Ludhiana: Two PAU experts granted patent for bioethanol production from damaged wheat
The invention, in line with the National Biofuel Policy, 2018, amended in 2022, of the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, allows the use of damaged cereal grains for bioethanol production
A Punjab Agricultural University (PAU) microbiologist and a PhD (microbiology) pass out from the department of microbiology of the university have been granted the patent for “A process for bioethanol production from industrial graded wheat grains using an alpha-amylase” by the Indian Patent Office, government of India, New Delhi.
This is the sixth patent granted to department of microbiology, PAU. The team includes Dr GS Kocher, principal microbiologist-cum-head of the microbiology department at the university, and Nadia Razdan, a PhD (microbiology) pass out from the department.
Kocher said the present invention provides a process for the production of bioethanol from damaged wheat through the use of indigenous thermostable alpha-amylases. The developed process will be helpful in taking care of the damaged/spoiled wheat that constitutes a sizable portion of the post-harvest loss of wheat grains.
The invention, in line with the National Biofuel Policy, 2018, amended in 2022, of the Union ministry of petroleum and natural gas, allows the use of damaged cereal grains for bioethanol production.
The process will be helpful not only in improving bioethanol production but the economy of the state as well, he added. PAU vice-chancellor (V-C) Satbir Singh Gosal congratulated the department.
PAU microbiology student wins int’l fellowship
A 5-year integrated MSc (Hons.) microbiology student of PAU has secured a fellowship of $24,000 per year for pursuing her PhD in plant and environmental sciences at Clemson University, South Carolina, USA.
Sukhman Kaur will conduct her doctorate research under the supervision of Bhupinder Singh Jatana, assistant professor at Clemson University. Kaur did her master’s with a CGPA of 8.32 under the supervision of Dr Priya Katyal, microbiologist, department of microbiology.
V-C Satbir Singh Gosal, college of basic sciences and humanities dean Dr Shammi Kapoor, postgraduate studies dean Pardeep Kumar Chhuneja and microbiology department head GS Kocher congratulated Kaur for her achievement.
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