Fabricio of ESPE

In this session, Eng. Fabricio Castillo draws on his industry experience in yellow biotechnology to share concrete lessons from the workplace. He will recount pivotal projects—from optimizing microbial fermentations to implementing pigment-production pipelines—and highlight the technical challenges, multidisciplinary teamwork, and problem-solving strategies that defined his career. Participants will learn how to translate academic knowledge into industry impact, develop essential soft skills (communication, project management, cross-functional collaboration), and anticipate common pitfalls when scaling up bioprocesses. Through candid case studies and actionable advice, this talk equips STEM students with a realistic roadmap for succeeding in yellow biotech roles.

Biography:

Eng. Fabricio Castillo is a Biotechnology Engineer with over eight years of professional experience in the yellow biotechnology sector. He earned his B.Sc. in Biotechnology from the Universidad Técnica del Norte (UTN), where his undergraduate thesis focused on microbial pigment synthesis and downstream processing. Early in his career, Fabricio completed a research internship at the National Institute of Agricultural Biotechnology, developing enzyme‐mediated strategies for sustainable agro-residue valorization.

Since graduation, Fabricio has held key roles in both start-ups and established bioprocessing firms. At BioChrom Solutions, he led a multidisciplinary team to scale up production of natural carotenoid pigments via fed-batch fermentation, achieving a 35 % reduction in production costs. Later, as Senior Process Engineer at VerdeTech Labs, he managed cross-functional projects integrating metabolic engineering, pilot-plant operations, and quality control for cosmetic and food-grade formulations. Fabricio is also an active member of the Latin American Yellow Biotech Network, where he mentors early-career scientists and contributes to industry best-practice guidelines. His blend of hands-on bioprocess expertise and leadership in collaborative teams makes him a sought-after speaker on applying yellow biotechnologies to real-world challenges.

Address:Quito, Pichincha, Ecuador