Personal profile
Academic Biography
I have a basic and applied microbiology (BSc & MSc) background and worked as a research assistant in microbiology/ biochemistry. My MSc research was on screening of microorganisms for heavy and toxic metal accumulation.
I started my 10-year journey to the world of Japan during which I worked in three labs within two institutions and experienced the country's high calibre in research, attended enormous national and international meetings and made a network: I got a PhD in Biotechnology (enzyme engineering and bio/chemistry) from Toyama Prefectural University under the legend, Professor Yasuhisa Asano. My project was on a few industrial enzymes including enhancement of protein solubility using directed evolution/ enzyme engineering and characterisation including substrate specificity, biocatalysis and biochemical kinetics.
Then, I was hired as a post-doc researcher in the prestigious ERATO Asano Project (Exploratory Research for Advanced Technology by Japan Science & Technology Agency), the largest scientific grant in Japan (approximately 15M USD, 2012 rate). The project generated impactful outcomes in scientific and applied areas including dozens of patents and many peer-reviewed papers. My main project was a massive research work from discovery to the characterisation of a highly stable and efficient millipede enzyme as an alternative to the existing industrial enzymes. It was a new window on the world of arthropods as new and very stable enzymes for biocatalysis of pharmaceutical building blocks and other valuable chemicals (2012-2015).