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Biodesign Directory Profile

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Contact Information

Raveender Vannela

Assistant Professor Research

The Biodesign Institute, Swette Center for Environmental Biotechnology

Bio

Assistant Professor Research

Center for Environmental Biotechnology

Biodesign Institute

Dr. Raveender (Ravi) Vannela, Ph.D., is serving as an assistant professor research at the Center for Environmental Biotechnology, Biodesign Institute.   Dr. Vannela has extensive experience in development of sustainability-based biotechnology solutions for a variety of applications in Environment and Energy.  In particular, his research is focused on development of bioenergy platforms, photobioreactor processes and scale-up, bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides.  Dr. Vannela currently leads a major multi-disciplinary, large-scale photobioreactor research team effort pertaining to Tubes-in-the-desert (TID) Apollo project; in addition to Uranium bioremediation using sulfate reducing bacteria.  Prior to joining ASU, Dr.Vannela worked on DNAzyme-based detection systems, sulfate reducing bacterial remediation of As and Cd and DNAzyme catalysis. Dr. Vannela has several publications, intellectual property rights, patents, and awards to his credit.       

Expertise

Development of bioenergy platforms, photobioreactors, bioremediation of heavy metals and radionuclides; other areas of research include biomonitoring, biogenic nanomaterials, green chemistry 

Education and training

2007, Research Fellow, University of Michigan (Ann Arbor), MI

2004, Postdoctoral Research Associate , Iowa State University (Ames), IA 

2003, Ph.D., Biotechnology, Birla Institute of Technology and Science (BITS), Pilani, India

1999, M.S., Environmental Engineering and Science, Pondicherry University, India

  Selected Publications

  1. Kim, H.W., Vannela, R., et al. Photoautotrophic nutrient utlization and limitation during semi-continuos growth of Synechocystis PCC 6803. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 106: 553-563, 2010.
  2. Sheng, J., Vannela, R., et al. Evluation of methods to extract and quantifi lipids from Synechocystis PCC 6803.  Bioresource Technology, 2010 (in press). 
  3. Kim, H.W., Vannela, R., et al. Nutrient acquisition and limitation of Synechocystis PCC 6803 during photoautrophic conditions. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2010 (accepted).  
  4. Vannela, R., Hayes. K.F., Adriaens. P., Bacterial-specific formation iron sulfide minerals under sulfate reducing conditions.  Applied and Environmental Microbiology. 2009.
  5. Cain, A., Vannela, R., Woo. K.L., 2008. Cyanobacteria as a biosrbent for mercuric ion. Bioresource Technology. 99: 6578-6586.
  6. Vannela, R., Adriaens. P., 2007. In vitro selection of Hg (II) and As (V)-dependent RNA-cleaving DNAzymes. Environmental Engineering Science. 24: 73-84.
  7. Raveender Vannela, Verma. S.K., 2006. Co2 , Cu2 , and Zn2 accumulation by cyanobacterium Spirulina platensis. Biotechnology Progress. 22: 1282-1293.
  8. Raveender Vannela, Verma. S.K., 2006. Removal and recovery of Cu2 by SpiSORB: batch stirred-up and up flow columnar reactor systems. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering. 29: 7-17. 
  9. Vannela, R., Ramachandran. S., Verma. S.K. 2005. Optimization of process parameters for continuous removal and recovery of Cu2 by immobilized Spirulina platensis. The ICFAI Journal of Science & Technology. 1, 90-100.
  10. Vannela, R., Scaria. J., Verma, S.K., 2004. Bioaccumulation and biosorption of heavy metals by Spirulina platensis. International Biodeterioration & Biodegradation. 53, 229. 
  11. Vannela, R., Scaria. J., Verma. S.K., 2002. Application of mutant strains of cyanobacteria for Cadmium removal. Bull. Environmental Contamination & Toxicology. 69: 632-637.
  12. Khan.F.I., Vannela, R., Hussain.T., 2002. Effective Environmental Management through Life Cycle Assessment. J of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries. 15: 455-466.