One second, Jean.

Please start by introducing your professional journey in academia

Hello. Good morning, Sir. I am Doctor Naren Kumar. I did, uh, my. Doctorate in uh. Biotechnology at Thiruvallur University. After that, I continue my research career as a postdoctoral research fellow in UH. Northeastern University, China. Then I joined UH associate professor in Bharat Institute of Higher Education in Chennai. After that I got a National Post doctoral fellow. In DST SDRB. So for that I did. Yeah, NPDF in Vit Vellore campus. Currently I'm working in associate professor in Savita medical. Hospital and. University in Chennai. I published more than 70 articles with UH. High repeated journals with the impact factor. Cumulative impact factories around 2:50. A 256. Uh. H-index is uh. Uh, around the 21.

You've held a range of roles, but let's talk about teaching for a moment. What's one foundational concept in biotechnology or genetics that you especially enjoy introducing to new students, and why?

Sorry. Why Technology Genetics.

Sure, you want me to repeat the question.

Can you tell me again? Yes, yes. Actually I'm environmental biotechnologist. So my area of specialization is. Remediation techniques. Using bacteria. Uh, to remediate the wastewater treatment? And further, I have another own expertise in microbial fuel cell. Microbial fuel. Uh, influenced corrosion. It has, uh, actually. 40 percentage of corrosion caused by the microorganisms. So. I have to control. The corrosion. Soon I'm focusing on. Microbial influence corrosion inhibitors.

Alright, so you're passionate about environmental biotechnology, especially using bacteria for

Yes, yes. Hello.

So you focus on remediation using bacteria and also work on microbial fuel cells and microbial-induced corrosion, with an emphasis on developing inhibitors. When you're teaching these concepts, how do you help students connect the science to real-world environmental problems, especially in the context of wastewater treatment?

Yes Sir, especially wastewater treatment we have did elect. To kinetics. Uh, so you we have playing the. Electrode into we have anode and cathode. To, uh, applying the wastewater. The anode particles move into cathode side. A cathode particles, uh. Mobilized into. I know, say it. So we. Separates the. Toxic. Toxic components from wastewater. Like Chromium? Uh, etcetera.

So, practically, when you're working with students in the lab on something like chromium removal, what steps do you have them follow to confirm the process is working and that contaminants are actually being reduced?

Excel. After that we did this experiment. We have to confirm using a. GCS. HRMS like that. The what stage we have found. What are the compounds we found in anode side? For that. This process actually works in 70 percentage of. Uh, removal. So. My aim is. Integrated approach of. The presence of. Media, uh, bacteria in. Electrokinetics work how it will happen. The bacteria produce some enzymes, some catalytic activities. So uh, so uh, it it will helpful to. Remediate the. The wastewater from wastewater.

Okay, so you use techniques like GCS and HRMS to analyze the compounds after treatment and you mentioned the process removes about 70 percent of toxins, with a focus on the bacterial enzymes' catalytic activity. When you explain this integrated approach to students who might not have a strong chemistry background, how do you make sure they actually grasp what the bacteria are doing at a molecular level?

Yes, Sir, molecular levels, we did. How bacteria will uh. The What is the mechanism of bacteria? In that process. So that we are focusing. At currently I'm focusing on that which Z. Our response? Possible for this mechanism? And what are the? Components produce the bacteria. Like that molecular level we are identifying this that.

Alright, you're working on pinpointing the mechanisms at the molecular level to identify exactly which bacterial enzymes are responsible for the remediation. How do you handle it when students struggle with the gap between the hands-on lab results and understanding the underlying molecular biology—do you have a particular strategy to bridge that gap for them?

Have to focus on basic first. Initially we have to focus on basic level of molecular techniques. For like first initially we have to bacteria isolation. And identification. After that, we have to. Uh, extract DNA extraction and sequencing then we have. A BLAST and sequencing identification for bacterial identification. Of that we have. We isolated bacteria having ability. To doing this process or not, we have to analyze.

Have to focus on basic first. Initially we have to focus on basic level of molecular techniques. For like first initially we have to bacteria isolation. And identification. After that, we have to. Uh, extract DNA extraction and sequencing then we have. A BLAST and sequencing identification for bacterial identification. Of that we have. We isolated bacteria having ability. To doing this process or not, we have to analyze. So we, we have, I have the experience. For that so I can explain. Properly with. And as special as well as theoretical and practical. Hello.

So you're starting students out with basics like bacterial isolation, DNA extraction, and sequencing, then using BLAST for identification, which helps them see if their bacteria can actually do the remediation work. If you have a student who struggles to connect the outcome of the DNA sequencing with the practical results in the lab, how do you guide them to see the relevance?

Alright, so you start with foundational lab skills and build up to the molecular biology, making sure students get both the practical and theoretical sides. Given your publication record—over 70 articles—can you share how one of your research papers directly influenced a classroom lesson or lab you designed? Just pick a specific example.

Actually we're PG student having the. Projects. Uh, yearly they are having dissertation work. For that we. I can give some. Specific ideas for them. To publish the articles. So we can do it that, uh, work in, uh, dissertation work. After that. We have convert into publication level.

Actually we're PG student having the. Projects. Uh, yearly they are having dissertation work. For that we. I can give some. Specific ideas for them. To publish the articles. So we can do it that, uh, work in, uh, dissertation work. After that. We have convert into publication level. So. I have main focusing in microbial influencer corrosion also I I already. Tell that one. For that I have some, I have synthesized some. Inhibitors. Corrosion ini betas like. Green inhibitors and chemical inhibitors like that. So actually corrosion is. Causing. Petroleum transporting pipelines, pooling for water system, marine environment, so bacteria. From the biofilm on causing the corrosion. So during the. Petroleum transporting. If if. Uh, due to corrosion it's failed means it uh fetal and will be. Spoil. For that. I am focusing on inhibitors. Back. Green inhibitors have low cost. Toxic and less toxicity. So I am focusing on that one.

Alright, let's shift to your research productivity and funding. Given your work in environmental biotechnology and microbial remediation, where do you see the most fundable research directions over the next three years? Which grants or external funding sources would you target to support those projects?

Actually we're PG student having the. Projects. Uh, yearly they are having dissertation work. For that we. I can give some. Specific ideas for them. To publish the articles. So we can do it that, uh, work in, uh, dissertation work. After that. We have convert into publication level. So. I have main focusing in microbial influencer corrosion also I I already. Tell that one. For that I have some, I have synthesized some. Inhibitors. Corrosion ini betas like. Green inhibitors and chemical inhibitors like that. So actually corrosion is. Causing. Petroleum transporting pipelines, pooling for water system, marine environment, so bacteria. From the biofilm on causing the corrosion. So during the. Petroleum transporting. If if. Uh, due to corrosion it's failed means it uh fetal and will be. Spoil. For that. I am focusing on inhibitors. Back. Green inhibitors have low cost. Toxic and less toxicity. So I am focusing on that one. So that also I can. Implement with our lab. Two students uh students it will be helpful to environment related work they. Uh, interested for that one. Hello.

Alright, switching gears to teaching—say you're running a session on microbial remediation for a large class, but you can't use slides or traditional lecturing. How would you design that session to really get students actively engaged and thinking, rather than just listening?

So you're linking your research on microbial corrosion inhibitors to student dissertation projects, letting them move from lab work to publication, and focusing on green inhibitors with practical environmental applications. If you notice that a group of students is disengaged during one of these labs—maybe they're just going through the motions—what's your strategy to get them more involved and actually thinking like researchers?

For student research, basically. They want to know. In uh, basics.

For student research, basically. They want to know. In uh, basics. In PG levels. So we have. P that level only. The students when they. Enter into. Doctorate level only they have. To enter in a depth. The level in depth research. Process. So I can give the basic. Of, uh, research. Then it will useful to them.

Alright, let’s pivot a bit. Accreditation cycles can be demanding—if you joined our department and noticed that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses, how would you approach fixing that?

For student research, basically. They want to know. In uh, basics. In PG levels. So we have. P that level only. The students when they. Enter into. Doctorate level only they have. To enter in a depth. The level in depth research. Process. So I can give the basic. Of, uh, research. Then it will useful to them. They continue to. At least six month project work. It can publish. One or two publications. Actually I have experience during my. PG level. I can publish two articles from my dissertation work. So. That, uh, I'm I sure that.

For student research, basically. They want to know. In uh, basics. In PG levels. So we have. P that level only. The students when they. Enter into. Doctorate level only they have. To enter in a depth. The level in depth research. Process. So I can give the basic. Of, uh, research. Then it will useful to them. They continue to. At least six month project work. It can publish. One or two publications. Actually I have experience during my. PG level. I can publish two articles from my dissertation work. So. That, uh, I'm I sure that. Can publish. With UH student. Dissertation work. At present I already mentioned I worked in private institution. There we have. Task. We have to publish compulsory. We have to publish 1 research article B. These students, so we are doing that one. So I. I have that experience. Also.

Okay, so you're realistic about what master's students can handle and focus on building their fundamentals—you save the deeper research training for the doctoral level. Switching gears a bit, beyond your teaching and research, what role do you see yourself playing in department-level governance—like curriculum committees or program reviews?

Alright, so you help students publish from their dissertation work, focusing on the basics at the PG level and encouraging independent research as they advance. Let me shift to something broader—accreditation cycles can be demanding. If you joined our department and noticed that outcome assessment data was inconsistent across courses, how would you approach fixing that?

Right, so you’ve got experience guiding students from basic research up to publishable work, and you’re familiar with institutional expectations for student publications. Beyond teaching and research, what role do you see yourself playing in department-level governance—things like curriculum committees, program reviews, or supporting accreditation cycles?

So I can give department level governance and uh. Maximum uh. Environmental level only. So recently I give my student too. Uh, medical oriented work, uh. You know that uh ciprofloxacin waste Davis. Medical waste. So for that we have to. Degradate that. Medical waste using electrokinetics techniques. Like that so. We we can communicate one article also. In some other journals. With the PD students.

Alright, Professor, let’s shift gears a bit. Imagine this scenario: a student files a formal complaint that your grading was biased, but at the same time, your department head is pushing you to improve pass rates. How would you handle the situation and balance academic integrity with that institutional pressure?

Yes, it's nice for steel, actually. So a lot of professor, uh. Facing this one. Uh, they will. Do some.

Right, a lot of professors do face that, but what would you actually do if you were in that situation—can you walk me through the concrete steps you’d take to address the complaint, while also dealing with the department head’s push for higher pass rates?

Yes, it's nice for steel, actually. So a lot of professor, uh. Facing this one. Uh, they will. Do some. Problems like that they. Came with me and they're addressing some problems. For that I. Can discuss with him. After that. I will give some ideas how. We can. Uh, get, Get. Out from that problems. Otherwise I can inform to. My higher officials. Or their parents. Like that? So we have the mentor mentee meetings. And it will useful to. Well it it will useful to. Friendly opposed to students with me. Like that one?

Alright, let’s shift to something a bit different, Professor. Given your expertise in environmental biotechnology and remediation, do you have any connections to industry or government agencies that could help your students with real-world internships or collaborative projects, especially in areas like wastewater treatment or environmental monitoring?

Yes Sir, I have lot of uh. Umm, connections with some industries? Addresses like we I'm. I am currently I'm I. Areas Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. So here we have lot. Tough leather industries in Ranipet, Zipcar. From that they are. Uh, releasing wastewater. Ternary. Lot of ternary effluent into environment. For that I have connection with Ronnie Tech. And Ronnie Tech Company. Industries. It is the effluent treatment. Process. For SO I have collaboration with them. One thing and another one thing. I'm working in microbial influence corrosion. So for that I synthesized COM. Phone I can approach with Asian. Pay for, uh, corrosion point. Coating paints also. So recently I. I'm doing these two companies with uh. Collaboration work.

Yes Sir, I have lot of uh. Umm, connections with some industries? Addresses like we I'm. I am currently I'm I. Areas Vellore, Tamil Nadu, India. So here we have lot. Tough leather industries in Ranipet, Zipcar. From that they are. Uh, releasing wastewater. Ternary. Lot of ternary effluent into environment. For that I have connection with Ronnie Tech. And Ronnie Tech Company. Industries. It is the effluent treatment. Process. For SO I have collaboration with them. One thing and another one thing. I'm working in microbial influence corrosion. So for that I synthesized COM. Phone I can approach with Asian. Pay for, uh, corrosion point. Coating paints also. So recently I. I'm doing these two companies with uh. Collaboration work. From that I can get some uh. External. Financial support for students also. And also already I got uh. Uh, DST NPDF. One external. Project. Fund Grant. Already I done that one in. VAT Villur also. And another project I got uh. TN MSME. From Ed. EDA project also. 2 project I already completed.

So you’ve got ongoing collaborations with companies in the Ranipet leather industry for effluent treatment and with Asian Paints for microbial corrosion coatings. For the Ranipet project, can you give a concrete example of how a student actually benefitted—like, did someone land an internship, get a publication, or work directly on a real plant problem because of your industry network?

Okay, so you’re working with companies in the Ranipet leather industry on effluent treatment, and you’ve got a collaboration with Asian Paints for corrosion and coating research, plus you mentioned securing external funding from DST and TN MSME for student projects. For the Ranipet collaboration, can you walk me through a concrete example of how you’ve involved postgraduate or PhD students in that industry project—what exactly are they doing on-site, and how do you ensure their work translates into research output?

Actually, for PhD students we can. Initially, we can. Uh, go for, uh, industries. We collect some, uh, effluent samples. From that we can isolate microorganism. My some others. So that Organism we can. Involved in wastewater treatments for like that. And sometimes we. Can do our work with uh, electrokinetical setup. Industry so we. Now recently we are focusing on large scale. Uh, electrokinetics work. In that effluent treatment, uh. So it. Call to PhD students. For. Uh, throughout. Publications and, uh, patents for everything's.

So for your PhD students, you’re having them collect effluent samples on-site, isolate microorganisms, and then use those for actual large-scale electrokinetic treatment trials at the industry partner. That’s quite a hands-on experience. When you guide students through this kind of interdisciplinary work—especially since it blends microbiology, chemistry, and engineering—how do you help them stay focused and productive across those different domains without getting overwhelmed?

Yes, in nowadays we have. To do in. Multidisciplinary work. It only. We can publish the high impact. The the journals. If we can focus on. Only one thing we cannot. The publishing. Good repeated channels. So that's what we are focusing like that The many domains we have to. Focus. Actually. Uh, research means we have to focus on. Every domains. I'm also. But my PhD work on microbial influenced corrosion. So I can focus. Related domains. Medical. Environmental. Environmental. Combines with every domains. For that we have. To focus on everything. Like chemistry, Biotechnology. And everything so it will. Useful to our student career for. Uh, lifelong.

Yes, in nowadays we have. To do in. Multidisciplinary work. It only. We can publish the high impact. The the journals. If we can focus on. Only one thing we cannot. The publishing.

Alright, Professor, let's touch on your ability to teach both theory and lab courses. Picture you're running a lab session on gene sequencing and half the class is struggling with the practical steps. How do you adjust your teaching in the moment to make sure everyone actually learns the core techniques?

Alright, so you’re convinced that research demands a broad focus, and you tie in chemistry and biotechnology to help students build well-rounded careers. You mentioned earlier that you’ve guided students on both theory and practical aspects—can you give a specific example of a lab exercise you designed where students had to apply both theoretical knowledge and hands-on skills, and how you assessed their understanding?

Yes, Sir, I already. He, uh, did some, uh. Workshop. And some words. Two students. Uh, so. For in for that I completed 2 workshop. With the students. That one one is. Microbial influence, kerosene and another one is electrokinetic source. And bioleaching. Of heavy metals. Like that? So for that. First thing I already mentioned. So I I explain. From basic level for students. Isolation. And identification. What? Bacteria involves Hindi. That wastewater treatment or microbial influence of corrosion. For the like that. And how we can help? Play into uh, large scale level. And some other PCR techniques. And. STH Page. This kind of expe experiments. I can. I explained with students. What, uh Anson work? Workshop. It will useful to their career. And. Further. Future answer.

Alright, so you’ve run workshops where students get hands-on with things like microbial isolation, PCR, and SDS-PAGE, tying those right back to the theory. When you assess their understanding, do you use practical exams, written reports, oral questioning, or something else—and what’s your reason for choosing that method?

Actually. Practical some. It will useful. With those students. Because they. They have hands on. Techniques.

Actually. Practical some. It will useful. With those students. Because they. They have hands on. Techniques. If we know the practice. Tickle means. Then. Write properly. And and easy also. They they can understand, uh. Yeah, free thing. In that experiments are theory level also.

Right, you prefer practical assessment because hands-on techniques really matter for student learning. Shifting topics—can you walk me through your experience with student evaluation and exam duties, like setting question papers or handling exam invigilation?

So your view is that practical skills lead to better understanding, and once students have hands-on practice, they can express the theory more clearly in writing too. Earlier you mentioned handling exam duties—can you walk me through what you do to ensure fairness and consistency when evaluating student exam papers, especially for large classes?

For a student examination papers. It's quite, uh. Easy only. So. We know the. What are? The major points? In that. Theory Exam. So I can focus that only if. That major points will be there. I can satisfied with uh. Examination Papers.

So you focus on key points in the theory answers to make grading manageable, especially for large classes. But let's say you have two students who both cover the main topics, but one gives very concise, bullet-point answers and the other writes detailed explanations—how do you differentiate between those responses when assigning marks?

Actually. Key points is main. For uh. Them and. We are giving. Into uh, like. We know that if you give five more questions or. 15 mark portion. For that if five months. Means we can focus on. Bulleting points are some. Explanation if 15 more. Means we can. See the yellow bridge? How they will. Represent the. That work. And uh. Schematical image. Like that we can focus like that one.

Okay, so you focus on bullet points for shorter answers and look for schematics or detailed explanations when it's a longer essay. Switching gears now—accreditation bodies and funding agencies often emphasize structured teaching and clear communication. Can you give me an example of how you’ve broken down a complex topic for undergraduates, making sure your approach was understandable and engaging?

Can you repeat again?

Sure, I'll repeat that. Accreditation bodies and funding agencies really care about structured teaching and clear communication. Can you give me an example of how you took a complex topic and broke it down for undergraduates, making sure your explanation was both understandable and engaging?

Yeah. Tweaks. I can. Explain slowly. What a step by step. And, umm. They can understand. Uh, how they can? Uh, understand? For that. I will explain slowly. I can take one or two classes for all that also. And if they want I can give. Special class for the that also.

Alright, so your approach is to slow down, break things into steps, and even offer extra sessions if students need them. Shifting gears—how do you guide students working on their final-year research projects or dissertations, especially if they're struggling with designing experiments or interpreting results?

Yeah, these. Many students having this problem. For that I can spend time with them. To how to uh. Describe the. Experiments. How to. Write this uh, analysis. We I can give some suggestions also. Otherwise I can teach them. Uh, in presence of me. I can do everything. It will useful to. They can understand.

So you prefer to be present and guide them through experiment design and analysis, offering suggestions directly. Now, you mentioned your PhD was in microbial influenced corrosion and you’ve published in that area—can you tell me about one research publication you’re most proud of, and what was novel or impactful about your findings?

Yeah, I, uh. In my PhD work, I published more than 10 research articles. In that time. Uh, in microbial influence corrosion. So for that I can synthesize 1. CREED inhibitors. From uh. Ginger extract.

Yeah, I, uh. In my PhD work, I published more than 10 research articles. In that time. Uh, in microbial influence corrosion. So for that I can synthesize 1. CREED inhibitors. From uh. Ginger extract. Ginger and neem extract. It will inhibit the microbial influence the corrosion. Up to 90. Percentage. Uh, so that work I can publish in Journal of Molecular Liquids with impact factor of uh. 7. And another work was published in UH. Chemosphere and Three Biotech. And et cetera.

So you developed and published work on synthesizing corrosion inhibitors from ginger extract, which is a strong example of original research. Before we wrap up, have you had any involvement in industry projects or consultancy work related to your expertise, and if so, what was your specific role?

You mentioned your PhD work was on microbial influenced corrosion, but for this position, deep expertise in bioinformatics, biomedical genetics, genetic counseling, cancer bioinformatics, or food science and technology is critical. Can you give me a concrete example of work you've done in one of those areas—maybe a project, a publication, or a specific application—and what role you played?

In bioinformatics I can uh. I will did, I can did. Blast using. Pylogenic reconstructions using Mega software. Like that? And uh. And the enzyme medical activities. And during. PST. Also I'm focusing what gene responsible for microbial influenced corrosion. So that. That gene it it has presence in that microorganism are not in. That way I. I can focus on uh. Molecular level techniques.

So you’ve used BLAST for phylogenetic reconstruction and gene identification related to microbial corrosion, which ties your bioinformatics work to molecular techniques. Can you walk me through a specific example of how you used those bioinformatics tools to draw a meaningful biological conclusion, and what impact that had on your research or teaching?