Dr Ezequiel SANTILLAN

Ezequiel is a senior research fellow at the Wuertz lab in SCELSE (NTU Singapore), specializing in interdisciplinary research supporting the Sustainable Development Goals and the circular economy. He serves as project manager for a Singapore NRF-funded CRP research grant, focusing on recovering aquaculture feed additives from food-processing wastewater. His team has developed a pilot-scale microbial protein production technology and is actively exploring partnerships to scale up and implement it in situ, turning industrial waste into sustainable, high-value products. A Fulbright scholar, Ezequiel holds a PhD and MSc in Civil & Environmental Engineering from UC Davis, where he gained expertise in microbial community assessment, disturbance ecology, wastewater treatment, and bioremediation. He has contributed to intellectual property development and applied microbial research to solve real-world challenges. As an educator, Ezequiel has taught courses in environmental engineering, biotechnology, microbial ecology, and the circular economy. He combines expertise in experimental design, bioinformatics, and data analysis with a passion for innovation and sustainability. Ezequiel also holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the National University of Salta, Argentina, and previously worked for five years in the steel industry with Tenaris, further enriching his industrial perspective.