Karthik Sankaranarayanan is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Agricultural & Biological Engineering at Purdue University. His research focuses on applying data science to enzymology, developing computational models for enzyme reaction chemistry to address manufacturing challenges in pharmaceuticals, agrochemicals, and food flavoring. He leads the KSankar Group, which emphasizes experimentally testable predictions for complex synthetic molecules. His work bridges computational methods with biological engineering. He holds a position in the College of Engineering at Purdue, with affiliations to the ADM Agricultural Innovation Center and the LORRE Integrative Center for Biotechnology & Engineering. His research interests include enzymatic synthesis optimization, computational modeling of biochemical pathways, and sustainable biomanufacturing processes. He collaborates with institutions like the Alfred Mann Institute for Biomedical Development through Discovery Park. Key areas of exploration include similarity-based retrosynthesis algorithms, tunable enzymatic production of immunomodulatory lipids, and the use of machine learning for predicting enzymatic reaction outcomes. His lab develops tools for efficient biomanufacturing and analyzes structure-activity relationships in biomolecules. Dr. Sankaranarayanan’s research is supported by facilities like the Maha Fluid Power Research Center and the Bindley Bioscience Center. His work aims to enhance manufacturing efficiency while addressing societal needs in healthcare and agriculture through interdisciplinary engineering approaches.
