Dr. Ramachandran Palpandi Raja

Research interests

My main research interests are Drug Delivery Engineering and Sustainable Bioprocessing. In our lab we study the fundamental understanding, monitoring and control of physicochemical phenomena in fermentation processes to achieve optimal and sustainable manufacturing of nutraceuticals and therapeutic products. We are also pursuing development of novel Drug Delivery Systems based on polymeric carriers.

Research Summary

Doctoral work was on studies to improve oxygen transfer in fermentation processes using liquid phase oxygen supply methodology, where the use of hydrogen peroxide as a source of oxygen supply to high cell density Pichia pastoris fermentations for recombinant human serum albumin production. The efficacy of liquid phase oxygen supply was compared to aeration in viscous xanthan gum fermentation and shear sensitive pellet mold cultivations. The productivities of enzymes such as catalase, and protease from Aspergillus niger were studied using various oxygen supply methodologies. Xanthan gum productivities in Xanthomonas campestris were studied under various oxygen supply regimes.

We have investigated various approaches for improving dissolved oxygen control in fermentation processes. As part of it a novel adaptive model predictive control algorithm for dissolved oxygen control was successfully implemented in high cell density recombinant methylotrophic yeast and bacterial cultivations. Monitoring and control of methanol level in a recombinant methylotrophic yeast fermentation process was automated using a gas sensor. I have also investigated strategies for improving lactic acid fermentation by controlling culture redox potential.

At Avesthagen for scale-up of a process for PUFA enriched single cell oil production from a marine protest and also part of team involved in the bioprocess development for recombinant proteins production using E.coli and Pichia pastoris.

Research Publications

• R. Palpandi Raja, Abhijit Badwe, Sachin C. Patwardhan, Santosh B. Noronha, ”Adaptive Model Predictive Control Of Dissolved Oxygen In A Bioreactor” Proceedings of the 8th International IFAC Symposium on Dynamics and Control of Process Systems Vol.3, 55-60 (2007)

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