Robson Tramontina

I am a pharmacist and applied enzymologist specialising in biocatalysis, enzyme discovery and engineering, synthetic biology, and omics-enabled biotechnology. My research focuses on the discovery, characterisation, and optimisation of enzymes and microbial systems for sustainable chemical synthesis and the conversion of renewable and biogenic feedstocks into value-added products.

I am currently a Research Associate within the BBSRC Global Centres programme at the Manchester Institute of Biotechnology, University of Manchester. My work centres on developing enzyme-based routes for the production of fine chemicals, bioactive compounds, and polymer precursors, with particular emphasis on green chemistry, resource efficiency, and the circular bioeconomy. This research integrates bioinformatics, molecular biology, protein engineering, analytical chemistry, and bioprocess development to connect enzyme discovery with experimentally validated and potentially scalable applications.

My broader research interests include metabolic and pathway engineering, fermentation, lignin and biomass valorisation, enzyme mechanism, and the translation of laboratory discoveries into robust biomanufacturing processes. I am particularly interested in interdisciplinary collaborations that combine computational prediction, experimental enzymology, synthetic biology, and analytical characterisation.

Before joining the University of Manchester, I undertook postdoctoral research at the University of Campinas (UNICAMP), investigating microbial and biotechnological approaches to plastic-waste valorisation. My international research experience spans Brazil, the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Argentina, providing a collaborative and multidisciplinary perspective on biotechnology and sustainable manufacturing.

Alongside my academic work, I founded NexVitro Biologics, an initiative focused on improving access to affordable laboratory consumables for molecular diagnostics in developing economies. My training at UNIOESTE, Utrecht University, UNICAMP, and the University of Manchester has provided an interdisciplinary foundation across pharmacy, biotechnology, enzymology, and biochemical engineering.