Biopolymers and Bioplastics

Dr. Sandeep Ahankari is working as an Associate Professor in the School of Mechanical Engineering at VIT University, Vellore, TN, India. He is basically a mechanical engineer, pursued his PhD from IIT Kanpur, India in the area of functionally graded polymer composites and postdoctoral research at University of Guelph, ON, Canada. His area of interest includes- Processing and thermo-mechanical characterization of bio/polymer nanocomposites, functionally graded composites, etc. He has nine international journal papers, twenty international conference papers, five international book chapters to his credit. He filed five patents and one invention of which three are granted.

Dr. Huseyin Bekir YILDIZ is affiliated to Department of Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, KTO Karatay University, where Dr. Huseyin Bekir YILDIZ is currently working as Professor. Dr. Huseyin Bekir YILDIZ has authored and co-authored several national and international publications and also working as a reviewer for reputed professional journals. Dr. Huseyin Bekir YILDIZ is having an active association with different societies and academies around the world. Dr. YILDIZ made his mark in the scientific community with the contributions and widely recognition from honourable subject experts around the world. Dr. YILDIZ has received several awards for the contributions to the scientific community. Dr. YILDIZ major research interest involves Synthesis, Characterization and Applications of Nanoparticles, Enzyme Immobilization, Enzyme Inhibition, Solar Cell and Solar Energy, Biological Photovoltaics, Construction of Novel Biosensors, Photoelectrochemistry, Novel DNA Systems, Electrochemistry, Electropolymerization and Characterization of Conducting Polymers and Electrochromic Devices.

Dr Rakesh Kumar is an Associate Professor in Department of Biotechnology, Central University of South Bihar, India. Rakesh Kumar has got his postdoctoral training from Wuhan University, China. He obtained his Ph.D degree in Biopolymers from IIT Delhi, India in the year 2006. In Dec. 2008, he joined as a Senior Researcher at Material Science and Manufacturing Unit, Port Elizabeth, South Africa. Dr Kumar focuses his research on soy protein isolate, polylactic acid and polyfurfuryl alchol based biopolymers and biocomposites. All these three biopolymers are obtained from renewable resources. Dr. Kumar has published more than 40 original research papers in the peer-reviewed SCI journals, has edited 3 International books. He has delivered several talks at National and International conferences. He was awarded Chinese Patent from his postdoctoral work. CSIR, South Africa has filed South African and World Patent for his innovative work entitled “Polyfurfuryl Alcohol Based Materials”.

Stephen Mukuze is a student and holds a BSc in Agriculture with a minor in Biology (Biotechnology option. He is currently pursuing a Master of Science degree in Bioengineering at the University of Tartu in Estonia. Stephen has had 2 years’ worth of experience working with bioplastics as an intern with the Center of Science and Technology Innovations in Kenya. He has produced a working bioplastic bag prototype from cassava and has published a research paper on the subject with the Advanced Journal of Graduate Research. Stephen has additional experience as a Cell-free chassis engineer with OURSAfrica which won the idea stage of the 4^th Nairobi Innovation Week competition held in Kenya

Makhdoom Zada Arsalan Ahmed was born on 30^th July, 1988 in Karachi Pakistan. I have done B.E in Polymer & Petrochemical Engineering from NED University of Engineering and Technology Karachi Pakistan in December 2011. Initially I started my career with injection molding, extrusion, sheet metal machine and assembly line of automobile sector. After that moved to new Flexible Packaging Film Industry (BOPET) Plant. I took part in erection, commissioning and startup of Pakistan first BOPET Film Line project of 90 TPD capacities. I have got good experience by working with Foreign Consultant. Deal with manpower, machinery, capacity planning and layouts. Monitor process of Film line i.e. from raw material to finished product with optimum quality by maintaining the process parameters through DCS and Field. I worked as a process Engineer in Production Department from 2012 to 2015. In 2015, I joined Dawlance Private Limited where I was working as an Assistant Manager Production in Manufacturing Department. Managing different sub departments which include Injection Molding, Vacuum Forming, Plastic Sheet Extrusion, Pre-Foaming and Foaming.

Currently Working as a Team Leader Production in BOPP Film Line Production Department in Tripack Films Limited. A Petrochemical Plant of Polypropylene/Polymer based films at Port Qasim Karachi. Manage Raw Material, select recipe and suitable operating parameters of Plant that comes in the endless wastage and good quality.

Mónica A. Silva is a Chemical Engineering by formation and works with polymeric membranes and nanoparticles at 2C2T, University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal (PT). She has 2 years of experimental work in the area of membranes processing. Mónica has also been involved in membranes wastewater application. The work with membranes permitted her the participation in three international conferences and the publication of two papers in recognized peer reviewed journals. Meanwhile, she is studying new applications of the membranes in the Biomedical Engineering area.

Qibing Pei is Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Los Angeles. He specializes in synthetic polymers and composites for electronic, electromechanical, and photonic applications, with over 200 peer-reviewed journal publications and 44 issued US patents. He directs the UCLA Soft Materials Research Laboratory. He received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Nanjing University and a PhD in polymer science from the Institute of Chemistry, Chinese Academy of Science. He is a Fellow of SPIE, member of ACS and MRS, Associate Editor of Smart Materials & Structures, and Advisory Board Member of Soft Robotics, Advanced Electronic Materials, and Scientific Reports.

Vakhtang Barbakadze has his expertise in isolation and structure elucidation of a new series of plant polyethers, which are endowed with pharmacological properties as anti-cancer agents. He has completed his Ph.D and D.Sci. in 1978 and 1999. He is the head of Department of plant biopolymers and chemical modification of natural compounds at the Tbilisi State Medical University Institute of Pharmacochemistry. 1996 and 2002 he has been a visiting scientist at Utrecht University, The Netherlands, by University Scholarship and The Netherlands organization for scientific research (NWO) Scholarship Scientific Program, respectively. He has published more than 100 papers in reputed journals.