[Profile] Jean-Baptiste Mazzitelli, chemical research engineer (UMR 408 SQPOV, GREEN team)
What is your research about?
My research interests include eco-extraction of natural substances. This involves working on different plants, algae, insects and animal matter to extract and add value to molecules with specific activities of interest in a variety of fields such as agri-food, cosmetics, nutraceuticals or energy...
What are your current scientific activities?
We have a very exciting opportunity in the GREEN team (UMR SQPOV) with the arrival ofa new extraction tool this month using carbon dioxide. This technique, based on the use of CO2 in a state known as "supercritical", enables specific properties to be obtained at the boundary between gases and liquids, making it possible to eco-extract and purify numerous molecules. It is a tool that will enable us to acquire a wide range of skills in the field of extraction through innovative projects.
Why did you choose to work in academic research?
I did all my university studies, from biology to chemistry, at the University of Avignon. So it was only natural that I should take an interest in the research carried out there. My interest in natural substances led me to look for ways of adding value to them.
What advice would you give to students who want to do research?
For me, research is a way ofpersonal developmentFor me, it's a job I'm passionate about. It's a job that brings you into contact with many different scientific and non-scientific worlds during collaborative projects.
What object or image from your business best illustrates you?
Coffee, because I'm a big fan of coffee when it comes to scientific reflection!
UMR 408 SQPOV - GREEN team
The research carried out by the Safety and Quality of Plant-Based Products joint research unit focuses on the (re)design of processing or extraction processes applied to plants, particularly fruit and vegetables, in a context of food transition and sustainable food.
The portraits
The aim of these processes is to control quality in its many dimensions (nutritional, organoleptic, health, etc.) by optimising the way they are carried out throughout the transformation process, taking into account issues such as reducing environmental impact and maximising the use of plant biomass.
The GREEN team focuses on the eco-extraction of natural products, which consists of isolating compounds of interest from natural resources (plants, flowers, seeds, roots, micro-algae, yeast, bacteria, ....), for use in a variety of fields such as agri-food, cosmetics, perfumery and even fragrances, using innovative processes and more environmentally-friendly solvents.
Mis à jour le 11 April 2025