Research Associate

Dr Linu Balan is currently serving as a Research Associate at the Centre for Synthetic Biology and Bio-Manufacturing. Dr Balan’s academic foundation began with a B.Tech. in Biotechnology and Biochemical Engineering from Sree Buddha College of Engineering, Pattoor, in 2007, followed by a Laboratory Course in BioTechniques (PG Diploma) at the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology, Bengaluru, in 2008. He went on to complete his M. Tech. in Marine Biotechnology at the National Centre for Aquatic Animal Health, CUSAT, in 2010, laying the groundwork for his subsequent research in marine microbial systems. He earned his PhD from CUSAT, with a thesis entitled “Polyhydroxyalkanoates from Marine Microorganisms for Aquaculture Applications.”

During his doctoral studies, he established a comprehensive repository of PHA-producing bacteria isolated from India’s west coast, screened and selected high-yield strains, optimised both production and downstream processing of polyhydroxybutyrate, and pioneered PHB nanoparticle formulations loaded with dsRNA as well as a bacterin to prevent vibriosis in Penaeus monodon post-larvae. He also founded a spinoff firm that focuses on PHA synthesis. His areas of expertise include microbial biotechnology, bioprocess technology, molecular biology, and nanomaterials.