26 June - Esteban Lòpez Tavera (KBM)

English title of thesis:
Discovery and engineering of oxidoreductases for oxidative transformation of synthetic polymers and polymer precursors

Norwegian title of the thesis:
Oppdagelse og utvikling av oksidoreduktaser for oksidativ omdanning av syntetiske polymerer og
polymerforløpere

Prescribed subject of the trial lecture (Approved):
The search for plastic-degrading microorganisms: promise, pitfalls, and progress
The trial lecture was held on June 12, 2026.

Evaluation committee - trial lecture:
Researcher Aniko Varnai, KBM, NMBU
Associate Professor Marius Aursnes, KBM, NMBU
Associate Professor Linda Liberg Bergaust, KBM, NMBU (Administrator)

Time and place for the public defence:
Friday 26.06 2026, at 12.15.
The defence will be held at NMBU in Gullvepsen, Bikuben, NMBU.

Evaluation committee:
First opponent: Professor Anton Glieder, Institute of molecular biotechnology, Graz University of technology, Graz, Austria

Second opponent: Research Director, PhD Bastien Bissaro, INRAE - Fungal Biotechnology and Biodiversity (BBF) Lab, Polytech Marseille, Marseille, France

Committee coordinator: Associate Professor Linda Liberg Bergaust, Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås, Norway

Supervisors:
Main supervisor:
Associate Professor Gustav Vaaje-Kolstad, Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås

Co-supervisors:
Professor Vincent Eijsink, Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås

Researcher Anton Stepnov, Faculty of Chemistry, Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, Ås

The doctoral thesis is available for public review.
For those of you who wants access to this please send an email to:
phd-kbm@nmbu.no

Thesis number 2026:55; ISSN 1894-6402; ISBN 978-82-575-2374-9