Lourdes Pérez obtained her PhD in Chemistry in 1997 from the University of Barcelona, where she studied the physicochemical and biological properties of arginine-based gemini surfactants. The research she has conducted over the last 25 years focuses on the field of biocompatible surfactants, and her main objective is the development of non-toxic and biodegradable surfactant compounds from renewable natural products.

Throughout her career, she has worked on the following areas: a) design and synthesis of new surfactant compounds with lower toxic activity than those commercially available, b) study of their physicochemical, biological, and ecotoxicological properties, c) elucidation of the interaction mechanism between surfactants and the cell membrane to explain toxicity, d) antimicrobial and antibiofilm activity of these compounds, and e) formulation and study of antimicrobial vesicles and nanoparticles.

Results of great interest have been obtained in the field of sustainable chemistry, which has favored their transfer to the industrial sector. She has published more than 115 scientific articles in international peer-reviewed journals, has supervised 3 doctoral theses and 10 master’s projects, and is a co-inventor of 11 patents.