ENERGY-SUSTAINABILITY Nexus Laboratory
Department of Chemistry, Bioscience, and Environmental Engineering
Faculty of Science and Technology
University of Stavanger (UiS)
Welcome to ENERGY-SUSTAINABILITY Nexus Laboratory (ESNL)!!!!
Brief Introduction
ESNL is headed by Dr. Gopalakrishnan Kumar, Associate professor of the University of Stanger (UiS), Stavanger, Norway. The current team consists of Ph.D. candidates, Master students, as well as collaborating with international experts across the globe.
Our current research is focusing on two directions:
Algal biorefinery
Solid Waste Management
Algal biorefinery
Circular bioeconomy has become a sustainable business model for commercial production that promises to reuse, recycle & recover while considering less environmental footprints in nutraceutical industries. Microalgae biotechnology has the synergy to bioremediate waste stream while generating high-value-added compounds such as astaxanthin, protein, and polyunsaturated fatty acids that are potential compounds used in various industries, thus, the integration of this approach provides economic advantages. [1][2]
Our primary focus on microalgal biotechnology:
Producing bioactive compounds - Astaxanthin, Lutein, etc
Nutraceutical products - Animal feed (Protein, PUFA, etc)
Sustainable material - PHA, PHB, PLA, etc
Development of bioactive compound extraction technology
Circular bioeconomy from the waste stream to high-value-added compounds through Algal biotechnology
Solid Waste Management
In Norway, the relative abundance and ease of collection of this waste substrate make it a candidate for investigation.
Our primary focus on Solid waste management:
Alternative fuels and applications from the organic waste stream - agriculture waste, spend coffee ground, industrial waste, etc
Producing high value-added compounds for the abandoned waste stream - enzyme production, etc
Development of effective pretreatment technologies; thermochemical, biochemical, and physicochemical methods and process optimization for the preparation and processing of biomass feedstock