Advisor: Dr. Shishir Chundawat
ad911@scarletmail.rutgers.edu
Education
B.S. Chemical Engineering, Rutgers University, 2019
Ph.D. Student, Chemical and Biochemical Engineering, Rutgers University
Research Interests
Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes), Protein engineering, Biopolymer waste upcycling, Cellulosic Biofuels, Biochemical plastic upcycling.
Research Summary
Lignocellulosic biomass is one of the most abundant renewable resources available, with an estimated 200 billion tons of plant biomass being produced each year. Only ~2% of this available resource is utilized and there is significant potential for using these agricultural residues for biofuel production. One issue that limits biofuel production is the “recalcitrance” of cellulosic biomass due to non-productive binding to cellulose as well as the phenolic compound lignin present in plant cell walls. As a result, industrial enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulosic biomass by enzyme like cellulases and hemicellulases often require large amounts of enzymes, thus decreasing the econcomic viability. My research has focused on ‘supercharging’ cellulases, hemicellulases, and other auxillary enzymes from the thermophilic microbe Thermobifida fusca in order to produce Carbohydrate-Active enZymes (CAZymes) with improved catalytic function for biomass hydrolysis.
More recently, the enzymatic degradation of polyethylene terephthalate (PET) plastic that is one of the most commonly used polyesters for textiles and single use packaging has been a topic gaining much traction. I’ve been conducting work with one such plastic degrading enzyme from the same T. fusca microbe and will be working to translate many of the same CAZyme techinques to engineer plastic degrading enzymes as well.
Awards & Honors
Best Teaching Assistant Award, CBE, Rutgers University, 2021-2022
Best Teaching Assistant Award, CBE, Rutgers University, 2020-2021
Graduated magna cum laude, Rutgers University, 2019
Engineering Dean's List, Rutgers University, 2016-2019
Publications
Nemmaru B, Douglass J, Yarbrough JM, De Chellis A, Shankar S, Thokkadam A, Wang A, Chundawat SPS. Supercharged Cellulases Show Reduced Non-Productive Binding, But Enhanced Activity on Lignocellulosic Biomass. bioRxiv, 2021, 2021.10.17.464688.
Representative Graduate Courses Taken
Topics in Biochemical Engineering: Advances in Life Sciences, Bioengineering, & Biomanufacturing enabled by Glycosciences 16:155:532
Kinetics, Catalysis and Reactor Design 16:155:514
Leadership & Outreach
Volunteer, Drumthwacket Foundation Spring Carnival for Children with Special Needs, 2022