Extremophilic Microbial Processing of Lignocellulosic Feedstocks to Biofuels, Value-Added Products, and Usable Power

Due to his interdisciplinary background, Sani has been integrating engineering with biologicalsciences in his teaching as well research endeavors.  For over thirteen years, Sani has engaged in a constant endeavor to improve his teaching skills to become an effective instructor and communicator.  In Washington State University's School of Chemical and Bioengineering and Center for Multiphase Environmental Research, he taught a variety of engineering courses including Integrated Environmental Engineering for Chemical Engineers, Bioprocess Engineering, and Current Topics in Multiphase Environmental Research - a team taught interdisciplinary course to undergraduate and graduate students.  Over the last eleven years at the South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, he has been teaching various science and engineering curses including Microbiology for Engineers, Biochemistry Laboratories, Bioinformatics, Molecular Biology for Engineers, Microbial Genetics, and Microbial and Enzymatic Processing to students of various disciplines of Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Applied Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Interdisciplinary Studies, Biology, Medical, and Paleontology.  Sani has received several awards including the outstanding student research (India), Department of Biotechnology Scholarship (India), the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (India), and Science and Technology Agency (Japan).  

Sani group's research includes Extremophilic Bioprocessing, Biocatalysis, Biomaterials, Gas to Liquid Fuels, Genome Editing of Extremophiles, Homo/Heterologous Expression of Genes, and Metabolic Engineering.  Over the past 11 years, he has been the PI or co-PI on over $17.95 million in funded research.  Several of his accomplishments in research and advising include: i) Postdocs supervised (8); ii) Graduate students supervised (MS students, 10 and PhD, 11), and iii) Undergraduate students and K12 teachers supervised (over 60).  He has one patent, five invention disclosures, and published over 60 peer-reviewed articles in high impact factor journals, and have contributed in several book chapters.  He has edited four text books and one proceedings for Springer International Publishing AG.  In addition, I have been in proposal panel for the Federal Agencies i) National Science Foundation, ii) U.S. Army Research Office, iii) Department of Energy, and iv) U.S. Geological Survey.  He also serves the Industrial Microbiology profession as "Biocatalysis Program Committee Member" of the Society for Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology (SIMB), technical session chair at the Annual American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) and SIMB, and an associate editor. Prof. R. Navanietha Krishnaraj - R. Navanietha Krishnaraj is a Research Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, USA. His research interests include bioelectrocatalysis, single cell electrochemistry, and space biology. His has ri