The research activity carried out by Dr. Bertin is focused on
the following main subjects: development of anaerobic
biotechnological processes fed with organic matrices having
different origins (organic fractions of municipal solid wastes,
agro-industrial wastes) for the production of a) volatile fatty
acids, to be employed as the row-material of aerobic
biotechnological processes for microbial biopolymers production, or
b) a biogas richi in hydrogen (by developing dark fermentation
processes) or biomethane; 2) recovery of the polyphenolic fraction
of agro-industrial wastes via solid-phase extraction; 3)
development of microaerophilic or anaerobic biotecnological
processes fed with crude glycerol (from the transesterification of
triglycerides for biodiesel production) per the production of
1,3-propanediol; 4) ectoxicological tests employing both animal and
plant organisms; development of biotechnological processes for the
production of polyhydroxyalkanoates (microbial biopolymers -
polyesters - stored by aerobic bacteria as a carbon and energy
source).
