Hemant Pendse

'I am bioprospecting for microorganisms that cleave ether bonds between lignin and hemicellulose. My laboratory isolates and characterizes the microorganisms and the enzymes responsible for the etherase activities. We are planning to scale up production and design new pretreatments for lignocellulosic feedstocks, especially from softwoods. ' - Nancy Kravit, Adjunt Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering.

Through this research and the help of our researchers, I am able to lead the FBRI research team focused on creating and commercializing new bioproducts. My work relates to design of industrial process systems. We work on rapid technology transfer out of research laboratories through pilot scale validation aimed at private sector acceptance for commercial deployment.