Good day, Srinivasan Krishnamoorthy. I'm Arjun. I've had a look through your background and your professional record. I'm interested in hearing more about your work and how you see yourself fitting in here with our faculty. Ready to start?

OK, I'm doctor Srinivasan Krishnamurthy.

A doctorate in biotechnology at National Institute of Food Technology. Entrepreneurial Management, Thanjavur.

And the post Talk to microbial biotechnology at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. I did my UG and PG degrees in biotechnology at the Bardasan University, Tucharapalli.

My career I started my career as a research associate at IIC PD, now it is Nifton Thanjavur.

And I was doing uh, genetically marked foot testing and I was associated with UH, NABL, ESO, upgraded food testing, laboratory food analysis, UH service. And I also part of the internal audit and NBL auditing surveillance, a letter. I got the opportunity to join as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pretoria in South Africa.

Uh, where I got my uh, research uh, aspiration as biosynthesis or vitamin A?

Using a probiotic bacteria that I I could able to successfully finish that.

This is project. I also got a patent in European Union as well as in African patent agent. So I also got a patent in all those international PTC. Later I got the opportunity as urgent faculty at the Nifty Thanjavur. Right now until now I'm working as a urgent faculty, adult faculty. My major jobs includes research, teaching, cancer of technology.

Processing the patent application for all the entire institute here as a teaching fellow. I I used to teach food buyer technology, microbiology, food plant sanitation, as well as environmental metropolitan. So my entire so the if you see I'm I'm very really confident that I'm very right person for this post.

As I'm fulfilling all the criteria which is in that job description.

And I feel I'm a very right person for the job.

Thanks for the opportunity here.

Thank you, Professor Srinivasan, for sharing your academic and professional journey so comprehensively.

Professor Srinivasan, let's evaluate key areas of your expertise and alignment with the role of Food Science and Technology Professor. Please answer concisely and clearly to the following questions. Starting with your expertise in Food Science, Nutritional Sciences, or Microbial Technology: Could you describe in detail the role of metagenomics in microbial biotechnology, particularly its application in food systems?

Yeah. So my specialization is in metagenomics, especially in food. Food science, a new tradition.

You know I got the opportunity to do my POST throttle research in biosynthesis of vitamin A where I was doing.

The whole metagenome analysis of bovine liver, boring intestine, bowing rumen where I could see the number of bacteria which are really related to vitamin biosynthesis.

Uh, through metagenomics, I was specialized in handling bioinformatic tools such as time, mother or software. And I could, I can easily handle any metagenomic analysis if once that sequencing job is over, later I got the opportunity to analyze. The South South African children's infants uh figure microbiota and I I got successfully establishing a signature microbiota of respiratory diseased children.

Are gastrointestinal disease children's as well as other group of children's? So that also a successful, uh, metagenomic research work related to microbial as well as nutrition point of view. Later, very recently, I got the opportunity to perform the research in insect gut microbiota.

In which I can I can easily distinct the microbiota of plastic degrading bacteria in insects as well as food waste degrading bacteria in the inside gut gut organs. So the my entire last 10 years of research experience mostly span across metagenomics in food science and nutrition and vitamin A biosynthesis is my specialization where I got a patent. As I mentioned previously.

Win that isolating successfully a bacteria which can be able to produce vitamin A inside the human intestine by adopting without the help of any other support. So this is a that's the success of my metagenomic experience. I mean the knowledge which I have in the input metagronomic science.

Yeah. So the significant challenge in the sense I can say when when I was isolating the DNA formula Germany from animal tissue like government, liver, intestine.

Thank you, Professor Srinivasan. Your breadth of experience in metagenomics and its application in food science is evident. To delve deeper, could you explain one significant challenge you faced during these metagenomic analyses and how you overcame it?

The DNA quality because of the incidence and.

That go to DNA instruction yield was poor, I did number of times and also the importance of technical replicates and valuable replicates is of paramount importance in case of a metagonic analysis and I could be able to successfully.

To your bands will duplicate that the challenge I faced was the DNA quality.

And also the province issues that are very.

You won't say able to train your proper transit with proper methodology on isolation of the training and once you can able to do the number of reads, long sequence reads, sequence reads and reads. I can easily value this analysis that are in when when we are doing the children's people make a biota as well. So linking the biomarkers with the fickle microbiota divers.

It's also challenging, but later I can able to finish the with the alpha beta and the item analysis, privacy analysis. So it was, it was a nice experience and I'm I, I even, I proposed my future research work with a lot of metagenomic based science scientific interventions.

I'm the person here teacher who strongly believes in modern pedagogy.

This design thinking, critical thinking, so I always take students from the.

Understood, Professor Srinivasan. Thank you for explaining the challenges, particularly with DNA extraction quality and processing. It shows a depth of experience in addressing such complexities. Now, shifting to teaching, could you discuss your approach to designing and delivering laboratory courses? Specifically,

Practical aggressive principles, not only functional but once the interval lectures so that is over. I always try to take students through 5th classroom approach. So I previously in in advance they used to do the notes for the students so that the students can prefer and come out with some basic idea so that in the classroom I usually discuss with them.

Developments as well as the the doubts they have going who are going through slaves. So that is one thing which I always wanted to do because students in their routine, the traditional method of teaching only attending the glass room is not sufficient. I also follow feedback mechanism. You know students are always asked them to give feedback.

And also I used to prove 2 packages for example.

I asked to unlock them to develop some hypothesis because understanding training hypothesis itself is interesting students should have before going into research activities.

Especially I used to give you the SPSS right there.

Methodological process.

Whenever I'm introducing them with a logical listening question. So the students will gradually develop their own skill set only by means of.

Question and answer method. So instead of reaching monotonously.

I'm at work so you think dumb to think and especially the critical thinking.

Your student-centered approach, integrating critical thinking, active learning, and hypothesis-driven exercises, demonstrates a modern and engaging pedagogical framework. For follow-up, in delivering a laboratory course, how do you ensure that students not only gain technical skills but also retain the theoretical context of what they are practicing?

To make sure the students are really understanding the the demand, the societal demand or the real problem. So I always ask them to go through.

Ground realistics. So what is really needed? What is the gap research gap so that they can be able to pick up that methodology?

We're learning the practical technical skill. It is something but.

It

So they they will they will try to understand what is really.

It's uh, you think, I mean what, what is really they have to know, they have to learn and in future what they have to apply when they are entering in the industry.

So in particle science, uh, I, I always want, want them to work on a case case study basis.

So especially they have to go and search what is really people suffering in the market. And once they understand, realize what is the problem, they will come back to the laboratory laboratory and they will do the solution for it.

Thank you for that detailed response. Your emphasis on case studies and connecting laboratory learning to real-world issues demonstrates a strong commitment to meaningful education. Moving on, could you outline how you have previously guided students in research or project work, ensuring their independence while maintaining quality in their output?

Can you repeat the question?

Certainly. Could you explain how you have guided students in their research or project work, ensuring they develop independence while maintaining high quality in their results?

Yeah, so students guidance is yes, it is a very proud.

Very, very important thing. It's this, yeah, which will make them understand the concepts, make them really. So I always ask the students to 1st come up with.

Yeah, like I mentioned previously, the strong hypothesis. So what is really the scientific gap and what they are going to address once they understand what they are really going to address in the research work, I will ask them to go through.

Latest.

Science behind methodology.

And the once the download and once they do the process, I always do the instructions like let them write, like write them.

What they really did in the research and to make them understand what is really missing so that otherwise they are not doing a self analysis in the final product, the final output will not be fruitful. So I also insist them to go through the proper research methodology, especially I used to cross the concentrations or calculations.

I'm in the research methodology process including the post data analysis. So step by step process. I used to interfere, I mean I used to go through to make sure they are really on the track and they're not missing the line. So yeah, so this maestro.

To pick them through the process.

Micro instructions. Micro instructions.

Next week they are really in the.

I mean etcetera because the understanding the exact final output is important to make sure to do it Problem.

Understood, Professor Srinivasan. Your strategy of guiding students step-by-step, ensuring both methodological rigor and self-analysis, reflects a thoughtful and structured mentoring approach. Let's now proceed with discussing research publications. Could you highlight one of your most impactful peer-reviewed publications and explain its significance in the field?

Yeah. So one of my very interesting and highly, highly cited research work is.

Bovine liver bacteria so the bacteria isolated from growing people can able to produce vitamin A in human death.

And if you call this one one time probate or one shot, a single shot, so that's kind of a release published in prediction records, the same research.

We also discussed as a new article which is published in Digital Reviews in Food Science Education.

Letter I also publish the children's fecal mechanical Pediatrics with this is also in that factor of 23.

It is also highly repeated.

Also published chemistry, food and function and you know that carbonated polymers. All these journals publications are highly cited and now my citations are crossing 1000 and my Hindus is not dirty and it interest is 20. So this shows my curiosity. I am interested in publications.

I also have publications in numerous Millet based researchers and biofame control strategies. All these researchers are highly cited by different.

Artists, researchers affect families.

Your rich portfolio of publications, particularly your work on bovine liver bacteria and its potential for vitamin A production, is impressive and demonstrates significant expertise and contribution to the food science field. To probe further, can you elaborate on the methodological innovations or unique approaches you employed in your bovine liver bacteria study?

Yeah, so it was, uh.

Because I'm hypothesis that.

Woman liver is the number one source of vitamin A in the animal source if you if you take a plant source, carrot is the brown source of them in here or the sweet pepper to or spinach. So boiled liver is the number one Sousa between lay and.

There are bacteria which are living from the birth of the cough until the entire lifetime of the cough in the cow.

So I I hypothesis that the bacteria living in the women liver are capable of producing vitamin D because of horizontal chin.

One side hypothesis that I started isolating bacteria.

From the start of the house from the boil liver 2 month as well as in existence, because I want to know the type of bacteria in this organs and how these bacteria are synthesizing vitamins are really contributing to the government liver being the richest schools are becoming gay. So the concept is yeah, because of that continuous.

Cohabitant with that?

Open.

Once I did the metagenomics after going liver interesting women, I can be able to find the functional genes for beta carotenes in the face or muffling abundant in joint liver over other organs like human intestine. So I started focusing more on the bacteria associated with Bowen liver and I could be able to see there are Lactobacillus pantarum, Lacrosse plantiplantarum.

It's a really good in production of beta coroutine letter A is developed by curiosity and I started testing that Gita Karolyn to retinal. Retinal applies in this is bathway genes. I could be able to decode number of genes which are involved in synthesis of vitamin retinal that is vitamin A because you should be aware that.

Vitamin A retinol cannot be produced by the animals.

On being over it means bitter, so the bacteria living in the the.

Because of the adopted in the.

So that's the booty up that sits and one side would be able to isolate the patria. I started checking the techno feasibility, techno feasibility of the bacteria in developing A probiotic record. Once we could be able to successfully develop the yogurt like food products, we started transferring as a technology transfer to the local South African children and we could able to successfully see there are improvements in becoming.

The children's and that shows our statistical way of developing A probiotic product starting from your going. Even so, the beauty of this concept, the research is a one time therapy is good enough if a children is taking their children enough off. You get this vitamin here producing bacteria that can easily that can adapt to the intestine of the human body.

Which can keep producing vitamin EA and that is a challenge. There is a drawback in this research.

Rabak is hyper vitaminosis, so once the body produce too much quality excess quantity of vitamin D. So that is here. So we also standardized some solutions.

Thank you, Professor Srinivasan. Your methodological depth, from hypothesizing horizontal gene transfer in bovine liver bacteria to successful probiotic applications in addressing childhood deficiencies, reflects remarkable innovation and dedication. The attention to not only the opportunities but also the challenges, like hypervitaminosis, showcases a holistic research approach. Let’s now move to your experience in the industry or consultancy. Could you provide an example of a consultancy or industry project you have contributed to, focusing on your role and the outcomes?

Yeah, thanks for posting. I see my other, I am facing here at least hundreds of industry peoples on average on average per month, you have to see the per month and I'm taking the research problems, I mean the societal problems they are facing while processing the food. So because I'm involved in technology transfer cell.

So.

One of the, uh, problem I want to cite this example is uh, extension Jamon is a food which is highly seasonal, which you only produce during the month of June. Uh, not even the end of the July, only in the month of June.

But the German is highly polyphenolic, so the client, the industry wants us to develop some strategy to work on spoilage of jamun. Because jamun usually keeps the spoiling between one or one of the even 3 days, much more than three days. Once picked up the tree that someone usually spoils. So these Saturdays we can able to address this issue and the adopted.

Individual freezing technology, which is a modern technology.

So we are we set up, I think some items we work on this, you can enable the successfully.

Using the IP of technology and also we studied thawing process because during thawing the loss of polyethylene is happening in a normal process. But these Saturdays warming heating is good enough to face this challenge home if you think can again restore original qualities of the drama. So this is one example I want to say to you and really.

To address the industrial solution.

Open this massive channel. I see a number of industry sponsored research projects when the peoples are approaching our institute in lifting Thanjavur. So we keep answering them with letters to technology like 3D printing or modern institutional technologies as well as recently a technologies.

Your deep engagement with industry, particularly addressing practical challenges like the preservation of jamun using individual freezing technology and refining thawing processes, underscores your ability to translate scientific expertise into tangible industrial solutions. Shifting gears to communication and structured teaching, how do you present complex scientific concepts to students or industry professionals in a way that is easily understandable?

Fine, yes, it is always yeah. So making the clients or even students to make them understand the complex science, I always relate them with the practical life, real world examples for example to make them understand what is PPM or PPT Hospitalian used to start from grants and then. 10 power -3 is milligram. 10 power -6 is microgram.

And 12 -, 9 is Cos per billion or 10 power -12 is Cos per trillion. So I always try to link them with the basic science. Then I will try to build up the mind in advanced science or the complex complex I mean scientific beauty. So for the claims to understand the principles in for example, again I want to cite this preferencing.

Quick freezing is not Yeah.

Can you come here?

Certainly. To summarize your approach, you focus on bridging basic principles with real-world applications, gradually building from foundational concepts to complex scientific ideas. This ensures both students and industry professionals grasp technical elements effectively. Finally, for structured teaching, how do you evaluate and provide constructive feedback on students' performance, ensuring their growth and success?

Yeah, constructive feedback. I always do it. So we I usually give.

Remember term exams, term exams after finishing, yeah, one or two chapters I used to give them exams and once they understand, once they attend answers, I used to discuss with the students how they answer it and what are the drawbacks they have and what are the areas they have to concentrate and what are the real really the scientifically they have to understand.

To make sure they are not really giving false answers to main example, so to make them really understand.

Principles The Ukrainians are the.

Tricks the tricks in tips and tactics in scientific.

This we're going through the science they always view them in.

You know, the frequent exams and frequent discussions. So that's the way I usually carry out that, I mean.

During the time evaluation, frequent evaluation. So frequent evaluation will always help them to make sure they are in the right track and really they are taking a constructive way of the building their mind.

Thank you, Professor Srinivasan. Your method of frequent evaluations and detailed feedback discussions demonstrates a dedication to fostering students' understanding and growth, ensuring they are well-prepared and scientifically proficient. With this, we have evaluated the key areas of expertise and skills. Thank you for sharing your insights.

Hey, any more questions?

Professor Krishnamoorthy, let's delve into your research and teaching capabilities. You worked on a postdoctoral research project titled "Biosynthesis of Vitamin A and its Development Strategies," focusing on utilizing probiotic microorganisms. Could you elaborate on how this research connects to practical teaching in courses like Microbial Biotechnology or Metagenomics? How do you make such advanced research concepts accessible to students?

Yeah, yes. So.

The recent developments like Fudomix so who mix technologies are there which can build their mind integrating their the fast growing science like IT sector, I mean artificial grids and knowledge with that biotechnology knowledge, bioscience knowledge. So the my experience with the meta Germans, especially the way I learned the bioinformatics schools.

The next shoe are not missing any.

Uh, I'll give you some during that, uh, gene sequencing technologies, for example, family consequencing is something which can sequence the systems RNI, the marker gene, whereas the shotgun metagenomics is 1 size, which is about the sequence in the entire organisms of the, uh, environment. So I always wanted to teach the students, uh, to make them understand, uh, what, what is the difference between.

The basic science and Afghan science and the advanced science the accuracy. For example, if there is a toxin present in the food and if you want to analyze up to PPT level fast food level, it is obvious the human should be mass petroleum. It either it may be a GC MSMS or LC MSMS or even ICP MSMS. So mass spectrometry is the ultimate equipment which can give the.

In prosper trillion level, if they want to analyze merely in past 1,000,000 level, they can go for HPLC or GCF ID or the basic techniques. So I will I will make sure the metabolics are the the mosquito mix 3 or the lattice science particular linkings are mine and making them understand. So when to choose what methodology. So write selection of right methodology.