Arul Varman
Assistant Professor, School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy
Arul Mozhy Varman is an assistant professor of chemical engineering in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy at Arizona State University. He received his doctorate in energy, environmental and chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biomass Science and Conversion Technologies at Sandia National Laboratories, California.
Varman's research interests include metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources.
Fall 2024
Fatima Eldessouki
Chemical engineering
Accelerating the Engineering of Cyanobacteria via recJ Knockout for D-lactate Production
Exploring the effect of recJ deletion in cyanobacteria on their ability to uptake genes for D-lactate synthesis.
Program: FURI
Spring 2024
Zulema Guzman
Chemical engineering
Enhanced Production of Organic Materials Under Light-Limited Conditions Through CRISPR Engineering of Cyanobacterial Hydrogenase
Enhancing cyanobacterial hydrogenase activity could revolutionize sustainable biofuel production, mitigating climate change.
Program: FURI
Haley Nicole McKeown
Chemical engineering
Leveraging the Power of Ligninolytic Enzymes to Valorize Lignin to Polyvinyl Phenol
Utilizing engineered microorganisms with ligninolytic enzymes for synthesis of biopolymers will contribute to advancements in bioplastics.
Program: MORE
Fatima Eldessouki
Chemical engineering
Accelerating the Engineering of Cyanobacteria via recJ Knockout for D-lactate Production
Exploring the effect of recJ deletion in cyanobacteria on their ability to uptake genes for D-lactate synthesis.
Program: FURI
Jackson Comes
Chemical engineering
Engineering a Microbial Chimera for Biosynthesis of Green Solvents
Engineering a microbial chimera to produce green solvents alleviates the strain petrochemical usage has on our environment.
Program: MORE
Tegun Bon Young
Chemical engineering
Simultaneous Production of D-Lactic Acid and Ethylene by Engineered Cyanobacteria
Transforming specific genes in cyanobacteria will help produce renewable resources for energy and other raw materials.
Program: FURI
Tyler Okane
Chemical engineering
Engineering C. glutamicum to Improve b-ketoadipate Pathway Productivity
Engineering C. glutamicum with the ultimate goal of enhancing the microbial utilization of lignin-derived substrates.
Program: FURI
Fall 2023
Reem Alameri
Chemical engineering
Overexpression of Cyanobacterial Hydrogenase to Increase Biomass Productivity in the Dark
Genetically modifying cyanobacteria can make them more effective producers of a wide range of fuels and bulk chemicals.
Program: FURI
Joshua Robert Kail
Chemical engineering
Accumulation of β-Ketoadipate to Create Biopolymers Using Engineered Corynebacterium Glutamicum
The research team is trying to find an organic method to produce nylons and stop the use of dangerous petrochemicals in their production.
Program: FURI
Kathryn G. O'Kane
Chemical engineering
Promoter Engineering for the Construction of Glucose-Inducible Promoters
This research aims to create strong substrate-inducible promoters inside bacteria cells to over-express targeted proteins.
Program: FURI
Summer 2023
Reem Alameri
Chemical engineering
Overexpression of Cyanobacterial Hydrogenase to Increase Biomass Productivity in the Dark
Genetically modifying cyanobacteria can make them more effective producers of a wide range of fuels and bulk chemicals.
Program: FURI
Joshua Robert Kail
Chemical engineering
Accumulation of β-Ketoadipate to Create Biopolymers Using Engineered Corynebacterium Glutamicum
The research team is trying to find an organic method to produce nylons and stop the use of dangerous petrochemicals in their production.
Program: FURI
Kathryn G. O'Kane
Chemical engineering
Promoter Engineering for the Construction of Glucose-Inducible Promoters
This research aims to create strong substrate-inducible promoters inside bacteria cells to over-express targeted proteins.
Program: FURI
Spring 2023
Tyler Okane
Chemical engineering
Evolving Corynebacterium glutamicum to Accelerate Growth for the Increased Production of Flavonoids
Metabolically engineered bacteria present a sustainable method for producing flavonoids.
Program: FURI
Sumant Milind Brahmankar
Chemical engineering
Engineering the Cyanobacterial Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain to Improve Photosynthetic Efficiency
Metabolically engineering a phototrophic microorganism to increase the photosynthetic efficiency of cells will upscale biomass production.
Program: MORE
Linda Toma
Chemical engineering
Overexpression of Cyanobacterial Hydrogenase to Increase Biomass Productivity under Light-Limited Conditions
Using cyanobacteria for the sustainable production of various fuels and chemical products will help limit environmental issues.
Program: FURI
Haley Nicole McKeown
Chemical engineering
Depolymerization of PET Plastics Using Engineered Bacterium
Through engineering, bacteria can create and export enzymes to deconstruct PET plastics, promoting sustainability.
Program: FURI
Fall 2022
Jackson Comes
Chemical engineering
Engineering a Photosynthetic Microbe for Chemical Production
The production of useful chemicals from engineered cyanobacteria establishes a sustainable manufacturing process.
Program: FURI
Juhi Khandelwal
Chemical engineering
Engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum with Malonate Pathway for Optimizing Flavonoid Production
Providing a sustainable alternative for the production of naringenin for livestock improves outputs to combat rising food demands.
Program: FURI
Haley Nicole McKeown
Chemical engineering
Engineering Bacteria to Depolymerize PET Plastics to Combat Pollution
Bacteria can be engineered to express enzymes to deconstruct PET plastics and address pollution.
Program: FURI
Summer 2022
Jackson Comes
Chemical engineering
Engineering a Photosynthetic Microbe for Chemical Production
The production of useful chemicals from engineered cyanobacteria establishes a sustainable manufacturing process.
Program: FURI
Juhi Khandelwal
Chemical engineering
Engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum with Malonate Pathway for Optimizing Flavonoid Production
Providing a sustainable alternative for the production of naringenin to be fed to livestock improves output to combat rising food demands.
Program: FURI
Amogh J. Deshpande
Chemical engineering
Engineering of a Microbe for the Sustainable Production of Environmentally Friendly Solvents
Constructing and integrating plasmids into a microbial host will help with the sustainable production of environmentally friendly solvents.
Program: FURI
Spring 2022
Andrew Logan Reed
Chemical engineering
Engineering Corynebacterium glutamicum for the Production of Naringenin
Using bacterial cells to generate naringenin will make it easier and more efficient to produce this incredibly promising chemical.
Program: FURI
Amogh J. Deshpande
Chemical engineering
Engineering of a Microbial Host for the Secretion of Biomass-Degrading Enzymes
Engineering a microbe's metabolic pathway to break down biomass will allow for the sustainable production of important industrial chemicals.
Program: FURI
Fall 2021
Danika Kartchner
Chemical engineering
Ideal Conditions for Reactive Extraction of Ethyl Acetate with lipase Novozym 435
Optimizing the extraction of desirable solvents with enzymes will help develop a sustainable biological model for producing esters.
Program: FURI
Dylan S. Ellis
Chemical engineering
Engineering of a Microbial Host for the Degradation of Recalcitrant Biomass
Developing a microbial platform for the breakdown of recalcitrant biomass will enable the sustainable production of valuable chemicals.
Program: MORE
Summer 2021
Danika Kartchner
Chemical engineering
Bioengineering Corynebacterium glutamicum for the Synthesis of Short-Chain and Long-Chain Esters
Optimizing bioreactors to produce similar products to petrochemicals would help industries to be more sustainable.
Program: FURI
William Andrew Ederer
Chemical engineering
Hydrolysis of Cellulose With Engineered Recombinant Bacillus Subtilis
Engineering bacteria to convert cellulose into glucose will allow for cheaper utilization of biomass to make sustainable fuels.
Program: FURI
Spring 2021
Jason Patrick Ronstadt
Chemical engineering
Metabolic Engineering for Robust Natural Product Biosynthesis in C. glutamicum
Constructing a pathway to produce a flavinoid from bacteria will allow for more efficient harvesting of it and, thus, higher yields.
Program: FURI
Melody Cymbor
Chemical engineering
Construction of Plasmid DNA for the Heterologous Expression of Ester Forming Enzymes
Developing a microbial system that increases the production of sustainable solvents like ethyl lactate will have environmental and economic impacts.
Program: FURI
Parker Joseph Poole
Environmental engineering
Flux Balance Analysis of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 for the Production of D-lactate
Mathematically analyzing the metabolism of a cell will help produce sustainable alternatives for fossil-fuel industries.
Program: FURI
Carlos Beiza
Chemical engineering
Engineering Bacteria to Secrete Cellulases for Breaking Down Cellulose into Glucose
Enabling bacteria strains to produce enzymes creates a cost-effective alternative to purchasing costly enzymes for research.
Program: FURI
Fall 2020
Carlos Beiza
Chemical engineering
Utilizing 13C Tracing to Determine Metabolic Pathways
Studying metabolic pathways will allow for better utilization of consumables and will optimize the use of simple cell organisms in metabolic engineering.
Program: FURI
Melody Cymbor
Chemical engineering
Microbial Engineering for the Production of Ethyl Lactate
Synthesizing microbial esters and their precursors for economically viable hydrocarbons will generate greener, more biodegradable fuel.
Program: FURI
Parker Joseph Poole
Environmental engineering
Flux Balance Analysis
Using the MATLAB program to model the metabolism of a cell will allow for a better understanding of how to produce renewable products.
Program: FURI
Summer 2020
Kira Varga Winsor
Chemical engineering
Fast Growing Cyanobacterial Strains for Biochemical Production
Studying faster-growing cyanobacteria will allow for a more feasible, sustainable means of producing biochemicals.
Program: FURI
Dylan S. Ellis
Chemical engineering
Engineering of a Microbial Host for the Production of Aromatic Chemicals
Investigating the breakdown of biomass using engineered bacteria will enable a more sustainable production of valuable chemicals.
Program: FURI
Spring 2020
Kira Varga Winsor
Chemical engineering
Optimization of Cyanobacteria Cultures
Engineering cyanobacteria will improve the production of sustainable biochemicals by optimizing growth rate and efficiency.
Program: FURI
Dylan S. Ellis
Chemical engineering
Efficient Naringenin Flavonoid Biosynthesis via Metabolically Engineered Corynebacterium glutamicum
Altering the metabolic pathways of bacteria will aid in the sustainable production of medicines and other value-added compounds.
Program: FURI
Bethany Ann Kalscheur
Chemical engineering
Hydrolysis of Biomass Derived Cellulose and Hemicellulose with Engineered Bacillus Subtilis Strains
Genetically engineering bacillus subtilis will increase the efficiency of biofuel production.
Program: FURI
Mark Nguyen
Chemical engineering
Biosynthesis of Ethyl Lactate with Escherichia coli as a microbial host
Synthesizing ethyl lactate through E. coli will increase its sustainability and offer an alternative to petrochemical derivatives.
Program: FURI
Fall 2019
Abigail Jayne Jansen
Chemical engineering
Metabolic Engineering for Ethyl Lactate Production in E.coli
Metabolically engineering E. coli for the production of ethyl lactate will allow for renewable production of the green chemical solvent.
Program: FURI
Bethany Ann Kalscheur
Chemical engineering
Hydrolysis of Biomass Derived Cellulose and Hemicellulose with Engineered Bacillus subtilis Strains
Genetically modifying bacteria to simultaneously generate their own food sources and biofuels will make energy production more sustainable.
Program: FURI
Samuel Daniel Welton
Chemical engineering
Bioproduction of renewable ethylene from an engineered cyanobacterium
The bioproduction of ethylene through CO2 consumption leads to more sustainable energy sources than fossil fuel production methods.
Program: FURI
Carlie L Rein
Biomedical engineering
Metabolic Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for the Conversion of Biomass Derived Aromatics to Chrysin
Recombining the genetic pathway in bacteria to produce a pharmaceutical from renewableresources will reduce price and improve availability
Program: FURI
Spring 2019
Abigail Jayne Jansen
Chemical engineering
Metabolic Engineering of Escherichia Coli for the Production of a Biodegradable Solvent
Engineering the metabolism of E. coli to produce ethyl lactate will help replace toxic solvents with a biodegradable alternative.
Program: FURI
Carlie L Rein
Biomedical engineering
Metabolic Engineering of Corynebacterium glutamicum for the Conversion of Biomass Derived Aromatics to Chrysin
Recombining the genetic pathway in bacteria to produce a pharmaceutical from a renewable resource will reduce price and improve availability.
Program: FURI
Zach Rudebeck
Chemical engineering
Hydrolysis of Biomass Derived Cellulose and Hemicellulose with Engineered Bacillus Subtilis Strains
Creating a cheaper, more streamlined way to extract biofuels with bacteria will help to increase sustainable energy use.
Program: FURI
Samuel Daniel Welton
Chemical engineering
Bioproduction of Renewable Ethylene from an Engineered Cyanobacterium
Quantifying the bioproduction of ethylene will help create a more environmentally friendly alternative to fossil fuel ethylene production.
Program: FURI