Ana is a Ph.D. Student at the University College Dublin and works on her Ph.D. project for the industry partner Bionet.

She studied Biotechnology Engineering at the Universidad de las Fuerzas Armadas-Espe in Ecuador and a Master of Environment at the University of Melbourne in Australia. Her professional interest is focused on developing alternative protein sources to reduce the pressure on ecosystem services and through circular use processes. She is highly convinced of the potential of biotechnology to transform current food systems into more resource-efficient and sustainable biorefineries. Also, she is passionate about science communication to connect science-based decisions with the social application of technology.

Ana has worked on research on the sustainable use of biodiversity by using insects and microalgae and has led initiatives in Latinamerica to make science more accessible to society. Her Ph.D. research involves developing bioprocesses for bioeconomy using continuous manufacturing to produce bioproducts.