Lidia Tomás

I am Head of the in vitro Preclinical Studies team at AINIA, where I lead research projects aimed at evaluating the efficacy of nutraceuticals, bioactives, ingredients and products on health, as well as initiatives for the development of advanced technologies. My work integrates cutting-edge approaches that simulate the gastrointestinal tract and colonic fermentation to study bioaccessibility, bioavailability, gastrointestinal resistance and interaction with the microbiota, together with models that mimic target organs using cell culture techniques, 3D bioprinting, spheroids and organs-on-chip. I work closely with R&D and marketing teams from companies in the food, nutraceutical and cosmetic sectors to drive innovative solutions based on scientific evidence.

• PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Universitat de València. Doctoral thesis: “Molecular bases of the gene induction process by glucose”. Centre: Institute of Biomedicine of Valencia (IBV-CSIC).
• Diploma of Advanced Studies from the Universitat de València. Research project: “Identification and characterisation of proteins interacting with the Msn5p protein of Saccharomyces cerevisiae”. Centre: Institute of Agrochemistry and Food Technology (IATA-CSIC).
• Degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the Universitat de València.
• Research stay at the Plant & Food Research Centre in Auckland (New Zealand) focused on the evaluation of bioactive compounds, funded by the High Specialisation Programme in Industrial Technologies of the Valencian Institute for Small and Medium-sized Industry (IMPIVA).
• Advanced Programme in Small and Medium-sized Enterprise Management at ESIC.
• Certificate in Design and Implementation of Environmental Quality Systems from the Universitat de València.

• Participation in the Core Group of the COST Action INFOGUT InfoGUT | CA23110

• Pharmanova I and II “Advanced technological strategies for the search and development of targeted therapies based on natural biomolecules” IMDEEA/2023/59 – IMDEEA/2024/37. IVACE – FEDER
• Neurocosmetics: New technologies for evaluating the efficacy of innovative cosmetics and fragrances IMDEEA/2025/73. IVACE – FEDER
• Dysbiosis I and II: Advanced experimental models to reproduce metabolic disorders associated with intestinal dysbiosis. IMDEEA/2024/35 – IMDEEA/2025/69 IVACE – FEDER
• COST Action INFOGUT: International networking on in vitro colon models simulating gut microbiota mediated interactions. CA23110
• MINIGUT. Research on the gastrointestinal digestion process and colonic fermentation using new in vitro models. Agreement with the Regional Ministry of Innovation, Universities, Science and Digital Society. 2022.
• OPTIPROT. “Network of omics technologies for the innovation of optimal protein combinations for consumers.” CDTI – CERVERA PROGRAMME OF EXCELLENCE TECHNOLOGY CENTRES (CER) within the framework of the State Programme for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R&D&I System, of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (2023–2025).
• MEAT4FUTURE: Research and development of technological tools for the design of foods based on cultivated meat. IMDEEA 2024/36
• “Network of omics technologies applied to innovation and industrial development of ingredients, functional foods and nutraceuticals.” CDTI – CERVERA PROGRAMME OF EXCELLENCE TECHNOLOGY CENTRES (CER) within the framework of the State Programme for Knowledge Generation and Scientific and Technological Strengthening of the R&D&I System, of the State Plan for Scientific and Technical Research and Innovation (2017–2020).
• PATHWAY-27. “Pivotal assessment of the effects of bioactives on health and wellbeing from human genome to food industry.” European Commission. Participating entity: 20 partners. 2013–2018.

Conferences I have participated in

• 38th EFFoST International Conference 2024. Future Food Systems: Innovation through Progress at Scientific Interfaces
• INFOGEST – 7th International Conference on Food Digestion (2023)
• IPA World Congress + Probiota 2025
• 33rd IFSCC Congress – Barcelona 2023 Rethinking Beauty Science

• Nutraforum 2025 – Farmaforum “Innovation in Nutraceuticals Modulating Colonic Dysbiosis: Advanced Systems to Evaluate their Efficacy” 17 September 2025 IFEMA, Madrid. Conference in the Cosméticaforum / Nutraforum Hall
• Symposium at Galicia Biodays 2024: “Omics technologies and protein coexistence for innovation in the food industry”. 13 June 2024
• Nutraceuticals Europe Summit & Expo 2025 5–6 March 2025. “Advanced in vitro models for the evaluation of functional ingredients: gastrointestinal simulation and colonic microbiota”
• CV+i Health Day Presentation of PHARMANOVA: Advanced technological strategies for the search and development of targeted therapies based on natural biomolecules.

• Infogest. The INFOGEST network is an international community of experts in food digestion, originally created as a COST Action (FA1005) and currently organised by INRAE. Objective: To share knowledge on food digestion and harmonise in vitro, in vivo and in silico methods.
• Infogut: International networking on in vitro colon models simulating gut microbiota mediated interactions. Objective: To create an interdisciplinary and cross-sector network to advance the development, standardisation and application of in vitro colon models that simulate interactions between gut microbiota and the host.
• I participate in the Food and Health working group of the Food4Life Platform.

• Hernández-Bueno A, Lapeña-Luzón T, Mora-Morón P, Tomás-Cobos L, Moreno-Puente P, et al. (2025) Clonapure® vs Creatine Monohydrate on ATP Synthesis in a Human Neuron Cell Line. J Neurol Exp Neural Sci 7: 158.
• Lapena-Luzon, T., Hernandez-Bueno, A., Tomas-Cobos, L., Moreno-Puente, P., Garcia-Benlloch, S., et al. (2025). Evaluation of the Effect of Clonapure® Versus Creatine Monohydrate on ATP Levels in a C2C12 Muscle Cell Line. American Journal of Sports Science, 13(2), 50-56.
• Mosele, J. I., Viadel, B., Yuste, S., Tomás-Cobos, L., García-Benlloch, S., Bailón, M. T. E., … & Motilva, M. J. (2025). Application of a dynamic colonic gastrointestinal digestion model to red wines: a study of flavanol metabolism by the gut microbiota and the cardioprotective activity of microbial metabolites. Food & Function. DOI: 10.1039/d4fo03774j
• Mayayo, T., Russo, G., Jiménez-Escobar, A. L., Pérez-González, N., Clares, B., Ruiz, A., Tomás-Cobos, L., Valera, A., Gómez-Farto, A., Arias-Santiago, S., & Montero-Vilchez, T. (2024). Microencapsulation, Cream Development, and Controlled Clinical Study of an Upcycled Polyphenolic Extract Combined with sh-Oligopeptide-1. Cosmetics, 11(6), 198.
• Hevia A, Ruas-Madiedo P, Faria MA, Petit V, Alves B, Alvito P, Arranz E, Bastiaan-Net S, Corredig M, Dijk W, Dupont D, Giblin L, Graf BA, Kondrashina A, Ramos H, Ruiz L, Santos-Hernández M, Soriano-Romaní L, Tomás-Cobos L, Vivanco-Maroto SM, Recio I, Miralles B. A Shared Perspective on in Vitro and in Vivo Models to Assay Intestinal Transepithelial Transport of Food Compounds. J Agric Food Chem. 2023 Dec 13;71(49):19265-19276.
• Rosés C, Garcia-Ibañez P, Agudelo A, Viadel B, Tomás-Cobos L, Gallego E, Carvajal M, Milagro FI, Barceló A. Effects of Glucosinolate-Enriched Red Radish (Raphanus sativus) on In Vitro Models of Intestinal Microbiota and Metabolic Syndrome-Related Functionalities. ACS Omega. 2023.
• Kondrashina A, Arranz E, Cilla A, Faria MA, Santos-Hernández M, Miralles B, Hashemi N, Rasmussen MK, Young JF, Barberá R, Mamone G, Tomás-Cobos L, Bastiaan-Net S, Corredig M, Giblin L. Coupling in vitro food digestion with in vitro epithelial absorption; recommendations for biocompatibility. Crit Rev Food Sci Nutr. 2023.
• Juan Antonio Nieto, Pilar Hellín, Beatriz Pérez, Blanca Viadel, Alberto Alapont, Agatha Agudelo. Fresh Brassicaceae sprouting broccoli (Bimi®) glucosinolates profile characterization and bioaccessibility through an in vitro dynamic digestion study. Journal of Food Composition and Analysis, 2023.
• Soriano Romaní L, Nieto Fuentes JA, Tomás Cobos L, Diez Sánchez E. Modulating activity of a bovine hydrolyzed collagen – hydroxyapatite food complex on human primary osteoblasts after simulating its gastrointestinal digestion and absorption. Nutr Hosp 2022.
• Díez-Sánchez E. et al., Advanced in vitro methods for evaluating the bioavailability and biological effect of active compounds. Pharmatech 2022.