Biotechnological Advances in Biorefinery

Dr. Komal Agrawal completed her BSc and MSc in Microbiology from University of North Bengal, India, and Sikkim University (Central University in India) respectively. Dr. Agrawal later joined as research scholar in Department of Microbiology at Central University of Rajasthan, India, and was awarded her PhD in 2021. The doctoral journey was about addressing the critical gaps of laccases from non-model fungal cultures. After which she joined as Assistant Professor in the Department of Microbiology, at Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India. During her scientific journey she was acknowledged at the 1st International Conference on Biotechnology and Biological Sciences – BIOSPECTRUM 2017 where she received the Best Paper Award. Later, in 2023, she was awarded with the Aditi Pant Women Scientist Award at International Conference on Microbial Bioprospecting toward sustainable development Goals (ICBMSDG). In the same year, her work was acknowledged and Dr Agrawal was included in the prestigious list of Top 2% Scientist as per Standford University (2023). Since the start of her scientific career, Dr. Agrawal has contributed in 80+ publications consisting of research articles, review papers, and book chapters. Dr. Agrawal since 2018 has an h-index of 25+, over 2500+ citations, and an i10 index of 45+.

Prof. Pradeep Verma completed his PhD at Sardar Patel University in Gujarat, India, in 2002. In the same year, he joined the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague, Czech Republic, as UNESCO fellow. He later moved to Charles University, Prague, to work as a PDF. In 2004, he joined as a visiting scientist at UFZ Centre for Environmental Research, Halle, Germany. He was awarded a DFG fellowship which provided him another opportunity to work as a PDF at Gottingen University, Germany. He moved to India in 2007 and joined Reliance Life Sciences, Mumbai, and worked on biobutanol production which attributed a few patents. Later, he was awarded the JSPS Post-Doctoral Fellowship Programme and joined the Laboratory of Biomass Conversion, Research Institute of Sustainable Humanosphere (RISH), Kyoto University, Japan. Prof. Verma for his contribution has been awarded the prestigious Fellow Award from the Mycological Society of India (2020), P.C. Jain Memorial Award (MSI), and Biotech Research Society of India (2021). He has also been recognized as the Fellow of the Biotechnology Research Society of India (BRSI) (2020) and Fellow of the Academy of Sciences of AMI India (FAMSc) (2021). He is also a recipient of various prestigious awards such as the Ron-Cockcroft Award by the Swedish Society and UNESCO Fellow ASCR Prague. Furthermore, he has also been awarded the JSPS Bridge Fellow Award (2022) and was also included in the Top 2% of Scientists as per Standford University (2023).

Prof. Verma began his independent academic career in 2009 as a reader and founder head at the Department of Microbiology at Assam University. In 2011, he moved to the Department of Biotechnology at Guru Ghasidas Vishwavidyalaya (A Central University), Bilaspur, and served as an associate professor till 2013. He works as a professor at the Department of Microbiology, CURAJ. He has more than 92+ research/review articles in peer-reviewed international journals having citations of more than 6750+, h-index 43+, i10-index 106+ and contributed to several 62+ book chapters in different edited books. He has also edited 20+ books in international publication houses and is also a guest editor of several high-repute journals.