PhD researchers
Elisha Bhattarai
Industry Partner - HeiQ
My name is Elisha Bhattarai, I have started my PhD journey recently. I am based at the Institute of Frontiers Material (IFM), Deakin University as a part of ARC training. I completed my undergraduate degree in Bachelor of science in Biotechnology from Nepal in the year 2017. I was involved in a project entitled "Green synthesis of silver nanoparticles and their antibacterial properties" as a part of my thesis.
After completion of my undergraduate degree, I got an internship opportunity at the Center of Research for Environment Energy and Water (CREEW) which is a non-profit organization mostly involved in ground water treatment and climate change. After 3 months as an intern, I was provided with the opportunity to work as a Research Assistant within the project entitled "Hydro-Microbiological approach for water security in Kathmandu valley, Nepal". I completed my masters degree in Biotechnology and Bioinformatics from Deakin University at the year 2021. I was involved in a project entitled " Design and Synthesis of 2D Nanomotors for Environmental Remediation".
Moreover, I was highly motivated and dedicated to start my new journey in the field of research.
Currently, I am working under the supervision of Dr Rangam along with the industry partner HeiQ. I am working in the field of fibers and textiles as a part of my project. The project mostly focuses on working with natural protein fibers. In this project we aim to replace and reduce the use of toxic chemicals and imply eco friendly green manufacturing techniques.
Krishmali Ekanayake
Industry Partner - Green Eco Technologies
I am Krishmali Ekanayke, PhD Researcher in the faculty of Science, Engineering and Built Environment, Deakin University. I have recently started my PhD career and partnership with ARC training center. My background is in Agricultural Technology Management: Honours, Food Science and Nutrition: Masters and Project Management: Masters. I am fueled by my passion for undertaking various research projects and scientific strategies through continued research studies.
My hunger for knowledge and determination to turn information into action has contributed to joining four leading Food Manufacturing & Exporting companies from 2016 to 2022 in Sri Lanka and Australia. During my honours, I was able to work with my research study at Fonterra Brands Sri Lanka, which I could able to improve my productivity by implementing strategic project management protocols.
Considering my current PhD career, I can empower my research knowledge with great supervision from Prof. Colin Barrow, Dr. Brendan Holland, and the industry partner: Green Eco Technologies. The industry partner, Green Eco Technologies provides the WasteMaster equipment for hospitality, retail, health, multi-unit developments, mining, and education sectors that specialized in innovative food waste recycling methods by reducing greenhouse gas generation and diverting food waste from landfill and recycling it on site. My research project is focused on the investigation of WasteMaster residues for utilization in aquafeed products. The success of my research will ensure many green chemistry applications and environmental sustainability.
Asavari Joshi
Industry Partner - Mantzaris Fisheries
Miss Asavari Joshi is a PhD researcher at the Faculty of Science, Engineering and Built
Environment, Deakin University, Australia. She obtained her master’s degree in Biochemical
Engineering and Biotechnology. She has more than two years of experience in teaching and
supervising at KIT COEK, Shivaji University, India and has worked as a researcher at Korea
University, Seoul, South Korea for 1.5 years.
Her longing to understand the wisdom of food, soil, biodiversity, soil, mother Earth, water,
science and nature led her to actively contribute in research projects involving enzyme
catalysis, enzyme immobilization, nanomaterial synthesis and application, fermentation,
biosurfactants and so on. Because of her research interests, she remains an author for papers
published in journals of international repute including Elsevier and RSC. She is also active in
raising a social awareness on employing sustainable ways to improve the quality of human
life as well as to minimize human generated threats to the environment.
Her PhD project comprises a special collaboration between Mantzaris Fisheries and Deakin
University under the ARC-ITTC programme. Under the excellent supervision of Prof. Colin
Barrow and Dr. Brendan Holland, her research focuses on the green processing of the oils
derived from industrial marine waste biomass, developing methods to analyse the products,
and working on processes that add significance to the final product.
Ishani Rathnayake
Industry Partner – Kemin Nutrisurance
I am Ishani Rathnayake, PhD Researcher in the Faculty of Science, Engineering, and Built Environment, Deakin University. I have recently started my PhD career in collaboration with the ARC training center. I completed my bachelors in Agricultural technology and management: Honours, Food Science & Technology and Master’s in food science and Innovation. I have nine years experience as Food science researcher in Department of Agriculture, Sri Lanka.
During my Honours studies, I had the invaluable opportunity to collaborate with the WHO on a project related to food research. Subsequently, during my Master’s program, I had the privilege of working with the NOW Food laboratory at Chester University, UK, as well as the New Food Innovation company, UK. These enriching experiences further fuelled my passion for food research, motivating me to pursue a PhD. My goal is to expand and deepen my knowledge in this field, with the aim of making significant contributions to world food research and addressing important challenges in the food industry.
In my current PhD career, I am fortunate to have the guidance and support of two exceptional supervisors, Dr. Jacqui Adcock from Deakin university and Dr. Shona Crawford from my industry partner, Kemin Nutrisurance. Kemin Nutrisurance is a prominent company specializing in pet food and rendering services, and they have established collaborations with renowned pet food manufacturers and renderers worldwide. My research project centers on investigating biomarkers for the early detection of lipid oxidation in pet foods. The successful outcome of my research holds the potential to facilitate numerous green chemistry applications and significantly reduce food waste in the pet food industry. By advancing our understanding of lipid oxidation in pet foods, we can contribute to improving the overall quality and shelf life of pet food products, benefiting both consumers and the environment.
Karin Luize Mazur
Industry Partner - Ridley
Hello, my name is Karin Luize Mazur, I am an Industrial Chemist with over 6 years of experience in research and development. I finished my Msc. in Chemical Engineering at Federal University of Santa Catarina, a renowned university in the south of Brazil and considered the 9th best university of Latin America.
I have a strong background in the design of lipid nanoparticles loaded with hydrophilic drugs for controlled release. During my Masters, I developed nanoparticles loaded with Sodium Diethyldithiocarbamate (DETC) for the treatment of Leishmaniasis which is recognised by the World Health Organization (WHO) as a neglected tropical disease. I worked for 3 and a half years on the synthesis and characterisation of several series of Chalcones; and subsequent biological evaluation against the proteins tyrosine phosphatases (PtpA and PtpB) from Mycobacterium tuberculosis. I have a solid knowledge in organic synthesis and I gained expertise in the purification and characterisation of compounds.
I was offered my PhD project at Deakin University in 2021 under the supervision of Colin Barrow and Tim Nalder. The project is in partnership with Ridley Corporation, the largest animal feed manufacturer in Australia. The purpose of the project is to microencapsulate biocompounds via complex coacervation to provide protection against oxidation and improve the stability of it when applied into aquaculture feed.
Dingren (Clay) Zhou
Industry Partner - Sydney Opera House Trust
My name is Dingren Zhou and I recently started my PhD journey at the Institute of Frontiers Material (IFM), Deakin University. Since I grew up in an industrial city, I understand how chemical industries could enrich our quality of life in numerous ways. It would be great if the chemical industry could be more effective, durable, environmental sustainability and less hazardous. This idea popped into my mind when I was in college. Intending to become a researcher, I came to Australia in 2018 to complete my Master of Material Technology at UNSW. After graduating, I worked as a Research Assistant at UNSW. My previous research was to transfer waste glass and textiles into a new generation of high-performance, non-toxic, engineered bio-composites, for use in buildings and various architectural and decorative applications.
To develop high-level research skills and come up with more innovative solutions, I chose to start my PhD under Prof. Russell Varley’s supervision. It is a great chance to combine my life passion, research experiences in this area while working with high caliber researchers. My study aims to rejuvenate the epoxy sealant on the tile lids of the Sydney Opera House by using green chemistry principles. By developing a cost-effective & durable repair methodology incorporating green grout and sealants, the Sydney Opera House’s tile sealant will be capable of delivering a maximum service life with minimal maintenance and zero toxicity to the environment. The success of my research will be related to if such a large white sculpture in the harbor set could catch and mirror the sky with all its varied lights in the next few decades.