Dr. Ana Martin-Ryals
Assistant Professor and Biological Engineering Undergraduate Coordinator
Specialization Areas: Environmental Biotechnology, Resource Recovery, Life Cycle Assessment
Dr. Ana Martin-Ryals is an Assistant Professor and Undergraduate Coordinator in the Agricultural and Biological Engineering department at the University of Florida. The broad aim of her research program is to develop innovative waste and wastewater treatment processes that can enhance sustainability within water-energy-food systems. Organic wastes streams including municipal wastewater, animal manure, and food waste, among others, represent a substantial and underutilized set of feedstocks for bioenergy and biomaterials production. Dr. Martin-Ryals is working to develop treatment systems that can recover the carbon, water, and nutrients contained in these waste streams to produce value-added products such as renewable energy, reusable water, biobased fertilizers, and bioplastic.
In her research, Dr. Martin-Ryals works extensively with a process called anaerobic digestion. Anaerobic digestion utilizes microbes to convert organic material into methane-rich biogas. The biogas can be used as an alternative to natural gas for heat and electricity production, or leveraged to produce other biobased chemicals or materials. Dr. Martin-Ryals’ previous and on-going research includes advancing anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology, microbial community analysis, hydrothermal liquefaction biofuel production, nutrient recovery from wastewater, bioplastic production from food waste, and life-cycle assessment to evaluate environmental impacts of different waste treatment strategies and technologies. Dr. Martin-Ryals is also involved in engineering education research and improving undergraduate STEM education.
Contact Information
admartin@ufl.edu • Website (Hinkley Project)
352-294-6708
Office:
115 Frazier Rogers Hall
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 110570
Gainesville, FL 32611-0570
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Teaching
- ABE 2012C: Introduction to Biological Engineering
- EGS 1006: Introduction to Engineering
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Research
Departmental Research Area:
- Biological Engineering
Research Focus:
- Bioplastic production and degradation via anaerobic digestion
- Advancing anaerobic membrane bioreactor (AnMBR) technology for energy, water, and nutrient recovery from wastewaters
- Anaerobic treatment of hydrothermal liquefaction wastewater to support energy and nutrient recovery from wet organic waste
- Life-cycle assessment
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Education
- Ph.D. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2017
- M.S. Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 2012
- B.S. Agricultural & Biological Engineering, University of Florida, 2009
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Professional Experience
- 2019 - Present
Assistant Professor, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Florida - 2017 - 2019
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Illinois Sustainable Technology Center, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - 2015 - 2016
Fulbright Graduate Student Research Fellow, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Barcelona, Spain - 2010 - 2017
Graduate Research Assistant, Department of Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- 2019 - Present
- Publications
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Awards and Honors
- U.S. Fulbright Graduate Student Research Fellowship, 2015
- National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship, 2011
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Other Professional Activities
- American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers
- American Society for Engineering Education
- Water Environment Federation
- International Water Association