Industrial Biorefineries and White Biotechnology

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.

Dr Rainer Höfer is owner of Editorial Ecosiris, which has consultancy and publishing activities in the domains of green chemistry, renewable resources, sustainable development, white biotechnology, and interculturation. He is the founder and owner of Editorial Ecosiris. Recent books by him include: R. Höfer, Ed., Sustainable Solutions for Modern Economies, RSC Publ., Cambridge (2009), A. Kazmi, B. Kamm, S. Henke, L. Theuvsen, R. Höfer, Advanced Oil Crop Biorefineries, A. Kazmi, Ed., RSC Publ. Cambridge (2012) ; J. E. McGrath, M. A. Hickner, R. Höfer (Edts.), Polymers for a Sustainable Environment and Green Energy, Vol. 10 in Polymer Science: A Comprehensive Reference, K. Matyjaszewski, M. Möller (Edts.-in-Chief), Elsevier, Amsterdam, Oxford, Waltham (2012).

Mohammad J. Taherzadeh is professor in Biotechnology since 2004 at University of Borås in Sweden. He is also director of Resource Recovery, a research profile with about 50 researchers to convert wastes to energy and value-added products. Prof. Taherzadeh has PhD in Bioscience and MSc and Bsc in Chemical Engineering. He is working on converting wastes and residuals to ethanol, biogas, fish feed and superabsorbents, in which fermentation development using bacteria, yeast and filamentous fungi has a heavy weight. Prof. Taherzadeh has more than 120 publications in scientific peer-reviewed journals, 10 book chapters and two patents. Mohammad is the panel chairman of “biotechnology, chemical technology and environmental technology” of Swedish Research Council, and also in the editorial board of Bioresource Technology and BioResources.

K Madhavan Nampoothiri is presently working as Principal Scientist in Biotechnology Division of CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum. Born on 30th May 1969a, Dr Nampoothiri took his graduation and post-graduation degrees from University of Kerala. In 1997, he obtained his PhD in Microbial Biotechnology from Cochin University of Science and Technology. He worked as Research Associate in Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore and as post-doctoral fellow of Alexander von Humboldt Foundation in Germany and Welcome Trust in the University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England. In 2001, he joined in CSIR-NIIST, Trivandrum. He is actively involved in Microbial Biotechnology R&D since past 16 years. He has nearly 90 publications, which include research papers in international journals, reviews articles and book chapters. Dr Nampoothiri has one Indian patent, five US patents and nine European patents. In 2003, he received Young scientist award from the Biotech Research Society, India.

Professor Christian Larroche is graduate in Biochemical Engineering from INSA, Toulouse, (1979), Docteur-Ingénieur in Organic Chemistry from Paul Sabatier Toulouse 3 University (1982), and Docteur ès Sciences (Ph D) in Biochemical Engineering from Blaise Pascal University (1990). He has strong research interest in the area of applied microbiology and biochemical engineering. His skills are related to the study and development of special processes for the use of microorganisms. This includes fungal spores production by solid state cultivation and their use as protein (enzyme) reservoir in biotransformations. A special interest in phase transfer phenomena coupled to metabolic engineering has to be noticed. It is applied to the design and optimisation of biotransformations involving hydrophobic compounds and carried out in biphasic liquid-liquid media. These processes are related both to the food and environment (bioremediation) areas. His interests have recently be extended to bioenergy, and he is presently co-ordinator of two French research programs on biohydrogen production by anaerobic microorganisms grown on complex media.

He is author of about 150 documents including 70 research papers, two patents and 12 book chapters. He has supervised 10 PhD students and 20 MSc lab works. He is member of SFGP (French Society for Process Engineering) and Chief International Coordinator of ICBF Forum, an international network entitled "Food Bioprocessing - A global approach for advancing sustainable production of value added food". He is head of the department of "Study and Development of Processes involving Microorganisms" of the platform for technological development Biotechnology – Material Engineering of Blaise Pascal University and has in charge the team "Solid state fermentations – Biotransformations" of the Chemical and Biochemical Engineering Laboratory in the same university. He has been head of the Biological Engineering department of Polytech Clermont-Ferrand, a School of Engineering of Blaise Pascal University, from 2001 to 2011. He is director of Polytech since January 2012 and, since 2008, vice-president of the university in charge of research valorization and technology transfer.