Day 2: Green Chemistry and Biocatalytic Innovation

The second day of the workshop took place at Politecnico di Milano, where sessions were focused on green chemistry applications in flavour and fragrance synthesis.

The morning session began with Prof. Arianna Rossetti, who introduced novel nanotechnological approaches to the valorisation of agri-food waste for the green synthesis of silver nanoparticles.
Next, Prof. Maria Elisabetta Brenna discussed sustainability in the chemistry of flavours and fragrances, highlighting the potential of biocatalytic methods.
Her talk was followed by Dr. Francesco G. Gatti, who presented the chemo-enzymatic synthesis of fragrances, bridging traditional organic synthesis with enzymatic processes.

After the coffee break, participants enjoyed a laboratory tour at POLIMI’s Department of Chemistry, Materials, and Chemical Engineering “Giulio Natta”, followed by a networking lunch.

The afternoon session opened with Dr. Stefano Serra (SCITEC-CNR), who presented “Biotechnological Approaches to the Production of Natural Flavours from Renewable Feedstocks.”
Later, Prof. Brenna and Dr. Fabio Parmeggiani led an engaging presentation entitled “The Wonders of Vanilla”, exploring biocatalytic pathways leading to natural aroma compounds.