Dr. Sunil Ghatge | Biotransformation | Young Scientist Award
Post-Doc at Biotransformation, Gwangju Institute of science and technology, Iraq
Rand Al-Obaidi is a highly accomplished dentist with a strong academic background and extensive professional experience. She holds a Certificate in Dental Surgery from Baghdad University, where she ranked 45th out of 304 students. Rand also earned a Master of Science in Preventive Dentistry from the same university, achieving an impressive average of 87.33%. Her academic journey culminated in a Ph.D. in Cariology and Comprehensive Care from the University of Montpellier, France, in 2018. Throughout her career, Rand has gained valuable experience through various roles, including training at the Alliwia Dental Center, serving as a general dental practitioner at the Diyala Health Center, and working as a lecturer at Al-Mustansiria University. She is a member of several prestigious dental associations and has made significant contributions to the field through her research, presentations, and publications. Rand’s dedication to dentistry is evident in her continuous pursuit of knowledge and her commitment to improving oral health care practices.
Professional Profiles:
Technical and experimental skills:
Dr. Sunil Ghatge is experienced in various molecular biology and biochemistry techniques. He is proficient in electrophoresis techniques such as SDS-PAGE, PAGE, agarose gel electrophoresis, Southern and Western blotting. He also has expertise in PCR-related techniques including random mutagenesis, site-directed mutagenesis, screening of metagenomic libraries, RT-PCR, QPCR, and overlap PCR. Dr. Ghatge is skilled in molecular biology and recombinant DNA techniques such as cloning, restriction digestion, restriction mapping, transformation, electroporation, homologous recombination, and gene knockout. Additionally, he is experienced in protein purification techniques such as adsorption, ion exchange, and affinity chromatography using Akta prime, purifier, and explorer systems. He is also proficient in various biophysical techniques including calorimetry, UV-visible spectrophotometry, viscometry, SEM, XRD analysis, flame photometry, HPLC-MS/MS, GC-MS/MS, and FTIR. In enzymology, Dr. Ghatge has expertise in biochemical characterization, rational engineering for desired properties, assay development, enzyme kinetics, computational analysis, and understanding enzyme mechanisms and modes of action.
Trainee Officer:
During his tenure as a Trainee-Officer at Gennova Biopharmaceuticals Ltd in Pune, India, from June 2010 to January 2011, Dr. Sunil Ghatge worked in the Downstream/Upstream processing and quality control unit of the Process and Development Department. His responsibilities likely included supporting the development and optimization of biopharmaceutical processes, ensuring quality control measures were met, and gaining valuable hands-on experience in the biopharmaceutical industry.
Research Experience:
Dr. Sunil Ghatge has extensive research experience in biodegradation and biotransformation processes. Since May 2015, he has been involved in projects such as the biodegradation of polyethylene and pesticides using the bio-photo Fenton approach, production of biomass-derived flavor or fragrance compounds through lignin valorization using thermophilic laccase, biodegradation and biotransformation of herbicides using nitroreductase, and engineering substrate selectivity of ferulic acid decarboxylase. Prior to his postdoctoral work, Dr. Ghatge completed his Ph.D. at the Division of Applied Life Sciences, Synthetic Biotechnology Lab, Gyeongsang National University, South Korea, with a dissertation titled “Characterization of recombinant cellulases and the role of carbohydrate binding modules in the hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose.” He also holds a Master of Science from Shivaji University, focusing on the isolation and characterization of glucose isomerase from Streptomyces griseus, and a Bachelor of Biotechnology from Lokmangal Biotechnology College, where he studied antimicrobial substrate-producing microorganisms.
Awards and Recognition:
Dr. Sunil Ghatge has received several prestigious awards for his research contributions. On 20 Feb 2014, he was honored with the Best Research Paper Presentation Award at Gyeongsang National University for his exceptional work. Additionally, on 06 Nov 2014, he received the Young Pioneer Research Award, further highlighting his significant contributions to the field. Earlier in his academic career, Dr. Ghatge was awarded the Merit Scholarship of Shivaji University, Kolhapur in April 2009, recognizing his outstanding academic performance and dedication to his studies.
Research Conferences:
Dr. Sunil Ghatge has actively participated in various international conferences and symposiums, showcasing his research through poster presentations and contributing to the scientific community. He presented a poster at ASM Microbe on June 15-19, 2023, in Houston, TX, highlighting his recent work in microbiology. In June 2022, Dr. Ghatge presented an on-demand poster at the FEMS Conference on Microbiology held in Belgrade, Serbia, further demonstrating his commitment to sharing knowledge and advancing the field. His contributions also include poster presentations at the International Symposium of the Federation of Korean Society of Microbiology and Biotechnology in Yeosu, Korea, in June 2018, and at a conference organized by the Microbiological Society of Korea at the Kimdaejung Convention Center in Gwangju, Korea, in April 2016. Dr. Ghatge’s dedication to microbial biotechnology is evident through his participation in the International Symposium and Annual Meeting titled “Recent Breakthroughs in Microbial Biotechnology: from Bench to Industry” in July 2013 in Alpensia, Pyeongchang, Korea, and in the Annual Meeting and Exhibition of the Society for Industrial Microbiology in August 2012 in Washington Hilton, Washington, DC, USA. His involvement also extends to the Korea Bioengineering Conference in April 2011 in Jeju, Korea, showcasing his commitment to professional development and collaboration in the field of microbiology.
Extracurricular Activities and Hobbies:
During his Bachelor of Science (BSc), Dr. Sunil Ghatge was an active participant in the National Service Scheme (NSS) and served as the University representative, showcasing his commitment to community service and leadership. Outside of academia, he enjoys playing cricket, listening to silent songs and music, and watching historical TV programs. Dr. Ghatge also has a passion for culinary experimentation and spends time in the kitchen creating new dishes. Additionally, he finds joy in visiting natural beauty places, highlighting his appreciation for the outdoors and exploration.
Publications:
- Biodegradation of polyethylene: a brief review
- S Ghatge, Y Yang, JH Ahn, HG Hur
- Applied Biological Chemistry 63, 1-14, 2020
- Citations: 313
- Construction and characterization of chimeric cellulases with enhanced catalytic activity towards insoluble cellulosic substrates
- AA Telke, SS Ghatge, SH Kang, S Thangapandian, KW Lee, HD Shin, …
- Bioresource technology 112, 10-17, 2012
- Citations: 39
- Characterization of modular bifunctional processive endoglucanase Cel5 from Hahella chejuensis KCTC 2396
- SS Ghatge, AA Telke, SH Kang, V Arulalapperumal, KW Lee, …
- Applied microbiology and biotechnology 98, 4421-4435, 2014
- Citations: 36
- Multifunctional cellulolytic auxiliary activity protein HcAA10-2 from Hahella chejuensis enhances enzymatic hydrolysis of crystalline cellulose
- SS Ghatge, AA Telke, TR Waghmode, Y Lee, KW Lee, DB Oh, HD Shin, …
- Applied microbiology and biotechnology 99, 3041-3055, 2015
- Citations: 35
- Thermoalkaliphilic laccase treatment for enhanced production of high-value benzaldehyde chemicals from lignin
- Y Yang, WY Song, HG Hur, TY Kim, S Ghatge
- International journal of biological macromolecules 124, 200-208, 2019
- Citations: 29
- Degradation of sulfonated polyethylene by a bio-photo-fenton approach using glucose oxidase immobilized on titanium dioxide
- S Ghatge, Y Yang, Y Ko, Y Yoon, JH Ahn, JJ Kim, HG Hur
- Journal of hazardous materials 423, 127067, 2022
- Citations: 28
- Biodegradation of polyethylene: a brief review
- S Ghatge, Y Yang, JH Ahn, HG Hur
- Appl Biol Chem 63: 27, 2020
- Citations: 28
- A novel laccase from thermoalkaliphilic bacterium Caldalkalibacillus thermarum strain TA2.A1 able to catalyze dimerization of a lignin model compound
- S Ghatge, Y Yang, WY Song, TY Kim, HG Hur
- Applied microbiology and biotechnology 102, 4075-4086, 2018
- Citations: 28
- Engineering of family-5 glycoside hydrolase (Cel5A) from an uncultured bacterium for efficient hydrolysis of cellulosic substrates
- AA Telke, N Zhuang, SS Ghatge, SH Lee, A Ali Shah, H Khan, Y Um, …
- PLoS One 8 (6), e65727, 2013
- Citations: 23
- Characterization of a novel thermostable carboxylesterase from thermoalkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus thermocloaceae
- Y Yang, S Ghatge, HG Hur
- Bioscience, Biotechnology, and Biochemistry 83 (5), 882-891, 2019
- Citations: 17