Dr. Vikas Yelemane

 Downstream process development for biopharmaceuticals (mAbs, VLPs and proteins) using expanded bed adsorption (EBA) and functionalized non-woven fiber technology.  Supervision of M.Sc. and B.Sc. internship and thesis student.  Collaboration and communication with project partners.

 Industrial experience in protein production process (upstream and downstream).  Implemented QbD concepts in protein production process optimization.  Participated in scale-up and technology transfer of microbial fermentation process for biosimilar product from lab to production scale.  Collaboration with internal and external research partners.

 Established protocols for high cell density cultivation for bacterial and yeast fermentation.  Successfully implemented design of experiments (DOE) to enhance protein expression.  Executed fermentation, cell lysis, protein purification and bio- process analytics for Virus Like Particle and proteins expressed by Pichia pastoris and Escherichia coli.

 Developed cost-efficient microalgae harvesting system using hybrid flocculationtangential flow filtration, including optimization of process conditions.  Developed process for harvesting of microalgae using ceramic micro-filtration cores.

 Developed commercially viable photo-bioreactor for micro-algae production.  Optimized process parameters for increased lipid production using DOE approach.

 Optimization of protease production using locally isolated haloalkaliphilic bacteria in shake flask condition.

Thesis: Enhanced downstream bioprocessing of monoclonal antibodies utilizing biofouling resilient expanded bed chromatography

Thesis: Production of lipids using fresh water microalgae – development and studies in photo-bioreactor

Thesis: Application of microbial fuel cell technology to biogas plant for dual energy production