Seville, 8 March 2010. The auditorium of the University of Seville was the setting for the Javier Benjumea Puigcerver Research Prize, awarded by the Focus-Abengoa Foundation and the Social Council of the University of Seville. The winner of this seventh edition was Miguel García Guerrero, professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and former director of the Scientific Research Centre, for his work entitled ‘Development of processes of industrial, energy and environmental interest based on microalgae’. Visibly moved, García Guerrero dedicated words of thanks to his research team, for the joint work carried out, and to his ‘teacher’ Manuel Losada, with whom ‘I have been fortunate enough to train and enjoy his valuable advice’. The professor also recalled the support received from his family, students and colleagues, ‘scientists and non-scientists’ at the CicCartuja, an institution of which he has been a member since its beginnings in 1996.

Miguel García Guerrero then gave a detailed presentation of the award-winning work, which focuses on the study of microalgae and cyanobacteria, organisms responsible for at least half of global primary productivity. In the speech, accompanied by graphic elements, the professor showed the various applications developed by his research group on a subject that enjoys notable industrial repercussions, thanks to the production of pigments and dyes or the absorption of CO2. Work on crops – such as that carried out in India on the nitrogen fertilisation of rice paddies by nitrogen cyanobacteria – served as an example to illustrate to a large audience, mostly made up of colleagues from the Faculty and disciples. Finally, García Guerrero explained the different uses and advantages of microalgae in the production of biofuels, an activity that is generating growing interest from companies with international projection, such as Abengoa.

The last words of Miguel García Guerrero were dedicated to the Chairman of the Focus-Abengoa Foundation, Felipe Benjumea Llorente, in recognition of the entrepreneurial work promoted by his family for decades. Together with Benjumea, the rector of the University of Seville, Joaquín Luque, and the president of the Social Council, María Luisa García, presided over the event. The latter highlighted the ‘career of scientific excellence’ of the award winner, author of numerous articles and publications related to microalgae biotechnology, director of more than ten doctoral theses and promoter of three patents, two of which have been licensed by Spanish companies. Joaquín Luque, for his part, expressed his satisfaction with the quality of the studies arising from the University of Seville, one of the best examples of which is the career of Miguel García Guerrero.

The Javier Benjumea Puigcerver Prize, worth 18,000 euros, was established by the Focus-Abengoa Foundation in 2004 to promote scientific research applied to companies. In previous editions, the winners were Miguel Ángel de la Rosa Acosta (Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology), Antonio Barrero Ripoll (Professor of Fluid Mechanics), José López Barneo (Professor of Physiology), Aníbal Ollero Baturone (Professor of Engineering), Enrique Cerdá Olmedo (Professor of Genetics) and Federico París Carballo (Professor of Mechanics of Continuous Media).