Specialist research, design and manufacturing consultancy, ESE (Environmental Selective Extractions), is led by Dr Jose Gonzalez Rodriguez, who has been developing polymer technology for the extraction and recycling of inorganic and organic compounds at the University of Lincoln for more than twenty years. In 2022 Jose launched the commercial start-up, ESE, to help drive his passion and to make a positive difference to the world around us.
Jose has been an associate professor at the University of Lincoln for over sixteen years after he completed his PGCE there in 2006. He is currently programme leader of Master’s in Forensic Science as well as the supervisor to six PhD students and one Master by Research.
Before he mentored others, Jose achieved degrees in both Chemistry and Biochemistry and a Master’s degree in Environmental Sciences. He also has a PhD in Analytical Chemistry, which directly links to the research he has been developing and the reason for the launch of ESE.
He has won numerous awards for his work and has published over seventy publications and forty communications to congress.
When asked about his reasoning behind creating ESE, Jose says:
“Since I was a child, I have always been curious about nature and how the things around us work, which is one of the reasons I chose to study chemistry.”
He adds, “I would like to think that through ESE we can use novel technological solutions to reduce the impact of human activities in the environment and use our resources in a sustainable manner, so as not to destroy our planet.”
Sustainability plays a large role in the work carried out by Jose and the ESE team as they aim to increase the recycling of rare compounds and to trap compounds that heavily pollute the environment and affect people’s health.