Bernardo Candia-Herrera is a Biochemist and currently an M.Sc. candidate in Science and Food Engineering at Universidad del Bío-Bío (Chile). His research focuses on microbial biotechnology, specifically the kinetic modeling of bioprocesses and the characterization of exopolysaccharides produced by natived lactic-acid bacteria isolated from kefir. By combining his background in biochemistry with bioprocess engineering, his work aims to optimize the production of natural microbial hydrocolloids to develop sustainable and functional ingredients for the food industry.