of bio functionalities trough an approach combining the understanding of mechanisms and the product-process engineering” **Ph.D. Degree** in **Biotechnology and Process Engineering**, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (AgroParisTech),**2001**. Ph.D. thesis title: "Influence of cryoprotection and freezing on the acidification activity of thermopile lactic acid bacteria: relationships between biological and thermodynamic properties." **Master Degree** in **Biotechnology and Process Engineering**, Institut National Agronomique Paris-Grignon (AgroParisTech), **1997**. M.Sc. thesis title: "Study of the freezing step on the activity of frozen lactic acid starters." Engineer** in **Chemical Engineering**, Montevideo University (Uruguay), **1996.** **SCIENTIFIC EXPERIENCE** ------------------------- **Research Director (since January 2015),** in Paris-Saclay Food and Bioproduct Engineering research unit (UMR 782 SayFood INRAE-AgroParisTech), Versailles-Grignon Centre, at the French National Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment (INRAE), France. **Researcher Scientist** (**September 2001 – December 2014**), in the Joint Research Unit for Food Process Engineering and Microbiology (UMR 782 GMPA INRA-AgroParisTech), Versailles-Grignon Centre, Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), France. **Main fields of expertise:**Biotechnology and process engineering: fermentation, formulation, and stabilization of bioproducts. - Bioproducts: micro-organisms, proteins, food products. - Stabilization processes: freezing and freeze-drying - Biophysical characterization of bioproducts (thermal analysis, freeze-drying microscopy, Fourier Transformed InfraRed microspectroscopy) **Research approach:** Focusing on biophysical and chemical behaviors of bioproducts during stabilization processes and by relating them to biological and functional responses, to identify and quantify the mechanisms governing the degradation and preservation of bioproducts during the stabilization processes. The ambition is also to find general principles for simplifying and rationalizing the development of newly formulated products and the stabilization process optimization, with particular attention to limiting the environmental impact.