Nanostructured Materials for Food Packaging Applications

Prof. Ilaria Cacciotti is a Full Professor of materials science and technology at the Niccolò Cusano University, Rome, Italy. She is an expert on synthesis, processing, and characterization of biocompatible nanostructured materials, particularly for applications in the biomedical, environmental, and agri-food sectors, including bioceramics, biopolymers, and composites. Prof. Cacciotti is the Coordinator of the Research and Projects Committee, as well as a member of the Italian Interuniversity Consortium on Materials Science and Technology (INSTM), Associazione Italiana d'Ingegneria dei Materiali (AIMAT), Società Italiana dei Biomateriali (SIB), Center for Regenerative Medicine (CIMER), International Association of Advanced Materials, and Italian Digital Biomanufacturing Network (IDBN). She is a reviewer for more than 100 peer-review journals, a member of the editorial board on several international journals, and serves on various grant review committees. She has published more than 150 peer-reviewed research papers, more than 10 book chapters, more than 190 conference proceedings, and more than 30 monographic volumes. She is inventor of 8 patents and has delivered several invited, keynote, and plenary lectures at national and international conferences and meetings. Her significant research endeavors have earned her multiple awards and recognition in her field.

Prof. Sabu Thomas is a Professor of Polymer Science and Engineering and the Director of the School of Energy Materials at Mahatma Gandhi University, India. Additionally, he is the Chairman of the Trivandrum Engineering Science & Technology Research Park (TrEST Research Park) in Thiruvananthapuram, India. He is the founder director of the International and Inter-university Centre for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology at Mahatma Gandhi University and the former Vice-Chancellor of the same institution.

Prof. Thomas is internationally recognized for his contributions to polymer science and engineering, with his research interests encompassing polymer nanocomposites, elastomers, polymer blends, interpenetrating polymer networks, polymer membranes, green composites, nanocomposites, nanomedicine, and green nanotechnology. His groundbreaking inventions in polymer nanocomposites, polymer blends, green bionanotechnology, and nano-biomedical sciences have significantly advanced the development of new materials for the automotive, space, housing, and biomedical fields. Dr. Thomas has been conferred with Honoris Causa (DSc) by the University of South Brittany, France.