Arul Mozhy Varman

Arul Mozhy Varman serves as an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy at Arizona State University. His research program targets sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals via metabolic engineering and synthetic biology of microbial systems.

His academic credentials include:

• Ph.D. and M.S. in Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
• M.Tech. in Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
• B.Tech. in Chemical Engineering, Pondicherry University, India

Dr. Varman's research spans metabolic engineering, synthetic biology, and systems biology with a focus on renewable resource utilization. Key areas include lignin valorization for value-added chemicals, engineering cyanobacteria for biofuel production, and applying 13C-metabolic flux analysis to optimize microbial strains. His work integrates chemical engineering principles with molecular biology to develop efficient bioproduction platforms.

Analysis of his publication record (2011-2018) reveals a consistent theme of leveraging microbial metabolism for sustainable manufacturing. Notable contributions include innovative approaches to lignin conversion and photoautotrophic production systems, demonstrating expertise in both fundamental metabolic insights and applied bioprocess development.

Within the Synthetic and Systems Biology Laboratory, Dr. Varman mentors graduate students in thesis research while advancing projects on protein translocation, lignin-derived aromatics conversion, and 13C-labeling techniques. His interdisciplinary team combines chemical engineering, biochemistry, and microbiology to tackle challenges in bio-based chemical production.