Bioprocessing Research Group

PhD Students

Prachand Shrestha

Shrestha is currently involved in (1) enhancement of enzymatic hydrolysis process in simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of corn milling co-products like corn fiber using wood rot fungi (brown and white rots) and the brewers yeast - Saccharomyces cerevisiae; (2) celluloytic enzyme assays; and (3) evaluation of ultrasound process as pretreatment step preceding fungal fermentation.

Web site

Mary Rasmussen

Rasmussen graduated with a Master's thesis on the saccharification of corn fiber from a wet-milling plant by the brown rot fungus, Gloeophyllum trabeum, with subequent ethanol fermentation. Her Ph.D. work involves bioconversion of thin stillage from a dry-grind ethanol plant to fungal biomass, in order to remove organics and recycle the treated effluent.

Micky Vincent

Vincent aims to explore the possibilities and feasibilities of rapid and enhanced bioethanol production from several lignocellulosic agriculture wastes such as corn stover and palm oil empty fruit bunches (PO-EFB). Simultaneous Saccharification and Fermentation (SSF) using fungi and yeast will the treatment of choice as these methods are reportedly cheaper and with fewer environmental impacts.

Web site

Bishnu Karki

Karki is working ona Grow Iowa Value Fund-supported project, which aims to optimize soy processing using ultrasound waves to maximize the release of soy protein and carbohydrates. This very challenging research also aims to treat the low value side stream - whey from soy-processing industry using lactic acid bacteria (LAB) to produce high value nisin.

Debjani Mitra

Mitra focuses on rsearch to produce nisin with lactic acid bacteria during soy processing wastewater remediation. She has experiences in the fields of medical microbiology, specifically dealing with antibiotics and also fermentation biotechnology. Her research interests are in the field of environmental and medical microbiology and biorenewables.

MS Students

Yasodhara Kambam

Kambam is involved in water reclamation and reuse of thin stillage effluent from fungal bioreactors using ASBR (anaerobic sludge batch reactor). This deals with the reduction of the COD concentration to meet the the standards using anaerobic digestion after the thin stillage has been treated in fungal bioreactors.

Ryan Townsend

Townsend's current research includes disinfection of thin stillage from ethanol production. His other research interests include second generation biofuels such as cellulose ethanol and algae biodiesel, CO₂ mitigation and energy efficiency.