Andrea

Dr. Alessandra Imbrogno

  • Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
    Institute for Advanced Membrane Technology
    Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1
    76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen
    Germany

Water is a limited source on our planet and precious for life. Water contaminated by micropollutants, like steroid hormones, causes serious damage of aquatic life and humans. Conventional nanofiltration process cannot remove efficiently these micropollutants. My challenge at IAMT is to learn from nature how steroid hormones are “destroyed” in our body and combine the biocatalytic process with membrane filtration in order to develop bioinspired membrane processes.

 

Employment

  

Since 03/2016

Post Doc, Research expertise: Molecular weight cut off characterization of nanofiltration and ultrafiltration membranes, breakthrough curve phenomena in nanofiltration, biocatalytic membranes for steroid hormone degradation

 

  

Education

  

11/2011-02/2015

Doctoral Degree in Chemical Engineering and Material, University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy

Doctoral thesis: "Membrane emulsification for the development of particulate systems for drug encapsulation"

10/2005-05/2011

Master Degree in Pharmaceutical Chemistry and Technology (marks: 110/110 with honours), University of Calabria, Arcavacata di Rende, Italy

Master thesis: "Study of effects of green tea catechins and their metabolites on breast cancer cells"

 

  

Research Projects

  
 

Brigitte-Schlieben-Lange-Programm (MWK, 12.2019-03.2022) Development of hydrogel coated biocatalytic membranes for steroid hormone degradation.

 

DFG Initiation of International Collaboration (06.2020-09.2022) Nanobiocatalyst-membrane process for micropollutant degradation.

Publications
Imbrogno, A.; Schäfer, A.I. (2021). Micropollutants breakthrough curve phenomena in nanofiltration: Impact of operational parameters. Separation and Purification Technology, 267, 118406. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.seppur.2021.118406
Imbrogno, A.; Samanta, P.; Schäfer, A.I. (2019). Fate of steroid hormone micropollutant estradiol in a hybrid magnetic ion exchange resin-nanofiltration process. Environmental Chemistry, 16(8), 630-640. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1071/EN19126
Imbrogno, A.; Tiraferri, A. ;  Abbenante, S. ; Weyand, S. ; Schwaiger, R. ; Luxbacher, T. ; Schäfer, A.I. (2018) Organic Fouling through Magnetic Ion Exchange‐Nanofiltration (MIEX‐NF) in Water Treatment, Journal of Membrane Science, 549, 474-485. DOI: org/10.1016/j.memsci.2017.12.041
Imbrogno, A. ; Biscarat, J. ; Schäfer, A.I. (2017) Estradiol uptake in a combined magnetic ion exchange - ultrafiltration (MIEX-UF) process during water treatment, Special Issue ‘Membranes technologies for pharmaceutical applications’, Current Pharmaceutical Design, 23, 2, 328-337. DOI: org/10.2174/1381612822666161021142412
Piacentini E. ; Imbrogno A. ; Holdich R.G. (2016) Direct Membrane Emulsification. Encyclopedia of Membranes, Encyclopedia of Membranes, 567-568. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44324-8_182
Piacentini E. ; Imbrogno A. ; Holdich R.G. (2016) Dynamic Membrane Emulsification. Encyclopedia of Membranes, 610-616. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-662-44324-8_194
Imbrogno, A. ; Dragosavac, M. M., Piacentini, E. ; Vladisavljević, G. T. ; Holdich, R. G. ; Giorno, L. (2015). Polycaprolactone multicore-matrix particle for the simultaneous encapsulation of hydrophilic and hydrophobic compounds produced by membrane emulsification and solvent diffusion processes. Colloids and Surface B, Biointerfaces, 135:116-125. DOI: dx-doi.org/10.1016/j.colsurfb.2015.06.071
Piacentini, E. ; Imbrogno, A. ; Drioli, E. ; Giorno, L. (2014). Membranes with tailored wettability properties for the generation of uniform emulsion droplets with high efficiency, Journal of Membrane Science, 459, 96-103. DOI: dx-doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2014.01.075
Piacentini E.; Imbrogno, A. ; Giorno, L. (2014) Nanostructured Sensing Emulsion Droplets and Particles: Properties and Formulation by Membrane Emulsification, Smart Membranes and Sensors: Synthesis, Characterization, and Applications. Chapter 14, 367-398, Wiley. DOI: 10.1002/9781119028642.ch13
Imbrogno, A. ; Piacentini, E. ; Drioli, E. ; Giorno, L. (2014) Preparation of uniform poly-caprolactone microparticles by membrane emulsification/solvent diffusion process, Journal of Membrane Science, 467, 262–268. DOI: dx-doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2014.05.037
Imbrogno, A. ; Piacentini, E. ; Drioli, E. ; Giorno, L. (2014) Micro and nano poly-caprolactone particles preparation by pulsed back-and-forward cross-flow batch membrane emulsification for parenteral administration, International Journal of Pharmaceutics, 477, 344-350. DOI: dx-doi.org/10.1016/j.memsci.2013.10.063
Imbrogno A. ; Piacentini E. (2015) Membrane emulsification in phase separation for microcapsules preparation, Encyclopedia of Membranes, 1-5. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-40872-4_2021-1