Joel L Cuello

Joel Cuello, PhD, focuses his research on applying engineering to put biological systems to work. His collaborative research projects, which have been sponsored by DOE, NASA and USDA, among others, are divided into two major thrusts: Bioprocess Engineering and Controlled-Environment Engineering.With bioprocess engineering, Dr. Cuello’s concentrations are on design and scale up of bioreactors for production of biofuels and biochemicals from algae, plant cells and organs. Also, he explores the optimization of algae and cell-culture productivity through biochemical and environmental strategies. Also, he attends to wastewater treatment using algae, microbial mat and hydroponics.In regard to controlled-environment engineering, Dr. Cuello’s concentrations -- for both Earth and Space applications -- are on design of novel lighting systems, including hybrid solar-electric lighting systems, light-emitting diode arrays, and water-cooled high-intensity discharge lamps. He complements this work with trying to design bioproduction systems, including a hybrid hydroponics-and-aquaculture system.