| Position |
Associate Professor
|
| Affiliation |
Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
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| Location |
Madurai, Tamil Nadu, India
|
| Current Role |
Scientist/Teacher
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| Area of Research |
Algal products for Alternate biofuels, Novel therapeutics and Bioremediation of emerging contaminants
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| UG |
Ph D Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
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| PG |
Microbiology
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| PhD |
2009, Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli, Tamil Nadu
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| Awards |
• Women Excellence Award in 9th GoGreen Summit -International Conference on Environmental Science- on 29th and 30 December 2023.
• EAES Women Scientist Award in Third International Scientific Conference on Environmental Research: Issues, Challenges and Strategies for Sustainable Development” held on 1st December 2023 at 9.00 AM at Karwar, Karnataka, India.
• Selected for Global Iconic Award for Best Researcher by Indian Nepal Conference 2023 at Katmandu University, Nepal, 6th December 2023.
• Selected for The World Class Researcher Award in ' The World Class Educators Honors by Record Owner Team, at 10 Dec 2023 The ceremony held in conjunction with the 12th Mumbai Shorts International Film Festival-23, Andheri, Mumbai.
• An article published in Chemical engineering and Technology -Wiley Publishers has been recognized as top cited article 2021-2022 among work published in an issue between January 2021-15 December 2022, 2023.
• Served as a Chair for International conference on Consortium of Universal Research Erudition (iCURE), Feb 03-06, 2023 at Madurai Kamaraj University.
• Served as Chair for 4th Biogroup India meeting held at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. August 19th and 20th 2022.
• Served as Chair for Technical Session International Conference on Sustainable Materials and Innovative Techniques” (ICSMIT'22), 18-03-2022 & 19-03-2022.
• Faculty Advisor for American Society for Microbiology student Chapter 2019- till date by ASM, USA.
• Received Appreciation Award for research contribution during 2016-2017, on occasion of 115th birthday of Former Chief Minister Kamarajar, on 3rd July, 2017, at MuVa Hall, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai.
• Received Best Alumni Award 2018 in Bharathidasan University, Tiruchy.
• Selected as a Outstanding Women Award for the year 2018 by Venus international foundation Chennai.
• Received Fellowship Award in Indian Association of Applied Microbiologist in 13th National Level Conference of Indian Association of Applied Microbiologists on “Sustainability, Challenges and Advances in Biological Sciences” 18th & 19th December 2015
• Organized by Department of Biological sciences Muthayammal College of Arts & Science, Rasipuram. Namakkal. Received an Young Scientist Award from DST, New Delhi 2012.
• Received a Teacher Summer Research fellowship from Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore. Research work was carried out in area the of “Double strand break repair in Mitochondria” under Dr. Satheesh C. Raghavan, Department of Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore. (from May 2011 – June 2011).
• Served as a chair for a technical session in two day UGC Sponsored National Seminar titled BIOVISION-2014 "Recent Trends and Future Perspectives of Biosciences" from 5th to 6th September, 2014. Arumugam Pillai Seethai Ammal College, Thirupathur.
• Received outstanding reviewer award from Food and Bioproducts Processing- Elsevier Publications 2015
|
| Significant Contribution |
To facilitate sustainable bioenergy production, our team at Madurai Kamaraj University has implemented numerous bioprocess techniques such as media engineering using artificial neural networks (ANN), and successfully demonstrated more than 60% of lipids accumulation with good fuel quality parameters (tested in engine) from indigenous microalgae and synthesized effective and selective heterogenous catalysts for more than 90% recovery of Fatty acid methyl esters (FAME).
Furthermore, I have pioneered the zero-waste concept in biofuel production from indigenous microalgae, utilizing residual algal biomass (as biorefineries) and industrial waste—a groundbreaking technology. The generation of biofuels from indigenous algal biomass with low-cost technologies like nanocatalysts synthesized from wastes to improve the rate of transesterification.
In addition, concurrent generation of bioenergy and bioremediation of pollutants (mercury, arsenic, chromium and crude oil spill in sea of Chennai) were also achieved. Recognizing the untapped potential of South Indian brown seaweeds rich in bioactive metabolites, I have spearheaded investigations into novel compounds and characterized a novel phlorotannin and demonstrated for the first of its kind in hyperglycemic C. elegans as an anti-diabetic compound and inhibited the autophagy expression for cancer progression in human cervical cancer for the first time (two patents are filed and one has got granted (Patent No. 406425).
Further I have developed techniques to enhance the high value products like beta carotene and astaxanthin (1g is Rs.36,000/-) from our indigenous green algal isolate Coelastrella sp. M-60 and the developed methodology for mass production and hyper pigment accumulation. On behalf of MKU, I successfully secured a grant of Rs. 7.25 crore from Rural Electrification Corporation Limited, New Delhi, to establish a 1 MW solar power plant on the Madurai Kamaraj University campus. This initiative aims to reduce grid energy usage, foster a clean community, and mitigate environmental pollution by lowering carbon dioxide emissions. The solar power plant, commissioned in January 2022, has consistently producing an average of 1,25,000 units per month, resulting in an average monthly reduction in electricity costs of Rs. 7,50,000.
Additionally, I developed a technique which was promising to improve the shelf life and activity of the L-asparaginase enzyme for destroying cancer cells. Collaborating with faculty members Dr. Arockia Doss and Dr. B. Ashokkumar from MKU, we successfully developed a rapid and highly sensitive Diagnostic kit for COVID-19. This kit can detect the spike antigen of SARS-CoV-2 within 12 seconds.
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| Bio |
Dr. Perumal Varalakshmi is currently working as an Associate Professor in the School of Biotechnology, Madurai Kamaraj University, Madurai, India. She has published 110 research articles, reviews, and book chapters in journals of national and international repute. She has filed 4 patents and awarded 1. She is serving as an editorial board member and reviewer of many international journals in the field of Biofuels and Bioproducts and her citations 1992: H index 25: i10 index 60. Her main research interests are Bioenergy and Bioprospecting of cyanobacteria and microalgae for value-added products. She has guided 11 Ph. D students and currently six students are doing their Ph.D in the field of Algal Biotechnology she has received funds (more than 10 crores) from various agencies and completed several major research projects from DST, SERB, CSIR, UGC and Bioextract, Bangalore and DBT, ICMR, BRNS, RECL and DST projects are in progress. Many accolades from the scientific community she has received several awards including a Teacher summer research fellowship from Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore, DST- Young Scientist award and Honorary Fellow Award from Indian Association of Applied Microbiologists (FIAAM) in 2015, Women Research Excellence Award, GoGreen submit 2023, EAES Women Scientist Award and elected as Fellow in Academy of Sciences, Chennai. She has established International research collaboration with Algoma Algal Biotechnology, University of Wisconsin, Oshkosh, USA, and Extreme ProTech, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, South Dakota, USA, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She is acting as an Editorial Board member in well-reputed journals like Nature Scientific Reports, Fuel, and Frontiers in Bioenergy Research.
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| Primary Role |
Research
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| Leadership |
Coordinator- Solar Power Project (2017 Onwards)
Nodal Officer- Intellectual Property Rights (2023 onwards)
Senate Member in Manonmaniam Sundaranar University, 2022-2025
Chairman of Microbiology Board of studies (2023 onwards)
Nominated as Member in Expert Committee for Fire and Safety Management on 19.09.2023.
Nominated as convener in Expert Committee for Forensic Science and Criminology on 19.09.2023.
Nominated as University Nominee for Board of Studies in M. Sc Clinical Embryology and Reproductive Genetics at G T N College, Dindigul from 19.09.2023 to 18.09.2026.
Editorial Board member in Scientific Reports
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| Twitter |
@DrPVlakshmi
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| Contact |
pvlakshmi.biotech@mkuniversity.ac.in
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