S Venkata Mohan

• M.Tech; PhD
• Principal Investigator at CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology

https://youtu.be/Eve2ddj9PCY A Sustainable Biohydrogen Production Technology from Waste/wastewater-Pilot Plant Facility by Dr S Venkata Mohan and Research Group, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (CSIR-IICT), Hyderabad. The video documents the details of Biohydrogen pilot plant facility of 10,000 liters capacity and its operation details...

Environmental and climatic change issues, population explosion, rapid urbanization, depletion of fossil reserves, need for energy security, huge waste generation, etc. are some of the inherent issues associated with the fossil based linear economy which need sustainable attention. In this realm, the world is gradually transforming from fossil-based...

Microbial electrosynthesis is an emerging strategy of transforming CO2 into valuable chemicals by exploiting the capabilities of bacteria. As biocatalyst is considered as prime factor in bioelectrochemical CO2 reduction, we used an enrichment technique comprising of heat pretreatment of parent inoculum followed by enrichment under gas mixture of H2...

This study explores the influence of varied stacking configurations in microbial fuel cells (MFCs) to channel acidogenic metabolism for enhanced bioelectricity generation, value-added acid synthesis, and wastewater treatment.

The objective of the present study is the Evaluation of Kinetic Parameters for hydrogen production by anaerobic suspended growth reactor using synthetic feed and Up scaling Anaerobic suspended growth reactor using complex feed. Hydrogen production through anaerobic fermentation of synthetic feed was then studied in an up flow suspended film batch r...

This study evaluates the performance of carbon monoxide dehydrogenase ( codh ) embedded strains in bench-scale microbial electrochemical systems (MES) for CO₂ reduction to biofuels and biochemicals. CO 2 fermentation efficiency was evaluated by comparing the wild-type Clostridium acetobutylicum (Wild), a negative control E. coli strain lacking the...

The constantly evolving and growing global health crisis, antimicrobial resistance (AMR), endangers progress in medicine, food production, and life expectancy. Limited data on population-level prevalence, including seasonal and temporal variations, hampers accurate risk assessment for AMR transmission, despite its paramount importance on both globa...

Omics technologies including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics are essential tools to study the genes, metabolic pathways, and biochemical processes of photosynthetic microbes. Large-scale sequencing of genome and transcriptome has revolutionized microbial photosynthesis research, providing global snapshots of cellular behavio...

Photosynthesis converts carbon dioxide and water into organic molecules and oxygen by using light energy and provides the basic building blocks for all the life on Earth. It takes place in chloroplasts of green plants, cyanobacteria, and algae. The chlorophyll pigment in chloroplasts absorbs light energy, which is then used to split water molecules...

Cyanobacteria have a high yield potential per-acre and are adaptable to environmental changes and can grow in different types of water resources. These organisms are extensively employed as model organisms in the field of research to investigate photosynthetic mechanisms and diverse responses to abiotic stress. Cyanobacteria play a significant role...

Industrialization has led to increased competition between agricultural and industrial needs in urban areas, resulting in municipal solid waste accumulating in landfills. To address this issue, circular bioeconomy, urban metabolism, and biorefineries can redirect non-productive waste toward societal benefits. This approach aligns with the principle...

Photosynthesis involves two stages, the light reactions and the dark reactions that occur in thylakoid membranes and stroma, respectively. The primary function of the light reactions is to generate biochemical reductant (NADPH2) and chemical energy (ATP) which are essential for the assimilation of inorganic carbon. Phototrophy is powered by Photosy...

The rising energy demands of the rapidly growing population are a major challenge, involving science and geopolitics. Fossil fuels are diminishing at a faster pace, leading to rising greenhouse gases and temperature. Artificial photosynthesis can contribute to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on fossil fuels by harnessing solar energy...

Aquatic photoautotrophs, such as microalgae and cyanobacteria, contribute 50% of carbon assimilated into organic matter through their carbon fixation ability. The Calvin-Benson cycle, a complex metabolic pathway, reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) and drive glucose production. Efficiency of carbon sequestration depends on the uninterrupted supply of reduc...

The crucial aspects of cultivation of photosynthetic microbes are assessing photosynthetic physiology and optimizing bioreactors and biomass processing. Several instruments including Pulse Amplitude Modulator, Fluorometer, and Infrared Gas Analyzer measure photosynthetic dynamics. Fast kinetics of chlorophyll a fluorescence and light response curve...

The current chapter discusses the potential applications of microalgae in various fields, including human health, nutrition, and biofuel production. Microalgae are single-cell photosynthetic eukaryotes that can grow in both fresh and marine environments, and they are capable of producing high-value chemicals and fuels. The carbon fixation process r...

The global industrialization has led to significant changes in ecological dynamics and biodiversity. Population growth, urbanization, and changes in consumption patterns have influenced human interactions with the environment. The release of wastewater into mainstream aquatic channels without proper pretreatment can lead to serious problems, includ...

Valorization of nano-silica from sugarcane bagasse ash (SCBA), a major by-product from the sugarcane processing industry, was studied using sequential alkali extraction and acid precipitation methods. Three acid pretreatments and acid precipitation, viz., HCl (NS-C), HNO3 (NS-N), and H2SO4 (NS-S), were used to optimize the process for maximum extra...

Addressing the climate crisis is one of the most pressing issues of our time. Confronting climate change and meeting the 1.5 °C target set by the Conference of Parties (COP 28) requires the implementation of long-term carbon-sink measures. Carbon farming (CF) is a scalable, cost-effective, and efficient approach to achieving negative emissions that...

To establish a sustainable plastic system, it is crucial to implement effective recycling and upcycling strategies that retain the material in the economy and prevent from entering the ecosystems. Polyethylene...

Synthetic biology (SynBio), an emerging interdisciplinary scientific field, is known for designing and building new artificial biological pathways, creatures, or devices, as well as reworking existing natural biological systems. It is therefore unsurpassed as “an umbrella phrase… that encompasses activity spanning from the basic biology to creative...

The seeds of Pongamia pinnata L. are a rich source of oil that yields good-quality biodiesel upon transesterification. However, there is a considerable loss in the process chain where the seed husk and deoiled seed become futile. In the present study, deoiled seed and seed husk of Pongamia along with raw seeds underwent hydrothermal liquefaction wi...

Sugarcane tops (SCT) are an abundant agricultural waste generated from post-harvest sugarcane residue. The collection and management of this field residue pose a significant challenge, resulting in its frequent burning in the field. The chemical composition of SCT is promising, with cellulose, hemicellulose, lignin, and silica, making it an attract...

Biosynthesis of ethanol through syngas fermentation employing enriched microbial consortia offers resilience to operate under non-sterile conditions with energy efficiency. Gas fermentation was performed by varying C1 feedstock with reference to selective enrichment of microbial consortia to maximize ethanol production with simultaneous process par...

Bioelectrochemical systems (BESs) such as microbial fuel cells (MFCs) present numerous benefits for the removal and recovery of heavy metals from industrial and municipal wastewater. This study evaluated the life cycle environmental impact of simultaneous hexavalent chromium (Cr(vi)) removal and bioelectricity generation in a dual chamber MFC. Resu...

Due to the linear nature of our economies, mass production and consumption inherently lead to large quantities of waste generation, which has a negative effect on ecological resilience. It is important to study the economy as a subsystem of ecology. Alternative economic models need to be developed so that there is a balance between economic and soc...

Increasing global energy consumption and depleting fossil-fuel supplies prompted the search for green-alternatives. This study focuses on conversion of waste agar using different acids/alkalis (0.5% and 1%) as catalysts under varied temperature and time towards galactose (Gal), 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) and levulinic acid (LA) production in a s...

The study focuses on the effective conversion of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) by catalytic deoxygenation using various alkali and metal-based catalysts under N2 atmospheric pressure and water as solvent. The specific influence of catalyst over bio-crude yields (bio-oil and aqueous fraction) including energy recovery ratios was explored. The optimum cata...

The functional role of lactate (HLac), as a co-substrate along with glucose (Glu) as well as an electron donor for the synthesis of caproic acid (HCa) a medium chain fatty acids (MCFAs) was studied. A varied HLac and Glu ratios were thus investigated in fed-batch anaerobic reactors (R1-R5) operating at pH 6 with a heat-treated anaerobic consortium....

The study aimed to evaluate the community-wide antimicrobial resistance (AMR) profile of an urban setting using the culture-independent wastewater-based epidemiological surveillance (WBE) approach. The domestic wastewater sample was collected at the converging point of the drain connecting the Sewage Treatment Plant (STP). Collected water sample wa...

Enzymatic treatment of food and vegetable waste (FVW) is an eco-friendly approach for producing industrially relevant value-added products. This review describes the sources, activities and potential applications of crucial enzymes in FVW valorization. The specific roles of amylase, cellulase, xylanase, ligninase, protease, pectinase, tannase, prot...

Microbial-mediated CO2 reduction was evaluated in a Gas and electro fermentation systems with and without applied potential by selective enriched biocatalyst. Selective enrichment conditions with treated culture (Heat-shock, Acid-shock and 2-Bromoethano sulphonate (BESA)) showed at least a 1-fold increment in the acetate acid production over the co...

The global energy demand has been projected to rise over 28% by 2040, calling for more renewable resources such as lignocellulosic biomass to produce biofuels, and for green and efficient processing technologies. Actual limitations of processing technologies include high cost and high-energy consumption. Here, deep eutectic solvents appear as a gre...

A closed loop algal-biorefinery was designed based on a three-stage integration of dairy wastewater (DWW) treatment, hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) of defatted algal biomass, and acidogenic process in a semi-synthetic framework. Initially, Coelestrella sp SVMIICT5 was grown in a 5 L photo-bioreactor and scaled up to a 50 L flat-panel photo-bioreac...

Biogenic waste (solid/liquid/gaseous) utilization in biological processes has disruptive potential of inclining towards carbon neutrality, while producing diverse products output. Anaerobic fermentation (methanogenesis and acidogenesis) routes are crucial bioprocesses for production of various renewable chemicals (carboxylate platform/organic acids...

To assess biohydrogen for future green energy, this review revisited dark fermentation and microbial electrolysis cells (MECs). Hydrogen evolution rate in mesophilic dark fermentation is as high as 192 m³ H2/m³-d, however hydrogen yield is limited. MECs are ideal for improving hydrogen yield from carboxylate accumulated from dark fermentation, wher...

Biogenic municipal solid waste (BMSW) and food waste (FW) with high energy density are ready to tap renewable resources for industrial scale ethanol refinery foreseen for establishing bio-based society. Circular economy has occupied limelight in the domain of renewable energy and sustainable chemicals production. The present review highlights the i...

High photosynthetic rates and high lipid content make microalgae a promising source for the industrial production of edible oils. Enhancement of oleic acid production in microalgae is an important area in the algae-based edible oils research. This study employed the mixotrophic mode of nutrition with a nutrient-rich growth phase (GP) followed by tw...

One of the critical steps in lignocellulosic deconstruction is the hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose by cellulases. Endoglucanases initially facilitate the breakdown of cellulose in lignocellulosic biomass and are further aided by other cellulases to produce fermentable sugars. Furthermore, if the endoglucanase is processive, it can adsorb to the...

Microbial electrosynthesis system (MES; single-chambered) was fabricated and evaluated with carbon cloth/graphite as a working/counter electrode employing an enriched microbiome. Continuous syngas sparging (at working electrode; WE) enabled the growth of endo electrogenic bacteria by availing the inorganic carbon source. Applied potential (-0.5 V)...

The study explored the spent wash valorisation into value added biobased products viz. volatile fatty acids (VFAs), biohydrogen (bio-H2), methane (CH4) and biohythane (bio-H-CNG) based on eight selected parameters employing design of experiment (DOE) approach. Selectively enriched biocatalyst showed marked influence on the production of acidogenic...

➢ Antibiotics have transformed the way infections are treated, but their prolonged use has resulted in the emergence of antimicrobial resistance. ➢ To combat AMR, WHO-GAP established five strategic approaches, one of which is surveillance. ➢ Surveillance of AMR in urban water bodies improves our understanding of the complexities of epidemiology a...

Atmosphere is getting hotter, more turbulent, and more unpredictable because of the “boiling and churning” effect caused by the heat-trapping greenhouse gases within increase of carbon, methane, or other greenhouse gas (GHG)levels in the upper layers of our atmosphere.Chen Chen was the conference convenor.

With an increasing global CO2emissions, Carbon sequestration, capturing, and storing carbon couldbe a major tool for reducing atmospheric CO2 concentration. Microalgae has been gaining impetus owing to its ability to convert inorganic nutrients to organicmatter thus producing biomass rich in biochemicals, pigments and other value-added productsthro...

•Carboxylic acids also known as volatile fatty acids with a carbon chain of five or less viz. Formic acid,Acetic acid, Propionic acid, Butyric acid • Naturally Produced via anaerobic digestion • Great industrial importance in the field of food,beverages, pharmaceutical, chemical fabrication and many more . • Low-cost alternative to petroleum-based...

Agriculture is an integral part of the world’s economy, mainly for developing countries especially in the BRICS nations, which are at top 5 Agri based nations. It is the primary source of employment, income, and food, and these basic needs fulfilled by agriculture all over the world. Biochemical composition of Agri based waste reflects its potentia...

The study examines the role of magnetite (1-150 mg/L) at the interface of Bacillus subtilis-electrode under poised-condition (-0.2 V) for product-formation and catalytic-conduct with the relative-gene-expression encoding lactate dehydrogenase (lctE), pyruvate dehydrogenase (pdhA), acetate kinase (ackA), pyruvate carboxylase (pycA), and NADH dehydro...

Sugarcane processing sector generates large quantities of sugarcane bagasse (SCB) as the residual lignocellulosic biomass (∼30% by weight). With its rich biochemical composition, SCB can function as potential renewable and alternative feedstock for high valued biobased products in the framework of circular economy. The production of nanocrystalline...

Polyhydroxybutyrates (PHBs) are naturally occurring biopolymeric compounds that accumulate in a variety of microorganisms, including microalgae as energy and carbon storage sources. The present study was designed to evaluate nature-based PHB production using microalgae in biphasic (growth (GP) and stress phase (SP)). Microalgal PHB accumulation was...

Yeast lipids from low-cost renewable feedstock are valuable resources for oleochemicals thus enabling circular chemistry. Current study focuses on lipid and volatile fatty acid (VFA) production through dual-stage fermentation of spentwash in a biorefinery framework with Trichosporon cutaneum (Tc) and Yarrowia lipolytica (Yl). During cell proliferat...

Biogas deals with a major challenge of its storage and purification. Recirculating biogas and capturing CO2 towards commodity chemicals and bioenergy production is being considered as a sustainable option. The current study thus investigated the role of in situ biogas looping (recirculation) and biocatalyst pre-treatment, aiming to develop self-sus...

The production of volatile fatty acids (VFAs) and biohydrogen (bio-H2) from food waste (FW) by distributive acidogenic process is one of the promising strategies. The current study was carried out in order to evaluate the role of initial (phase I) and intermittent pH (phase II) control strategies utilising combination of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) and...

Bioenergy that comprises biodiesel, biogasoline, bioethanol, biobutanol, hydrogen, etc. is one of the emerging renewable energies capable of tackling climate change and promising long-term durability. There is an upsurge in the interest in scientific field to enhance the output of the biofuel industry that seeks intervention of nanotechnology to ov...

Micro/nanoplastics (MP/NPs) are emerging global pollutants that garnered enormous attention due to their potential threat to the ecosystem in virtue of their persistence and accumulation. Notably, United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) yearbook in 2014 proposed MPs as one among ten emergent issues that the Earth is facing today. MP/NPs can be...

Addressing the carbon emissions through microbial mediated fermentation is an emerging interest. Custom designed and fabricated gas fermentation (GF) systems were evaluated to optimize the headspace pressure, pH (6.5, 7.5, and 8.5), fermentation time, and substrate load by employing enriched homoacetogenic chemolithoautotrophs. Headspace pressure s...

Wastewater-based epidemiology (WBE) is emerging as a potential approach to study the infection dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 at a community level. Periodic sewage surveillance can act as an indicative tool to predict the early surge of pandemic within the community and understand the dynamics of infection and, thereby, facilitates for proper healthcare ma...

Herein, we report the catalytic hydrothermal treatment of dried microalgae biomass (DAB) of Scenedesmus sp. SVMIICT1 for biocrude production employing various alkali and metal-based catalysts at 200 °C and 100 bar pressure under N2 and H2 atmospheres with twelve designed experiments. The specific influence of inert and reducing conditions together...

Increasing carbon footprint alters the carbon balance in nature, thereby worsening global climate change. The conversion of carbon dioxide (CO2) into value-added products through biological routes is the pathway of the future because of its ecological and sustainable character. The present study evaluated the conversion of CO2 into short-chain fatt...

Monoraphidium sp. SVMIICT6 was isolated and mixotrophically cultivated in a flat-panel photobioreactor (8 days) to treat synthetic dairy wastewater. The removal efficiency of COD, nitrates, and phosphates was observed to be 75%, 85%, and 60% respectively. The nutrient removal supported the growth of microalgae in terms of biomass productivity (50 m...

Renewable/Green biohydrogen (bioH2) production using waste as a feedstock is one of the potential and justifiable substitutes to fossil-based production. The dark fermentation (acidogenic) process is highly dynamic. A marginal shift in process conditions will change the final product formation and their yields. Specific to hydrogen (H2) production,...

Green chemistry techniques for the exploitation of renewable resources have emerged as beneficial techniques for producing sustainable biofuels and high value-added carbon-based fine chemicals with the potential to decrease the impact of anthropogenic activities on the environment. Despite various green chemistry technologies for processing renewab...

Owing to their biodegradability and renewability, biopolymers are being employed in industrial and bio-medical sectors as sustainable alternatives to chemical based polymers. In the present study, isolated Providencia sp. depicted dual production of intra and extracellular biopolymers, polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB) and extracellular polymeric substance...

The phytoremediation potential of Duckweed in treating dairy wastewater (DWW) was studied, focusing on its utilization as nutritional biomass. The organic carbon removal was 74%, along with nitrates (66%) and phosphates (80%). The increase in duckweed fronds by time was observed with a doubling time (DT) of 0.87 and dry weight of 3.73 g. The lentil...

Depletion of natural resources and negetive impact of fossil fuels on environment are becoming a global concern. The concept of biorefinery is one of the alternative platforms for the production of biofuels and chemicals. Valorisation of biological resources through complete utilization of waste, reusing secondary products and generating energy to...

Tetradesmus sp. SVMIICT4 was isolated and cultivated mixotrophically in a flat-panel photobioreactor (FP-PBR) for concurrent dairy wastewater treatment, carbon fixation, and biomass production. Integrated wastewater treatment showed good COD and nutrients removal efficiency accounting for biomass with an accumulation of carbohydrate (21.48 mg g⁻¹)...

The present study aimed to assess the possibility of integrating natural attenuation (NA) and chemical oxidation (O) with the bio-electrocatalytic remediation (BET) process to remediate petroleum hydrocarbons contaminated soil. Six different reactors were operated, wherein in the first reactor was a NA system, and the second condition to the NA was...

Glycerol fermentation using mixed consortia leads to the production of several bio-products such as 1,3-Propanediol (1,3-PDO), acetate, lactate, ethanol, butyrate, propionate and biogas. Increasing production specificity majorly of 1,3-PDO in glycerol fermentation was assessed by suppressing 1,3-PDO non-producing microbial communities. Dual pretrea...

This review article focuses on recent updates on remediation of industrial wastewater (IWW) through microalgae cultivation. These include how adding additional supplements of nutrient to some specific IWWs lacking adequate nutrients improving the microalgae growth and remediation simultaneously. Various pretreatments strategy recently employed for...

Dark fermentative biohydrogen (bio-H2) production is usually associated with the formation of CO2 and organic acids as by-products. Although bio-H2 is an attractive low-carbon renewable fuel, generation of CO2 during production limits its use in certain applications. Nevertheless, these gases can be used for the production of various chemicals and...

The role of poised (negative/positive) potential (0.2/0.4/0.6/0.8V vs Ag/AgCl at anode) was studied in electrofermentation system (EF) to understand the metabolic pathway of Bacillus subtilis with pyruvate as a carbon source. The relative expression of genes encoding pyruvate dehydrogenase (pdhA), lactate dehydrogenase (lctE), acetate kinase (ackA)...

The single bioprocess approach has certain limitations in terms of process efficiency, product synthesis, and effective resource utilization. Integrated or combined bioprocessing maximizes resource recovery and creates a novel platform to establish sustainable biorefineries. Anaerobic fermentation (AF) is a well-established process for the transfor...

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1016/j.eti.2021.101696.].

The isolated Messastrum gracile SVMIICT7 was mixotrophically cultivated in flat panel photobioreactor (FP-PBR) towards understanding the photosynthetic transient and product profile. Biomass productivity attained a maximum of 45 mg L⁻¹d⁻¹, with COD, nitrates and phosphates removal of 83.3%, 84.05%, and 74.98% respectively. Messastrum sp. showed goo...