Dr.Pinaki Dey

Dr. Pinaki Dey
Professional Experience
  • Senior Scientist - CSIR - National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Thiruvananthapuram, June 2022 - Present
  • Assistant Professor - Department of Biotechnology, Karunya University, Coimbatore, 2016 - 2022
  • Assistant Professor - Department of Biotechnology, ITM University, Gwalior, 2015 - 2016
  • Assistant Professor - Department of Biotechnology, LPU, Jalandhar, 2014 - 2015
  • Lecturer - Department of Biotechnology, Thapar University, Patiala, 2013-2014
  • Research Associate - Department of Biochemical Engineering and Biotechnology, IIT-Delhi. (Post-Doctoral Research under DBT funded project), 2012-2013
  • SRF - Chemical Engineering Department, NIT-Durgapur (Under DST - GREEN Technology Project), 2009-2012
Area of Expertise
  1. Microbial fermentation
  2. Lignocellulosic biorefinery
  3. Membrane separation processes
  4. L(+) lactic acid production and purification
  5. Biodegradable polymers like PHB production
  6. Enzyme Technology
  7. Mathematical modelling and experimental simulation
Achievements & Awards

Achievements and Awards

  • Assigned as External expert in doctoral committee for Raushan Quraishi (RRK23BT1006), Efficacy of Deep Eutectic Solvent on the Valorisation of Waste Residues, Department of Biotechnology, Karunya Deemed University, Coimbatore
  • Assigned as external examiner of the thesis entitled “Synthesis, characterization and applications of novel nanocomposite material generated from agro-biomass for removal of industrial dyes” submitted by SANJAY SARKAR, Roll No. 1881217, Registration no.18600064777, School of Chemical Technology, Kalinga Institute of Industrial Technology, (KIIT) Deemed to be University, Bhubaneswar
  • Member of a technical committee for three research projects, funded by Government of Kerala for the year 2023-24 to Department of Biotechnology & Biochemical Engineering, Sree Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Pappanamcode, Thiruvananthapuram
  • Senior Research Fellow, GREEN Technology Project (DST), 2009 - 2012
  • Best Assistant Professor Award (Pearl Foundation, Madurai), 2016
  • Best young faculty award (GRABS Educational Charitable Trust, Chennai), 2018

Reviewer of International journals:

  • Biofuels (Taylor &Francis), Biotechnological Research, 3 Biotech (Springer), SN Applied Sciences (Springer Nature), Frontiers Energy Research, Biomass conversion and biorefinery (Springer), Chemical Engineering Journal (Elsevier), Bioresource Technology (Elsevier), International journal of biological macromolecules (Elsevier), Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (Springer), Fuel (Elsevier)
Publications

Research Publications

  • Bacterial nanocellulose by static, static intermittent fed-batch and rotary disc bioreactor-based fermentation routes using economical black tea broth medium: A comparative account, Chhavi Sharma, Nishi K. Bhardwaj, Puneet Pathak, Pinaki Dey, Sneh Gautam, Samit Kumar, Shiv Dutt Purohit, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Elsevier, 277 (2024) 134228, Impact factor : 7.7.
  • Innovations in poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) and nanocomposites for sustainable food packaging via biochemical biorefinery platforms: A comprehensive review, Pinaki Dey, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Chhavi Sharma, Jayita Chopra, Sankha Chakrabortty, Kevin Joseph Dilip, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Elsevier, 283(2024)137574, Impact factor : 7.7.
  • 2‑(dec‑2‑enyl)‑3‑methylquinolin‑4‑ol‑C20H27NO and 7‑amino‑N‑methyl phenazine‑1‑carboxamide-C14H13N4O2:potent bio‑active compounds against dengue vector Aedes aegypti, B. Lalithambika · Vani Chandrapragasam · Jissin Mathew · Pinaki Dey, International Journal of Tropical Insect Science, Springer, 2023, Impact factor : 1.020
  • Production and characterization of a novel poly amino acid from a thermophilic bacterium, and preliminary testing of its coagulating potential for imminent wastewater treatment application, Subhranshu Samal, Subhadeep Banerjee, Pinaki Dey, Vivek Rangarajan, International Journal of Biological Macromolecules, Elsevier, Volume 246, August 2023, 125589, Impact factor: 8.2
  • Life cycle assessment as a key decision tool for emerging pretreatment technologies in biofuel production: Unveiling challenges, advances, and future potential, Jayita Chopraa, Vivek Rangarajan, Senthilkumar Rathnasamy and Pinaki Dey, BioEnergy Research, Springer., 14 March 2024, Impact factor: 3.6.
  • Direct production of L (+) lactic acid in continuous and fully membrane - integrated hybrid system under non-neutralizing conditions, P. Dey and P. Pal. Journal of Membrane Science, (Elsevier Science), 389 (2012)355-362. (Impact Factor: 10.53), Index No : (ISSN : 0376-7388)
  • Separation of lactic acid from fermentation broth by cross flow nanofiltration: Membrane characterization and transport modeling, Pinaki Dey, Lassi Linnanen and Parimal Pal. Desalination, (Elsevier Science), 288(2012) 47-57. (Impact Factor: 11.21), Index No:(ISSN : 0011-9134)
  • Techno-economic analysis of a membrane-integrated bioreactor system for production of lactic acid from sugarcane juice, Joya Sikder, Mousumi Roy, Pinaki Dey and Parimal Pal. Biochemical Engineering Journal, (Elsevier Science), 63(2012) 81-87. (Impact Factor: 4.446), Index No: (ISSN: 1369-703X)
  • Fermentative lactic acid production from a renewable carbon source under response surface optimized conditions without alkali addition: a membrane-based green approach, P. Dey, J. Sikder, S. Roy and P. Pal. Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy, (Springer), 14(5) (2012)150-159. (Impact Factor: 4.70), Index No: (ISSN: 1618-954X)
  • Developing Sustainability Technology For Chemical Process Industry: Lactic Acid by Membrane integrated Hybrid Process, Pal and P. Dey, International Journal of Biological, Ecological and Environmental Sciences (IJBEES) Vol. 1, No. 2, March 2012 ISSN: 2277 - 4394, Index No: 2277-4394
  • Process intensification in lactic acid production by three stage membrane integrated hybrid reactor system, Chemical Engineering and Processing: Process Intensification (Elsevier Science), Pal and. P. Dey, 64(2013)1-9. (Impact Factor: 4.264), Index No: 0255-2701
  • Modeling and simulation of L (+) lactic acid production in continuous membrane integrated bio-reactor system under non-neutralization conditions, Biochemical Engineering Journal, (Elsevier Science), Dey and P. Pal, 79(2013) 15-24. (Impact Factor: 4.446), Index No: (ISSN: 1369-703X)
  • An overview of simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of starchy and lignocellulosic biomass for bio-ethanol production, BIOFUELS,  Taylor & Francis, Sandeep K. Saggi & Pinaki Dey,7 (2016) 1-13 http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/17597269.2016.1193837, SCI Indexed Journal,  ISSN: 1759-7277. Impact Factor: 2.956
  • Improved fed-batch production of high-purity PHB (poly-3 hydroxy butyrate) by Cupriavidus necator (MTCC 1472) from sucrose-based cheap substrates under response surface optimized conditions, 3 Biotech, (Springer),  Pinaki Dey,  Vivek Rangarajan,  7:310 (2017) 1-14. Impact Factor: 2.893, Electronic ISSN : 2190-5738
  • Lignocellulosic bioethanol production: prospects of emerging membrane technologies to improve the process - a critical review, Pinaki Dey*, Parimal Pal, Joseph Dilip Kevin and Diganta Bhusan Das, Reviews in Chemical Engineering, DE GRUYTER, (2018) DOI: 10.1515/revce-2018-0014, Impact factor : 8.742, ISSN: 2191-0235
  • Bacillus lipopeptides: powerful capping and dispersing agents of silver nanoparticles, Vivek Rangarajan, Gunaseelan Dhanarajan, Pinaki Dey, Dipankar Chattopadhy, Ramkrishna Sen, Applied Nanoscience, (Springer), 8:7(1018) 1809-1821, Impact factor : 3.869
  • Improved production of cellulase by Trichoderma reesei (MTCC 164) from coconut mesocarp-based lignocellulosic wastes under response surface-optimized condition, Pinaki Dey , Joginder Singh, Jismole Scaria, Athira. P. Anand, 8:402 (2018)1-13, 3 Biotech, (Springer), Impact Factor: 2.893, Electronic ISSN : 2190-5738
  • Revealing on hydrogen sulfide and nitric oxide signals co-ordination for plant growth under stress conditions, Simranjeet Singha, Vijay Kumard, Dhriti Kapoore, Sanjay Kumar, Satyender Singh, Jastin Samuela, Pinaki Dey, Shanquan Wangi, Ram Prasadj, and Joginder Singha, Physiologia Plantarum, Wiley, 2019, PMID: 31264712, DOI: 10.1111/ppl.13002, Impact factor : 4.500
  • Advanced operation and control in graphical user interface of a membrane-integrated hybrid biochemical process for acetic acid production, Jayato Nayak, Parimal Pal, Sankha Chakrabortty, Pinaki Dey, Ramesh Kumar, Shirsendu Banerjee & Jenish Soosai Antony, Indian Chemical Engineer (Taylor & Frincis), December 2019
  • Concentration Enrichment of Fermentation Derived Acetic Acid: Transport Modeling of Forward Osmosis-Nanofiltration Integrated System, Jayato Nayak, Parimal Pal, Zunipa Roy, Sankha Chakrabortty,  Pinaki Dey, Siddhartha Pandey,   Anand Kumar Varma,  K. Subashini, Chemical Product and Process Modeling (DEGRUYTER), Impact factor : 0.447, Published Online: 2019-12-12. ISSN : 1934-2659.
  • Sinapic acid safeguards cardiac mitochondria from damage in isoproterenol-induced myocardial infarcted rats, Stanely Mainzen Prince, Pinaki Dey, S. J. Roy., Journal of Biochemical and Molecular Toxicology, Wiley, DOI: 10.1002/jbt.22556. Volume 34, Issue 10, Impact factor : 5.081 (2020), ISSN : 1099-0461
  • Utilization of Swertia chirayita plant extracts for management of Diabetes and associated disorders: Present status, future prospects and limitations, Pinaki Dey, Joginder Singh, Jagadish Kumar Suluvoy, Kevin Joseph Dilip & Jayato Nayak, Natural Products and Bioprospecting, Springer,  volume 10, pages 431-443(2020), ISSN : 2192-2209.
  • Current perspective on improved fermentative production and purification of fungal cellulases for successful biorefinery applications: a brief review, Pinaki Dey, Vivek Rangarajan, Joginder Singh, Jayato Nayak & Kevin Joseph Dilip, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery (2021), Springer, Published: 06 January 2021, Impact factor : 4.050, ISSN : 2190-6823.
  • An Improved enzymatic pre-hydrolysis strategy for efficient bioconversion of Industrial pulp and paper sludge waste to bioethanol using a semi-simultaneous saccharification and fermentation process, Pinaki Dey; Vivek Rangarajan; Jayato Nayak; Diganta Bhusan Das; Steeve Branden Wood, Fuel (Elsevier), IF: 8.035, Published 2021. Volume 294, 120581. ISSN: 0016-2361.
  • A critical review on the effect of lignin redeposition on biomass in controlling the process of enzymatic hydrolysis, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Pinaki Dey, Anil Kumar Patel, Cheng-Di Dong, Reeta Rani Singhania, Bioenergy Research, Springer, 2022, IF:  852.
  • Formulation of a stable biocosmetic nanoemulsion using a Bacillus lipopeptide as the green-emulsifier for skin-care applications, Neela Gayathri Ganesan, Malgorzata A. Miastkowska, Jolanta Pulit-Prociak, Pinaki Dey & Vivek Rangarajan, Journal of Dispersion Science and Technology, Taylor & Francis, 2022, Impact Factor: 2.042.
  • Kinetic model supported improved and optimized submerged production strategy of cellulase enzyme from newspaper waste biomass, Pinaki Dey, Sankha Chakrabortty , Dibyajyoti Haldar , Sowmya A , Vivek Rangarajan , Héctor A. Ruiz, Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, Springer, 2022, Impact factor : 3.434.
  • Sugarcane bagasse into value-added products: a review, Asma Musfira Shabbirahmed · Dibyajyoti Haldar, Pinaki Dey, Anil Kumar Patel · Reeta Rani Singhania, Cheng-Di Dong, Mihir Kumar Purkait, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Springer, 2022, Impact factor : 5.190.
  • Transformation of agro-biomass into vanillin through novel membrane integrated value-addition process: a state-of-art review, Jayato Nayak, Aradhana Basu, Pinaki Dey, Ramesh Kumar, Anuradha Upadhaya, Sanchari Ghosh, Bhaskar Bishayee, Smruti Rekha Mishra, Suraj K Tripathy, Shirsendu Banerjee, Madhubonti Pal, Parimal Pal, Snehasish Mishra, Bikram Basak, Byong-Hun Jeon, Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, Springer, 2022, Impact factor : 4.050, ISSN : 2190-6823
  • Paradigm shift from conventional processes to advanced membrane adsorption-mediated inactivation processes towards holistic management of virus - a critical review, Pinaki Dey, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Vivek Rangarajan, Venkata Satyanarayana Suggala, Gladys Saji, Kevin Joseph Dilip , Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering (Elsevier), Impact factor : 7.968,  ISSN : 2213-3437, Volume 10, Issue 6, December 2022, 108568.
  • One pot bioprocessing in lignocellulosic biorefinery: A review, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Pinaki Dey, Jibu Thomas, Reeta Rani Singhania, Anil Kumar Patel, Bioresource Technology, Impact factor: 11.889, Volume 365, December 2022, 128180.
  • On-site enriched production of cellulase enzyme using rice straw waste and its hydrolytic performance evaluation through systematic dynamic modeling, Pinaki Dey, Sankha Chakrabortty, Dibyajyoti Haldar, Vivek Rangarajan, Sowmya Ashok, Environmental Science and Pollution Research, Springer, 2023, Impact factor : 5.190.

Book Chapter:

  • Plastic degradation- contemporary enzymes versus nanozymes-based Technologies (Chepter 6), Subhranshu Samal , Pinaki Dey , Saroj Sundar Baral , Vivek Rangarajan P, Advances in NANO AND BIOCHEMISTRY, Environmental and Biomedical Applications, 2023, ISBN: 978-0-323-95253-8, Elsevier, Editors : Pranay Morajkar, Milind Naik, Pages 127-149, link : https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-95253-8.00006-1
  • Chapter 2 - Mitigation of environment crisis: conversion of organic plant waste to valuable products, S.R. Vinoth Kannan, Neela Gayathri Ganesan, Subhranshu Samal, Pinaki Dey, Sampatrao D. Manjare , Vivek Rangarajan, Valorization of Wastes for Sustainable Development, Waste to Wealth, 2023, ISBN 978-0-323-95417-4, Elsevier, Edited by:Rangabhashiyam Selvasembian, Nur Izyan Wan Azelee, Ajay Kumar Mishra, Pages 33-65, Link : https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/B9780323954174000020
  • Sandeep Kaur Saggi, Geetika Gupta and Pinaki Dey, Biological Pretreatment of Lignocellulosic Biomaterials, Advances in Biofeedstocks and Biofuels, Volume One: Biofeedstocks and TheirProcessing, Wiley Publications, 2016, ISBN No: 978-1-119-11725-4.
  • Effective utilization and development of corn cob based adsorbent for removal of different pollutants, recent advances towards separation and purification processes, Pinaki Dey, Jaya Prabha Khalkho, K.S. Rajesh Joshi, M. Manisha and Ch. Praveen Kumar, Recent Advances in Biotechnology, Volume 1, Shree Publishers & Distributors, New Delhi-110002, 132-140,2017. ISBN No: 978-93-84863
  • Global status and importance for Lignocellulosic Bio-ethanol production in the form of alternative and renewable sources of biofuel, Pinaki Dey, Jismole Scaria, Jemi Lakshmi, T.V and A. Amala Jasmine, SEQUESTRATING BIOLOGICAL TECHNOLOGY, Sri Sakthi Promotional Litho Process, 55-63, ISBN No: 978-81-92330-67-9
  • Effective utilization of renewable biomaterials for the production of bioethanol as clean biofuel: A concept towards the development of sustainable green biorefinary, Geetika Gupta, Pinaki Dey and Sandeep Kaur Saggi, Green Consumerism Perspectives, Sustainability and Behavior, AAP(Apple Academic Press), 2018. ISBN No: 978-1-77188-694-9
  • Aerobic synthesis of value-added organic acid: Routes towards sustainable industrialization. Jayato Nayak,Sampriti Nayak, Sankha Chakrabortty, Pinaki Dey, Parimal Pal, Siddhartha Pandey, Amit Kumar, S. Anand Kumar Varma, Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group , Book Name : Green Innovation, Sustainable Development, and Circular Economy, 2020.ISBN 9780367441746
  • Improved enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic waste biomass: Most essential stage to develop cost effective bio-fuel production, Pinaki Dey, Geetika Gupta, Jayato Nayak , Kevin Joseph Dilip, Chapter 7, Biofuels and Bioenergy:  A techno-economic approach, Elsevier, July, 2022, ISBN 032388556X, 9780323885560

Patent Filed:

  • The patent name : “Development of improved production process of cellulase from waste pulp and paper sludge material”, Pinaki Dey, Dated : 8/5/19, Patent No : 201941018465
  • High solid loading saccharification process of waste pulp and paper sludge (pps) material for production of fermentable simple sugars in concentrated form, Dr.Pinaki Dey and  Mr. STEVE BRANDEN WOOD (UR15BT074, Karunya University), Patent application No. 202041019318 dated 06.05.2020
Academic Qualification
  • Ph.D (Engineering), Chemical Engineering, National institute of technology, Durgapur, India, 2012
  • M.Tech - Industrial Biotechnology, SASTRA University, Thanjavur, India- 2008
  • B.Tech - Biotechnology, Bengal college of Engineering and Technology, WBUT University, Durgapur, India-2006
Research Interest

Research Interest

  • Oligosaccharide based prebiotic production
  • Fermentative production of biopolymer for sustainable food packaging
  • Enzymatic hydrolysis of natural polymeric material with industrial importance
  • Membrane Technologies for Biorefining

If you are enthusiastic, self-motivated and interested to work in above research areas you are welcome to contact me : pinakidey@niist.res.in with your detailed CV and an outline of your research interest in the above mentioned area.

Conference Presentations

Conferences and Workshop

  • Comparative Study on Production of Lactic acid by Solid State Fermentation from Cheap and Easily Available Sources. P. Dey, J. Sikder and P. Pal, National Conference on Green Energy and Sustainable Development, Heritage Institute of Technology, 2010, February 6-7, Page no 15.
  • Production and Purification of Lactic acid through membrane integrated hybrid reactor system-an environment friendly approach. P. Dey, J. Sikder and P. Pal, International Conference on Frontiers in Biological Science (InCoFIBS-2010), National Institute of Technology, Rourkela, October 1-3, Page no 170.
  • Response surface optimization of major growth factors with temperature for fermentative Lactic acid production by Lactobacillus delbrueckii (NCIM-2025), P. Dey. and P. Pal Chemical Engineering Conference (CHEMCON-2011), I.I.Ch.E, Paper-802, Page no-401, M S Ramaiah Institute of Technology , Bangalore, 27-29 Dec. 2011.
  • Developing a Sustainable Technology for Clean Production of Lactic Acid. P. Pal and P. Dey. International Conference on Chemical, Ecology and Environmental Sciences (ICEES'2012), Planetary Scientific Research Centre, Bangkok, Thailand, March 17-18, 2012.
  • Evaluation of the Performances of highly effective Membrane Cell recycle Bioreactor System in the development of most intensified Lignocellulosic Bio-ethanol Production Process, Pinaki Dey and Parimal Pal, International conference on Membrane Technology and its applications, (MEMSEP-2017), NIT-Trichi, 21st -23rd February, 2017, Page -48.
  • Agricultural and forest based green Bio-wastes, abundant natural resources for the production of Bio-energy and value added products, Pinaki Dey, International Conference on “The Green Planet: past, present and future”, University of Calcutta, 21st to 23rd December, 2016, Page No-155
  • Membrane based most Selective and Efficient integrated processing Strategies to support advanced Lignocellulosic Bio-ethanol Production Process, Pinaki Dey, Parimal Pal, Chemical Engineering Conference (CHEMCON-2017), Haldia Institute of Technology, PAPER ID : BCE0072, 27-29 December, 2017.
  • Participated in Workshop on Mathematical modelling, Optimization and Simulation , 27th November 2017, Karunya University, Coimbatore.
  • Improved enzymatic saccharification of agricultural lignocellulosic wastes through advanced membrane integrated bio-reactor system, Pinaki Dey, International Conference on EMERGING SYNERGIES IN AGRICULTURE, FOOD PROCESSING ENGINEERING AND BIOTECHNOLOGY, (ICAFB - 2018), Karunya University, FEBRUARY 21-23, 2018.
  • Production of simple sugars from waste paper sludge material through economic enzymatic saccharification strategies: A solution towards solid waste disposal problem of paper and pulp industry, Pinaki Dey, International Conference on Advances in Medical and Industrial Biotechnology, ICAMIB 2019, Sathyabama Institute Of Science And Technology, 20-22nd March, 2019.
  • Development of an advanced enzyme reusable saccharification process of waste paper pulp sludge materiel through membrane bioreactor system: a concept towards green solid waste management practices for PPS material , Pinaki Dey, Third international conference on renewable energy and sustainable environment(RESE-2019), Dr. Mahalingam College of Engineering and Technology, Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, India, December 12-14, 2019.
  • Utilization of rice water as a natural feed stock for value added fermentative products like Bio-ethanol and Lactic acid, Pianki Dey, Web conference on “Biotechnology for Better Tomorrow”, organized by Department of Biotechnology, Kamaraj College of Engineering and Technology , Madurai, Tamil Nadu, 25-27 June, 2020.
  • Dr.Pinaki Dey, Enzymatic saccharification: Most significant centralized processing stage of lignocellulosic biorefinery, International E-Conference on Bioprospecting sponsored by AICTE, Arunai Engineering College , Tirivannamalai, 29-30th January, 2021.
Projects

Ongoing Research Projects

Principal investigator:

  • Bioactive pectic oligosaccharides production from fruit wastes using onsite-developed endogenous enzyme system - A Tailor-made green process to improve the functionality of prebiotics, SRG-SERB, PI: Dr.Pinaki Dey, INR Rs : 31,76,080, 2024-2026 (Ongoing)
  • Development of ultrasound assisted membrane bioreactor and aligned operational processes for sustainable enzyme reusable saccharification of cellulose-enriched waste biomass, DBT, PI: Dr.Pinaki Dey, Co-PI: Dr. Arthanareeswaran, NIT-Trichy, Rs 64,00,000, 2024-2027
Research Areas

Research Areas

  • Oligosaccharide based prebiotic production

Worldwide, Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD) have shown high prevalence in developed and newly industrialized countries over recent decades. Traditional treatment methods for IBD, such as anti-inflammatory drugs and fecal microbiota transplantation, are associated with drawbacks such as side effects and safety concerns. In this context, prebiotics have emerged as a promising solution. They not only play a crucial role in managing inflammatory conditions by promoting gut health but also offer various health benefits, including protection against diseases like cancer and hyperlipidemia. Due to these health advantages and favourable economic factors, the market for prebiotic-based functional foods has experienced significant growth globally. The market value is projected to reach US$9.4 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.7%.

res IBD
  • Fermentative production of biopolymer for sustainable food packaging

Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have long been considered the superior alternative to traditional petroleum-based plastics. Among them, Poly-3-hydroxybutyrate (PHB) stands out as a completely biodegradable thermoplastic material and a significant member of the PHA family. It can be synthesized and accumulated by various microorganisms as an energy reserve material under conditions of nutrient stress, such as limited nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium, with an excess of carbon sources in the growth environment. These conditions trigger the formation of PHB as intracellular granules within the cell. Such specific nutritional conditions can be effectively maintained during the feeding process through fed-batch cultivation methods. Despite its advantages, single PHB-based biopolymers have limitations such as poor thermal stability, mechanical inertness, brittleness, and stiffness. To address these issues, copolymers of PHB, such as poly(3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV), have garnered significant attention from national and international agencies, particularly for food packaging applications. PHBV-based composite materials are specifically recognized for their sustainability in food packaging applications.

res PHAs
  • Enzymatic hydrolysis of natural polymeric material with industrial importance

Enzymatic hydrolysis is still considered as one of the critical bottlenecks in enzyme-mediated biorefinery process due to expensive nature of the enzyme, inconsistent hydrolysis efficiency of the enzyme with respect to variations of substrate and knowledge gap about suitable operating conditions, which can bring maximum outcome of product. Different strategies have been adopted to overcome such existing challenges and to reduce overall operational costs involved in enzymatic hydrolysis process. The strategies mainly includes screening of suitable microorganism, responsible to produce efficient enzymes with improved performances, production of enzyme from low cost raw material, onsite production and application of enzyme on same substrate for saccharification. In addition to all those parameters, analyzing an ideal reaction environment which can support better enzyme accessibility to substrate to improve overall catalytic efficiencies is another important concern.

res hydrolysis
  • Membrane Technologies for Biorefining

Many conventional steps involved in biorefining have inherent limitations. Existing biomass pretreatment processes, for instance, are plagued by high costs, significant power and energy consumption, equipment corrosion risks, formation of inhibitory compounds, and the need for solvent recycling. These drawbacks have hindered widespread adoption of these pretreatment methods on a large scale, prompting ongoing investigation. Similarly, conventional saccharification and fermentation processes are perceived as time-consuming since they are conducted separately. They are also considered costly due to the high enzyme loading required and suffer from lower product yields due to product inhibition issues. In contrast, membrane-based technologies have garnered increasing attention due to their advantages such as reduced energy consumption, lower labor requirements, smaller space footprint, and greater operational flexibility. These technologies utilize the selective and efficient transport properties of specific compounds, making them suitable for a wide range of applications-from industrial wastewater filtration to membrane bioreactor (MBR)-based biorefinery processes.

res MBR
Invited Talks

Invited Talks

  • Delivered an invited lecture on the topic of “Biorefinery approach to Low-emission fuels production” in AICTE Training and Learning Academy (ATAL), Faculty Development Program (FDP) on Low-emission Fuels: Policies, Technologies, Prospects and Challenges, organized by Department of Biotechnology & Biochemical Engineering at Sri Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Pappanamcode, Trivandrum, 19th January, 2024.
  • Delivered an invited technical talk on the topic of “Application of membrane BIORECTOR SYSTEMS for production of platform chemicals and other value added products” in the occation of annual general body meeting, IICHE-Trivandrum chapter, 25th June, 2023
  • Delivered an expert talk on "How Biochemical Engineers can Contribute in Industrial Production of High Value Chemicals Using Green Synthesis Approach and Process Intensification Strategy" in the Department of Biotechnology & Biochemical Engineering at Sri Chitra Thirunal College of Engineering, Pappanamcode, Trivandrum, as first lecture in the series on "Interaction with Scientists/ industry experts being planned by the department, on 17th April 2023
  • Presented lecture as an invited speaker on the topic of “Assessment of Membrane based Processes among existing Environmental remediation techniques for strategic separation and inactivation of viruses ” in International Workshop and Conference on Membrane Assisted Water Purification Processes (ICMW 2023) MARCH 10th-12th, 2023 at Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India
  • Presented a topic “RECOVERY, RECYCLE AND REUSE-BASED GREEN BIOREFINERY STRATEGIES FOR A SUSTAINABLE AND SECURE FUTURE” on International Conference on ENVIRONMENT, WATER, AGRICULTURE, SUSTAINABILITY AND HEALTH (EWASH-2023): STRATEGIZING A GREENER FUTURE as Invited Speaker
  • “Ethics Teaching and Research Ethics ”, GRABS Educational Charitable Trust, Chennai), 2018