Over the last 15 years, María Dolores Hernando has participated in 5 EU Projects in the 5th- 7th framework programme and in 10 national- funded research projects related with environmental sustainability, contamination, water research, protection of natural resources, food safety, and food quality. Within the field of environmental sustainability, the need to protect and manage natural resources has driven the interdisciplinary nature of some of these research projects delivering options for pollution control and strategies that value and protect them from contaminants. Within the field of food safety and food quality, research is focused on the development and validation of advanced and sensitive analytical methods for the screening of pesticide residues and contaminants in food, especially in vegetables and fruits encompassing the whole production and packaging process. As an inventor, she has participated in two patented technologies.