Dr Ernesto Hernandez

Available to supervise PhD students

I am an experienced researcher and academic with roles spanning teaching, supervision, tutoring and school-level board membership. After industry experience at Celanese and a PhD from the University of Sheffield, I completed three postdoctoral appointments. I later served as Lecturer at the University of Manchester and Associate Professor at the University of Nottingham.

My research advances bioinspired solutions with bioprocessing and biocatalysts to improve the quality of life and support climate‑mitigation efforts by integrating water, food and energy within circular‑economy approaches for Sustainable Development.

Modules in which I am teaching:

1. Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering
2. Design project in chemical engineering
3. Professional Chemical Engineering and Development
4. Project and innovation Management
5. Leadership in a Global World
6. The Big Picture

Modules in which I have taught:

1. Advanced Biochemical Engineering
2. Advanced Chemical Reaction Engineering
3. Advanced Chemistry for Chemical Engineers
4. Biochemical Engineering
5. Biochemistry
6. Bioseparation Processes, modules 1 and 2
7. Biostatistics, theory and laboratory
8. Chemical Engineering Laboratory
9. Chemical Reaction Engineering
10. Design project in chemical engineering
11. General Chemistry
12. Heat Transfer and Fluid Flow in Processes Principles of Chemistry
13. Industrial Biotechnology: Biogas
14. Interfacial Chemistry
15. Introduction to Chemical Engineering
16. Introduction to Chemistry
17. Microbiology
18. Natural Product Chemistry
19. Numerical Analysis
20. Physical Laws of the Natural World
21. Physics and Process Chemistry (Process Engineering)
22. Principles of Biorefinery Engineering
23. Professional Chemical Engineering and Development
24. Research and Design Projects
25. Research Project
26. Transport Phenomena

Are you passionate about tackling climate change and contributing to local and global Sustainable Development Goals?

Do you have a strong interest in Biotechnology, Biological Engineering, Biochemical Engineering, or related fields?

If you are considering a research degree in these areas and want to make a real-world impact, you are warmly encouraged to contact: ernesto.hernandez@canterbury.ac.uk.

Group leader: Bioinspired Engineering Research Group (BIERG)

Research discipline: Biochemical Engineering

Themes: Bioprocess Engineering and Biocatalysis.

Our century is witnessing fast changes in the way people create goods and services, probably due to climate change and concerns linked to equity, health, water, food and energy.

Clean energy and sustainable materials from biomass such as waste, plants, microbes, animals and by-products could progressively replace petroleum materials. Besides, the processing of petroleum, minerals and biomass will gradually be more sustainable thanks to environmentally friendly biotechnologies coupled to computational advances.

Chemicals and processes that are problematic for people, the economy and the environment will be replaced to achieve sustainable goals. This situation is an opportunity to create and apply bioprocesses and biocatalysis for sustainable manufacturing to achieve Sustainable Development Goals.

At BIERG we research bioprocesses and biocatalysis and their applications to current sustainability challenges. We investigate a variety of ways to understand and use microbes, enzymes and other cellular chemicals to solve a number of problems currently affecting societies worldwide. We have applied bioprocessing and biocatalysis to convert a variety of biomasses into green energy (biomethane, bioethanol, biodiesel); decontaminate water, soil and sludge; capture smoky carbon dioxide; produce renewable energy, nutrient feedstocks and commodity chemicals in biorefineries; or ease the flow of oil in deep underground oil reservoirs at very high temperatures and pressures.

I am interested in deploying biology and engineering capabilities for a Circular Economy and Sustainable Development through Bioinspired solutions.

Selected funding awards

Hernandez, J.E. (PI), Lucas-Smith, T., Goode, C. and Pocock, c. (2025). PaintSmartly 1: Scouting Identification of One Sustainable Solution for Cleaning Painting Tools Contaminated with Water-Based Paints. Cost/Project code: 10022/G90447).

Hernandez, J.E. (PI) (2021). Viability study on real-time monitoring of healthy omega-3 production in microalgae AlgaeCytes. SSB-AU022108. Account code: 9368. Undergraduate Summer Studentship (N. Vaccaro). BBSRC. Algae-UK.

Hernandez, J.E. (PI) (2014). Development of a bioprocess to convert smoky carbon dioxide into commercial carbonates in Malaysia. Project 03-02-12-SF0252. Ministry of Science and Technology, Malaysia.

Hernandez, J.E. (PI) (2014). Bioprocess design as a tool for directing the evolution of man-made enzymes (2014). Fundamental Research Grant Scheme. FRGS/1/2014/TK05/UNIM/02/2. Ministry of Higher Education, Malaysia.

Hernandez, J.E. (PI) (2014). Inter-Campus research scheme (Intercampus PhD Scholarship Program), University of Nottingham, UK-Malaysia.

Hernandez, J.E. (PI) (2013). Cabb (Scouting study on bioprocessing smoky CO₂ into carbonates) (2013). UNMC (Collaboration with Public Universities and Government Agencies), University of Nottingham, Malaysia Campus.

Hernandez, J.E. (Co-I) (2014). Development of an efficient and cost-effective enzyme recovery system using recyclable aqueous two-phase flotation. Project 02-02-12-SF0256. Ministry of Science and Technology, Malaysia.

Research Projects

1. PaintSmartly 1: Scouting Identification of One Sustainable Solution for Cleaning Painting Tools Contaminated with Water-Based Paints. 2025. Hernandez, J.E. (PI), Lucas-Smith, T., Goode, C. and Pocock, C.
2. Faculty Internship. Scouting study on sustainable nutrient rich feedstock from biomass. 2024. Umar Alfa Abubakar, Naeem Syed and Ernesto Hernandez.
3. BRIDGE -BioRenewables Inspired Development Geared by Elements. Research and Knowledge Exchange. 2024. Cornelia Wilson, Hannah Ortega, Soban Sadiq and Ernesto Hernandez.
4. BiSEMiX -A protocol for Biomass characterization through SEM-EDX. Research and Knowledge Exchange. Laura Vera, Cornelia Wilson, Richard Webb and Ernesto Hernandez.
5. Viability study on real-time monitoring of healthy omega-3 production in microalgae. SSB-AU022108. BBSRC. Algae-UK.
6. Increasing vertical farming yield through the optimisation of nutrient growth in algae to be used as a fertiliser, with use of digital twin monitoring. Researcher(s): Miss Natasha Vaccaro. Supervisor(s): Dr Ernesto Hernandez and Dr Naomi Rintoul-Hynes. [PhD Research Project]
7. Artificial enzymes to reduce carbon dioxide emissions
8. Hernandez, J.E. et al. (2015). Protein purification system. Ministry of Education.
9. Hernandez, J.E. (PI) et al. (2014). Development of a bioprocess to convert smoky carbon dioxide into commercial carbonates in Malaysia. Ministry of Science and Technology. eScience. Project 03-02-12-SF0252.
10. Hernandez, J.E. (PI) et al. (2014). Bioprocess design as a tool for directing the evolution of man-made enzymes. Ministry of Education. Fundamental Research Grant Scheme. FRGS 2014-1.
11. Hernandez, J.E. (PI) et al. (2014) Dean Undergraduate Research Scheme. The University of Nottingham.

12. Hernandez, J.E. (PI) et al. (2014) Intercampus Research Scheme. The University of Nottingham.
13. Hernandez, J.E. (PI) et al. (2013) Collaboration with Public Universities scheme. The University of Nottingham.

• European examiner of PhD works.
• Editorial member of Applied Sciences (ISSN: 2076-3417, IF 2.7), issues: 1) "Biotechnology for Biofuel and Biomass Production", 2) "Advances in Biomass Conversion and Bioproduct Development: Towards Sustainable Bioprocess Engineering" and 3) "Advancements in Biomass-to-Biofuel Conversion Technologies: Process Optimization, Efficiency, and Sustainability.
• Editorial member of Frontiers in Chemical engineering (ISSN 2673-2718), -Biochemical engineering section.
• Editorial member: The Journal of Chemical Engineering and Environment (ISSN. 1412-5064, E-ISSN. 2356-1661).
• Senior Member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers
• Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, Institution of Chemical Engineers, European Biotechnology Network, European Network for Gastrointestinal Health Research, European Federation of Chemical Engineering, European Society of Biochemical Engineering Sciencesand other professional bodies.

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