Ongoing R&D work: Biotechnological production of xylitol from xylose utilizing yeast isolated from digestive gut of Beetle. Xylitol a five carbon sugar alcohol (polyol) is a natural and moderately sweet bulk sweetner with 80% sweetness equal to table sugar. It can be extracted naturally from various fruits and fermented foods includs corn fibre, birch, raspberries, plums, corn wine, beer, cucumber. Because of its anticariogenic and insulin independent property xylitol has been potentially used in many pharmaceutical industries as a sugar substitute and drug excipients.The current research work was emphasized at isolation and screening of xylose utilizing yeast from digestive gut of beetles. The fermentation studies were carried out in shake flask level to determine the high xylitol production from fermented broth(48-72 hrs).In The patented process production level of xylitol in the range of 40g/l to 49g/l at shake flask level and in batch and Fed batch fermentation process xylitol production was reported to be 50g/l and 120g/l belongs to the species of candia, pichia. The current fermentation studies shows 25g/l of xylitol production in optimized media.Further more strains has to be screened in shake flask to find potential xylitol producer in the range of 30-40g/l with high xylose to xylitol conversion rate.The fermentation process should be developed at controlled DO, pH, temperature conditions for efficient production of xylitol in Batch and fed batch fermentation. Future work plans: The high producer of bacteriorhodopsin from halobacterium species will be isolated from different salt locations in india and cultivated in large scale photo biorector to achieve high recovery of Bacteriorhodpsin in the range of 250- 400mg for Bio-photonics applications. Demonstration of xylitol and erythritol production in large scale fermenters to obtain higher recovery of food grade crystalline xylitol and erythritol sweetners. Work Experience: I Joined Imtech in 2004 after completion of my Bachelors degree B.Tech in Chemical Engineering from university of madras, Chennai then postgraduation in M.Tech (Biotechnology) from Anna university in 2003. Continued as a Research scholar on the research Topic” cell recycling by membrane filteration system for high cell density fermentation in E-coli for production of WbSXP-1 filarial protein” under the supervision of Dr.Meenakshi sundarum at Bioprocess lab( Taramani campus) ,Center for biotechnology ,Anna university, Chennai till 2004.

Microbial production of xylitol, Erythritol a low calorie sweetners used in diabetic foods. Process development for the production of bacteriorhodopsin from halobacterium species used in optical applications. High cell density recombinant fermentation in large scale biorectors for the production of proteins and enzymes.