The University of Hyderabad is proud to announce the groundbreaking contributions of two Ph.D. scholars from the Enzyme Catalysis Lab, School of Chemistry, under the mentorship of Dr. T. Saravanan. Their pioneering work, recently showcased at two prestigious scientific symposia, underscores the university’s leadership in enzyme engineering and sustainable biocatalysis.

Ms. Kodru Jeevani, Ms. Karishma Naik, Ms. Surabhi O. V., Dr. T. Saravanan and Mr. Sangoji Dheeraj

Global Spotlight at Biotrans 2025

Mr. Sangoji Dheeraj represented the university at Biotrans 2025 (17th International Symposium on Biocatalysis and Biotransformations, Basel, Switzerland; June 29–July 3, 2025), a premier global platform for showcasing breakthroughs in enzyme discovery, AI-driven enzyme design, novel enzymatic activities, and green synthesis.

His presentation titled:

“Michaelase to Alkylase: Exploring Class I Aldolases for Photo-biocatalytic Enantioselective beta-Alkylation of Enals”,

a non-natural photoenzymatic approach employing aldolase enzymes to enable novel stereoselective C-C bond forming reaction, an emerging paradigm in photobiocatalysis.

This work, published in ACS Catalysis (ACS Catal. 2025, 15, 2531−2539; DOI: 10.1021/acscatal.4c06274), merges photochemistry and enzyme catalysis to redefine synthetic chemistry.

 

National Accolade at CRSI-NSC 2025

Adding to the lab’s accolades, Ms. Kodru Jeevani received the Best Poster Presentation Award at the 35th CRSI National Symposium in Chemistry (IIT Gandhinagar; July 3–5, 2025), organized by the Chemical Research Society of India (CRSI).

Her research titled:

“Enantiodivergent Synthesis of (R)- and (S)-Heteroaryl Aldols via Engineered Aldolases,”

demonstrated how tailored enzyme mutants can selectively produce both enantiomeric forms of bioactive compounds, a key step in pharmaceutical synthesis.

This work, published in The Journal of Organic Chemistry (J. Org. Chem. 2025, 90, 3243−3251; DOI: 10.1021/acs.joc.4c02819), offers a sustainable alternative to traditional chemical synthesis methods.

A Vision for Sustainable Science

Reflecting on these achievements, Dr. Saravanan shared, “These findings from our lab open new avenues in sustainable catalysis. By harnessing light and enzymes, we are expanding the frontiers of biocatalysis.”

These remarkable accomplishments highlight the University of Hyderabad’s rising global stature in cutting-edge biocatalysis research. The university congratulates Mr. Dheeraj, Ms. Jeevani, Dr. Saravanan, and their team for setting new benchmarks in scientific excellence and innovation.