Dr Raman Vaidyanathan (he/him)

School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering

Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering

Course Tutor (MSc Biological & Bioprocess Engineering, MSc Environment & Energy Engineering, MSc Energy Engineering with Industrial Management)

School PGT Programme Lead

Dr Raman Vaidyanathan
Profile picture of Dr Raman Vaidyanathan
s.vaidyanathan@sheffield.ac.uk
+44 114 222 7526
Room G60, Sir Robert Hadfield Building

Full contact details

Dr Raman Vaidyanathan
School of Chemical, Materials and Biological Engineering
Room G60
Sir Robert Hadfield Building
Mappin Street
Sheffield
S1 3JD
Profile

I'm a chemical graduate with a Masters degree in Biotechnology and a PhD in bioprocess engineering from the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow. I have been in receipt of a scholarship to pursue Masters and later awarded an Overseas Research Scholarship award and funding support from Eli Lilly to pursue PhD. I have over five years of pre-doctoral Industrial experience in India, applying biotechnological solutions to environmental engineering problems. 

Prior to joining Sheffield, I have worked on applying soft-ionisation mass spectrometry to characterise biological systems, including mass spectrometric imaging using secondary ion mass spectrometry. At Sheffield, my diverse expertise has helped me establish research to develop microalgae-based value chains and processes that can lead to processes that offer environmentally sustainable solutions, applicable in the chemicals, materials, health, energy and food sectors. 

Our research group is working with a diverse group of microalgae to develop these value chains. Our research has been supported by the UKRI (BBSRC, EPSRC, InnovateUK), DBT (India), CSC (China), Horizon 2020 (EU), Industry. We have published over 70 peer reviewed publications and I have co-edited a book.

Research interests

Developing microalgae based value chains with impact in global food security, energy security, human and animal health, nutrition and welfare, sustainable chemicals and materials manufacturing

Key research interests

  • Microalgae Biotechnology
  • Engineering biology
  • Sustainable bioprocessing
  • Near-nature technology solutions
  • Water-food-energy-climate nexus
Publications

Books

  • Vaidyanathan S, Harrigan GG & Goodacre R (2005) Metabolome Analyses:. Springer.
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Journal articles

  • Almalki WJ, Nwokeoji AO & Vaidyanathan S (2024) . SynBio, 2(2), 190-204.
  • Shuhaili F, Segura-Noguera M, Mathumathy , Vijayaraghavan R, Thilagar S, Lakshmanan U, Prabaharan D & Vaidyanathan S (2023) . Chemical Engineering Journal, 458.
  • Esther Elizabeth Grace C, Briget Mary M, Vaidyanathan S & Srisudha S (2022) . Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 270.
  • Butler TO, Padmaperuma G, Lizzul AM, McDonald J & Vaidyanathan S (2022) . Bioresource Technology, 344(Part B).
  • Hadiyanto H, Khoironi A, Dianratri I, Suherman S, Muhammad F & Vaidyanathan S (2021) . Heliyon, 7(8), e07676-e07676.
  • Slocombe SP, Huete-Ortega M, Kapoore RV, Okurowska K, Mair A, Day JG, Stanley MS & Vaidyanathan S (2021) . iScience, 24(7), 102743-102743.
  • Kapoore RV, Padmaperuma G, Maneein S & Vaidyanathan S (2021) . Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 42(1), 46-72.
  • Butler TO, Acurio K, Mukherjee J, Dangasuk MM, Corona O & Vaidyanathan S (2021) . Separation and Purification Technology, 255.
  • Hamed SM, Kapoore RV, Raut MP, Vaidyanathan S & Wright PC (2021) . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 105(1), 429-429.
  • Hamed SM, Kapoore RV, Raut MP, Vaidyanathan S & Wright PC (2020) . Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, 104(23), 10293-10305.
  • Sethi D, Butler TO, Shuhaili F & Vaidyanathan S (2020) . Biology, 9(8).
  • Butler T, Kapoore RV & Vaidyanathan S (2020) . Trends in Biotechnology, 38(6), 606-622.
  • Chen Y, Xu C & Vaidyanathan S (2020) . Applied Energy, 261.
  • Grace CEE, Lakshmi PK, Meenakshi S, Vaidyanathan S, Srisudha S & Mary MB (2020) . Spectrochimica Acta Part A: Molecular and Biomolecular Spectroscopy, 224.
  • Kapoore RV, Huete-Ortega M, Day JG, Okurowska K, Slocombe SP, Stanley MS & Vaidyanathanl S (2019) . Scientific Reports, 9.
  • Kapoore RV & Vaidyanathan S (2018) . Metabolites, 8(4).
  • Sydney T, Marshall-Thompson J-A, Kapoore RV, Vaidyanathan S, Pandhal J & Fairclough JPA (2018) . Metabolites, 8(4).
  • Huete-Ortega M, Okurowska K, Kapoore RV, Johnson MP, Gilmour DJ & Vaidyanathan S (2018) . Biotechnology for Biofuels, 11(1).
  • Kapoore RV, Butler TO, Pandhal J & Vaidyanathan S (2018) . Biology , 7(1).
  • Chen Y, Xu C & Vaidyanathan S (2017) . Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 38(3), 351-368.
  • Padmaperuma G, Kapoore RV, Gilmour DJ & Vaidyanathan S (2017) . Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, 38(5), 690-703.
  • Kapoore RV & Vaidyanathan S (2016) . Philosophical transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series A: Mathematical and physical sciences, 374.
  • Longworth J, Wu D, Huete-Ortega M, Wright PC & Vaidyanathan S (2016) . Algal Research, 18, 213-224.
  • Hounslow E, Kapoore RV, Vaidyanathan S, Gilmour DJ & Wright PC (2016) . Current Biotechnology, 5(4), 305-313.
  • Chen Y, Zhang L, Xu C & Vaidyanathan S (2016) . Science of The Total Environment, 541, 1282-1295.
  • Kapoore RV, Coyle R, Staton CA, Brown NJ & Vaidyanathan S (2015) . Metabolomics, 11(6), 1743-1755.
  • Chen Y, Tang X, Kapoore RV, Xu C & Vaidyanathan S (2015) . Energy Conversion and Management , 106, 61-72.
  • Aram P, Shen L, Pugh J, Vaidyanathan S & Kadirkamanathan V (2014) . Bioinformatics, 31(5), 753-760.
  • Chen Y & Vaidyanathan S (2013) . Anal Chim Acta, 776, 31-40.
  • Longworth J, Noirel J, Pandhal J, Wright PC & Vaidyanathan S (2012) . J Proteome Res, 11(12), 5959-5971.
  • Salim M, Wright PC & Vaidyanathan S (2012) . Analyst, 137(10), 2350-2356.
  • Chen Y & Vaidyanathan S (2012) . Analytica Chimica Acta.
  • Salim M, Fowler GJS, Wright PC & Vaidyanathan S (2012) . Analytica Chimica Acta.
  • Chen Y & Vaidyanathan S (2012) A simple, reproducible and sensitive spectrophotometric method to estimate microalgal lipids. Analytica Chimica Acta, 724, 67-72.
  • Salim M, McArthur SL, Vaidyanathan S & Wright PC (2011) . Mol Biosyst, 7(1), 101-115.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Fletcher JS, Jarvis RM, Henderson A, Lockyer NP, Goodacre R & Vickerman JC (2009) . Analyst, 134(11), 2352-2360.
  • Vickerman J, Chandra S, Nygren H, Heeren R, Winograd N, Dr T, Dr M, Dr W, Dr C, Dr B , Dr P et al (2008) . APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, 255(4), 1305-1306.
  • Vaidyanathan S (2008) . Molecular Biotechnology, 40(2), 214-215.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Fletcher JS, Goodacre R, Lockyer NP, Micklefield J & Vickerman JC (2008) . Anal Chem, 80(6), 1942-1951.
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2007) . Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 21(13), 2072-2078.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Jones D, Ellis J, Jenkins T, Chong C, Anderson M & Goodacre R (2007) . Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 21(13), 2157-2166.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Lopez-Diez C & Goodacre R (2007) , 29-48.
  • Fletcher JS, Lockyer NP, Vaidyanathan S & Vickerman JC (2007) . Anal Chem, 79(6), 2199-2206.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Gaskell S & Goodacre R (2006) . Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 20(8), 1192-1198.
  • Vaidyanathan S (2006) Influence of instrumental conditions on the electrospray ionization mass spectrometry of peptides/proteins in mixtures. American Biotechnology Laboratory, 24(2), 32-33.
  • Vaidyanathan S, O'Hagan S & Goodacre R (2006) . Rapid Commun Mass Spectrom, 20(1), 21-30.
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2005) . Chemical Analysis, 169, 229-256.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Harrigan GG & Goodacre R (2005) . Metabolome Analyses Strategies for Systems Biology, 1-7.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Harrigan GG & Goodacre R (2005) . Metabolome Analyses Strategies for Systems Biology, 1-390.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Jones D, Broadhurst DI, Ellis J, Jenkins T, Dunn WB, Hayes A, Burton N, Oliver SG, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2005) . METABOLOMICS, 1(3), 243-250.
  • Vaidyanathan S (2005) . METABOLOMICS, 1(1), 17-28.
  • Ellis DI, O'Hagan S, Dunn WB, Brown M & Vaidyanathan S (2004) . Genome Biol, 5(11), 354.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2004) . Anal Chem, 76(17), 5024-5032.
  • Goodacre R, Vaidyanathan S, Dunn WB, Harrigan GG & Kell DB (2004) . Trends Biotechnol, 22(5), 245-252.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Broadhurst DI, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2003) . Anal Chem, 75(23), 6679-6686.
  • Vaidyanathan S, White S, Harvey LM & McNeil B (2003) . BIOTECHNOLOGY AND BIOENGINEERING, 82(6), 715-724.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Winder CL, Wade SC, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2002) Sample preparation in matrixassisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry of whole bacterial cells and the detection of high mass (> 20 kDa) proteins.. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry, 16(13), 1276-1286.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2002) Flow-injection electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry of crude cell extracts for high-throughput bacterial identification.. Journal of the American Society for Mass Spectrometry, 13, 118-128.
  • Goodacre R, Vaidyanathan S, Bianchi G & Kell DB (2002) Metabolic profiling using direct infusion electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry for the characterisation of olive oils.. Analyst, 127(11), 1457-1462.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Rowland JJ, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2001) . ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY, 73(17), 4134-4144.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Arnold SA, Matheson L, Mohan P, McNeil B & Harvey LM (2001) . Biotechnol Bioeng, 74(5), 376-388.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Macaloney G, Harvey LM & McNeil B (2001) . APPLIED SPECTROSCOPY, 55(4), 444-453.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Harvey LM & McNeil B (2001) . ANALYTICA CHIMICA ACTA, 428(1), 41-59.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Arnold A, Matheson L, Mohan P, Macaloney G, McNeil B & Harvey LM (2000) . Biotechnol Prog, 16(6), 1098-1105.
  • Arnolda SA, Crowley J, Vaidyanathan S, Matheson L, Mohan P, Hall JW, Harvey LM & McNeil B (2000) . Enzyme Microb Technol, 27(9), 691-697.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Macaloney G, Vaughn J, McNeil B & Harvey LM (1999) . CRITICAL REVIEWS IN BIOTECHNOLOGY, 19(4), 277-316.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Macaloney G & McNeil B (1999) . ANALYST, 124(2), 157-162.
  • Kapoore RV, Coyle R, Staton CA, Brown NJ & Vaidyanathan S () . Analyst, 11, 2038-2049.
  • Remiezowicz E, Spooren J, Bay E, Cowan A, Ingram I, Abrantes P, Nunes da Ponte M, North M, Albo J, Styring P , Priestnall M et al () . Faraday Discuss., 183, 463-487.
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Book chapters

  • Padmaperuma G, Butler TO, Shuhaili FABA, Almalki WJ & Vaidyanathan S (2020) , Fruit Crops (pp. 353-366). Elsevier
  • Padmaperuma G, Butler TO, Shuhaili FAB, Almalki WJ & Vaidyanathan S (2019) In Srivastava AK & Hu C (Ed.), Fruit Crops : Diagnosis and Management of Nutrient Constraints (pp. 353-366). Elsevier
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2005) Understanding the behaviour of pathogenic cells: proteome and metabolome analyses. In Griffiths M (Ed.), Understanding Pathogen Behaviour (pp. 3-52). CRC Press
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2003) , Metabolic Profiling: Its Role in Biomarker Discovery and Gene Function Analysis (pp. 9-38). Springer US
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2003) Metabolome and proteome profiling for microbial characterization: Mass spectrometric applications. In Harrigan GG & Goodacre R (Ed.), Metabolic Profiling (pp. 9-38). Springer
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2003) Proteome and metabolome analyses for food authentication In Lees M (Ed.), Food authenticity and traceability [electronic resource] (pp. 71-100). Woodhead Publishing
  • Marmiroli N, Peano C, Maestri E, Lenstra JA, M瓣rtlbauer E, Vaidyanathan S, Goodacre R, Benson I, Le Gall G, Colquhoun IJ , Kelly SD et al (2003) , Food Authenticity and Traceability (pp. xiii-xvii). Elsevier
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Conference proceedings

  • Vaidyanathan S, Salim M, Hurley C & Pugh J (2013) . SURFACE AND INTERFACE ANALYSIS, Vol. 45(1) (pp 290-293)
  • Vaidyanathan S (2013) . SURFACE AND INTERFACE ANALYSIS, Vol. 45(1) (pp 255-259)
  • Vaidyanathan S (2009) ANYL 380-Matrix effects in biomolecular imaging using ToF-SIMS. ABSTR PAP AM CHEM S, Vol. 238
  • Vaidyanathan S & Longworth J (2009) BIOT 402-Seeking the message in the medium: Metabolic footprints of microalgal cultivations for bioenergy. ABSTR PAP AM CHEM S, Vol. 238
  • Fletcher JS, Henderson A, Biddulph GX, Vaidyanathan S, Lockyer NP & Vickerman JC (2008) . APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, Vol. 255(4) (pp 1264-1270)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Fletcher JS, Lockyer NP & Vickerman JC (2008) . APPLIED SURFACE SCIENCE, Vol. 255(4) (pp 922-925)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Fletcher JS, Henderson A, Lockyer NP & Vickerman JC (2008) . APPL SURF SCI, Vol. 255(4) (pp 1599-1602)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Lopez-Diez C & Goodacre R (2007) Proteome and metabolome analyses for rapid authentication of food.. Rapid Methods Europe 2005 (pp 29-48). Noordwijk aan Zee, the Netherlands, 24 May 2005 - 25 May 2005.
  • Vaidyanathan S, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2005) Electrospray-ionization mass spectrometry of protein mixtures: Influence of instrumental settings and proteomic implications.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 229 (pp U185-U185)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Jones D, Jenkins T, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2005) Metabolomic investigations using laser desorption ionisation mass spectrometry on porous silicon. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 229 (pp U245-U245)
  • Vaidyanathan S & Goodacre R (2003) Metabolite and protein profiling of whole cells using soft-ionization mass spectrometry for rapid microbial characterization.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 225 (pp U199-U199)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Kell DB & Goodacre R (2002) Rapid, high-throughput microbial characterization by metabolite and protein profiling of whole cells using soft-ionization mass spectrometry.. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY, Vol. 224 (pp U199-U199)
  • Vaidyanathan S, Macaloney G & McNeil B (2000) Measurement of mycelial biomass in a submerged bioprocess using near infrared spectroscopy.. NIRS-99 - Proceedings of the 9th International conference on Near-infrared spectroscopy (pp 429-433). Chichester, UK
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Preprints

  • Butler TO, Padmaperuma G, Lizzul AM, McDonald J & Vaidyanathan S () .
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Research group

Our current research focus is in developing and establishing microalgae-based value chains and processes that can be carbon negative and offer environmentally sustainable solutions with wider impact in the chemicals, materials, energy, food and health sectors. We are working with a diverse group of microalgae, including Chalmydomonas sp., Chlorella sp., Dunaliella salina, Scenedesmus sp., Phaeodactylum tricornutum, Nannochloropsis oceanica, Porphyridium purpureum, etc. The investigations include molecular level understanding and identification of relevant metabolic pathways, metabolic modelling, systems level characterisations, chemical and biochemical process engineering, techno-economic assessments, resource utilisation towards a circular bio-economy. We have been funded by UKRI BBSRC and EPSRC o develop an understanding of lipid accumulation in microalgae towards sustainable biofuels production, and by EU H2020, through an MSCFA to study nutrient uptake by microalgae.

We have identified key delineating features suitable for lipid accumulation in marine microalgae that would help in selecting appropriate strains and process conditions suitable for oil production in microalgae []. We have studied nutrient uptake in the context of lipid accumulation in P. tricornutum and N. oceanica [], as well as in N. salina and D. salina [ and have reported on the differences in the capacity between species to respond to the supply of nitrogen and exposure to high intensity light towards increased lipid accumulation. We have reported on cryopreservation of Chlorella to preserve its lipid accumulating capacity []. We are working towards a better understanding of carbon uptake by microalgae [ to enable appropriate interventions for carbon capture and utilisation. Methods to characterise dissolved inorganic carbon [], intracellular biochemical compositions [,], proteomic and metabolomic data acquisition in microalgae [,,,] have been established. We are developing strategies for microalgae based microbial co-culture systems for better bioproduct formations [, ]. Accumulation of the health-promoting polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as EPA, in the diatom, P. tricornutum have been characterised in pilot-scale outdoor PBRs, as a part of BBSRC funded research (PHYCBIV-28), as well as cell lysis for extraction of products from microalgae (PHYCBIV-13). The development of a biorefinery concept with microalgal cultivations to sustainably sequester CO 2 and produce economically viable processes is being explored with the diatom P. tricornutum [, ]. These include downstream processing considerations [, ].

We wish to build on these findings and develop relevant microalgae-based value chains and materials to enable sustainable interventions in diverse sectors, including renewable energy generation [, ], agriculture [], aquaculture practice, food production, nutrition, health, bulk and fine chemical manufacture. These interventions are aimed at developing environmentally inclusive, economically impacting routes to future food security, chemical manufacturing, health and energy generation. We have wider expertise in microbial characterisations, omic analyses, mass spectrometric imaging, bioinformatics, bioprocess monitoring and microbial process engineering.

Grants

Teaching activities

Module lead - Environmental Engineering, Applied Biological Engineering