Taj Keshavarz

Professor Taj Keshavarz is a Professor of Biotechnology at the University of Westminster's Life Sciences department. He holds an MSc and PhD in Biochemical Engineering from University College London, followed by postdoctoral research in a DTI LINK project collaborating with universities and industries. His research focuses on microbial physiology, fermentation technology, bioreactor design, and enzyme applications in industries like pulp, paper, and leather. Current projects include EU-funded initiatives such as SOPHIED (sustainable bioprocesses for color industries), Nanoimprint (nanotechnology for separation), and Quorum (fungal quorum sensing for white biotechnology). He also explores elicitation mechanisms in microbial cultures (supported by Pfizer) and scale-down bioreactor studies.

Education:

• PhD in Biochemical Engineering (Stability of degradative plasmids in continuous culture) - University College London
• MSc in Biochemical Engineering - University College London

Research Interests:

• Free and immobilized cell culture scalability
• Production of antimicrobial/antitumor agents (e.g., swainsonine)
• Enzyme-based solutions for industrial pollution reduction
• Fungal quorum sensing mechanisms
• Laccase enzyme applications in wastewater treatment

Funding & Grants:

• "SOPHIED": EU-funded sustainable bioprocesses for textile/leather industries
• "Nanoimprint": EU grant for nanotechnology in separation systems
• "Quorum": EU-backed fungal quorum sensing research
• Pfizer-funded projects on microbial elicitation and quorum sensing

Labs/Teams: Member of the Applied Biotechnology Research Group and Cell Communication Research Group, contributing to the Sustainable Biotechnology initiative.