Current Developments in Biotechnology and Bioengineering

Dr. Ashish Pandey received his Ph.D. from Department of Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, India and subsequently completed the two-year prestigious institute postdoctoral position from Chemical Engineering department at IIT Delhi. His research interests are in the development of non-conventional media, viz., deep eutectic solvents, ionic liquids, supercritical fluids, etc., and their sustainable applications in CO2 capture, bitumen cracking, biomass, and e-waste valorisation among others. Dr. Pandey has 25 scientific publications, 2 patents and over 650 citations. Dr. Pandey was awarded by Springer India Limited and Indian National Academy of Engineering (INAE) in the INAE Youth Conclave 2019 for his innovative research endeavours. Presently, Dr. Pandey works as senior R&D chemist at CalAgua Innovations Corp. on the design and synthesis of ionic liquids to develop cost-effective and sustainable solutions for the energy sector. Dr. Pandey has previously worked as Head (R&D) at Clensta International Private Limited and is also a visiting scientist at the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability, Lucknow, India. Dr. Bhagyashree Tiwari received her Ph.D. in water sciences from Institut national de la recherche Scientifique (INRS), Université du Québec, Canada in 2020. Her research work focuses on the development as well as optimization of various water and wastewater treatment techniques, production of value-added products, such as, biopolymers from waste, identification, and characterization of microscopic organisms and on molecular biology approach for emerging contaminant removal. Previously, Dr. Tiwari was a MITACS-ELEVATE Postdoctoral Fellow at INRS, Université du Québec, Canada. She has published several peer-reviewed journal papers, over 15 book chapters, edited 1 book and has presented in many national and international conferences. She is also the recipient of several awards, prominent among them are the Philip Jones award from Canadian Association on Water Quality in 33rd Eastern Canadian Symposium on Water Quality Research, best oral research presentation award in 7th International forum on Industrial Bioprocess in Wuxi, China. She received the prestigious mobility grant from Venice International University, Italy. Professor Ashok Pandey is currently Distinguished Scientist at the Centre for Innovation and Translational Research, CSIR-Indian Institute of Toxicology Research, Lucknow, India and Executive Director (Honorary) at the Centre for Energy and Environmental Sustainability – India. Formerly, he was Eminent Scientist at the Center of Innovative and Applied Bioprocessing, Mohali and Chief Scientist & Head of Biotechnology Division and Centre for Biofuels at CSIR’s National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum. His major research and technological development interests are industrial & environmental biotechnology and energy biosciences, focusing on biomass to biofuels & chemicals, waste to wealth & energy, industrial enzymes, etc. Professor Pandey is Adjunct/Visiting Professor/Scientist in universities in France, Brazil, Canada, China, Korea, South Africa, and Switzerland and also in several universities several in India. He has ~1425 publications/communications, which include 16 patents, 90 books, >700 papers and book chapters, etc with h index of 105 and ~48,800 citations (Goggle scholar). He has transferred several technologies to industries and has done industrial consultancy for about a dozen projects for Indian/international industries. Professor Pandey is the recipient of many national and international awards and honours, which include Highest Cited Researcher (Top 1% in the world), Clarivate Analytics, Web of Science (2020, 2019 & 2018); Top scientist in Biotechnology (#1 in India and #8 in the world), Stanford University world ranking (2020); Fellow, World Society of Sustainable Energy Technologies?(2020); Fellow, Indian Chemical Society (2020); Distinguished Scientist, VDGOOD Professional Association, India (2020); Distinguished Professor of Eminence with global impact in the area of Biotechnology, Precious Cornerstone University, Nigeria (2020); IconSWM Life-time Achievement Award 2019, International Society for Solid Waste Management, KIIT, Bhubaneshwar, India (2019); Yonsei Outstanding Scholar, Yonsei University, Seoul, Korea (2019); Life-Time Achievement Award from the Biotech Research Society, India (2018); Life-Time Achievement Award from Venus International Research Awards (2018), Most Outstanding Researcher Award from Career360 (2018), Life-Time Achievement Award from the International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (2017); Fellow, Royal Society of Biology, UK (2016); Felow, International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability (2016); Academician of European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Austria (2015); Fellow, National Academy of Sciences, India (2012); Fellow, Association of Microbiologists of India (2008); Honorary Doctorate degree from Univesite Blaise Pascal, France (2007); Fellow, International Organization of Biotechnology and Bioengineering (2007); Thomson Scientific India Citation Laureate Award, USA (2006); Fellow, the Biotech Research Society, India (2005); UNESCO Professor (2000); Raman Research Fellowship Award, CSIR (1995); GBF, Germany and CNRS, France Fellowships (1992) and Young Scientist Award (1989), etc. Professor Pandey is Founder President of the Biotech Research Society, India (www.brsi.in); Founder & International Coordinator of International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses, France (www.ifibiop.org), Chairman of the International Society for Energy, Environment & Sustainability (www.isees.in), Editor-in-chief of Bioresource Technology (http://ees.elsevier.com/bite/), Honorary Executive Advisor of Journal of Energy and Environmental Sustainability (www.jees.in), Journal of Systems Microbiology and Biomanufacturing (https://www.springer.com/journal/43393), Journal of Environmental Sciences and Engineering (http://neerijese.org/editorial-board/), Subject Editor, Proceedings of National Academy of Sciences, India (https://www.springer.com/life+sciences/journal/40011) and Associate Editor, Biologia – Section Cellular and Molecular Biology (https://www.springer.com/journal/11756/editors) and editorial board member of several international and Indian journals. Professor Ir. Dr Suzana Yusup, is the Head of HICoE Center for Biofuel & Biochemical Research (CBBR) and is a full Professor at the Chemical Engineering Department, Universiti Teknologi PETRONAS (UTP), Malaysia. Her research interest is in the area of biomass conversion to biofuels and bio-chemicals, material development, and greener processes. To date, Professor Dr Suzana Yusup has authored one book, 26 book chapters, more than 300 scientific articles in high impact journals and as conference papers, 19 patents (including 7 granted patents).