Dr. Swapan Kumar Jana – Biomolecules – Best Researcher Award

Dr. Swapan Kumar Jana – Biomolecules – Best Researcher Award

Serum Institute of India, India

Author Profiles

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🎓 Academic Credentials

Dr. Swapan Kumar Jana holds a Ph.D. in Biochemical Engineering from the Faculty of Engineering & Technology, Jadavpur University, Kolkata. His doctoral thesis focused on the “Studies on an industrial scale process development of vaccine-grade recombinant Hepatitis B surface Antigen (r-HBsAg) expressed in methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris.” He also earned an M.Tech. in Biochemical Engineering and a B.Tech. in Chemical Technology (Food Technology & Biochemical Engineering) from Jadavpur University. In addition, he completed a B.Sc. (Hons.) in Chemistry with Physics and Mathematics from Calcutta University and obtained a Post Graduate Diploma in Operations Management from IGNOU, New Delhi.

👨‍🔬 Professional Experience

Dr. Jana brings over 33 years of rich experience in biopharmaceutical research and development, with deep expertise in vaccines, biologics, and biosimilars, including both microbial and cell culture platforms. He is currently the Director of R&D and Manufacturing at the Serum Institute of India Ltd., Pune, directly reporting to the Executive Director and indirectly to the CEO & CMD. He has previously held pivotal positions at top pharmaceutical and biotech firms. From July 2000 to December 2008, he served as the Principal Scientist & Head – Process Development at Shantha Biotechnics Ltd. (Sanofi group) in Hyderabad. His tenure at Dr. Reddy’s Laboratories Ltd., Hyderabad, from January 1999 to June 2000, saw him work as a Senior Scientist & Manager in the Process Development – Biotechnology Division. Between October 1993 and December 1998, he contributed significantly at Dr. Reddy’s Research Foundation, Hyderabad, as a Scientist and Senior Scientist, focusing on process development. Earlier in his career, he worked at IIT Delhi (1992–1993) in the Department of Biochemical Engineering & Biotechnology, handling process development in a pilot plant setup.

🧪 Research Projects and Technical Know-How

His M.Tech. thesis was titled: “Enzymatic conversion of Glucose to Fructose using Streptomyces kanamyceticus strain (Immobilized Enzyme Technique – chemical and physical entrapment of enzyme & whole cell)”, and his B.Tech. project explored “Fermentative Production of Penicillin-G.” Dr. Jana has acquired extensive technical expertise, including SDS-PAGE, Western Blot, Silver Staining, ELISA for HBsAg and related proteins, HPLC, RIA, enzyme assays, preservation and stability study of genetically engineered clones, fermentation analysis, in vivo potency testing, polysaccharide estimation, and purification protocols.

🏆 Awards and Honours

Dr. Jana is a recipient of several prestigious honors. He is a National Scholarship holder (Govt. of India), a University Gold Medalist from Jadavpur University, and successfully qualified GATE-1988. He earned JRF and SRF fellowships from DST/DBT, Govt. of India. He received cash awards from Dr. Reddy’s Foundation for developing and launching Lovastatin (Lostatin) and rh-GCSF (Grastim). At Shantha Biotechnics, he was honored with the “Best Scientist & Employee Award” for his exceptional contributions. Notably, he received a Letter of Appreciation and cash award from Mr. Adar C. Poonawalla, CEO of Serum Institute of India, for his extraordinary leadership in guiding the Pneumococcal R&D and Manufacturing team.

🔬 Expertise & Skills

Dr. Jana has demonstrated excellence in process development, optimization, validation, and technology transfer for vaccines and biosimilars. His core competencies include analytical development, IPQC, clinical development, regulatory affairs, and strategic planning. He is adept at data interpretation, project execution, and problem-solving across various stages of bioprocessing. His ability to lead multidisciplinary teams, manage cross-functional responsibilities, and deliver product development end-to-end is widely recognized.

Notable Publications📝


📝Optimization of fermentation media for the production of higher yield capsular polysaccharide by Streptococcus pneumoniae serotype 22F using integrated statistical designs
  • Authors: Shital S. Jain, Rajesh Kumar Kante, Vikas K. Singh, Sudarshan Patil, Swapan Kumar Jana, Rajendra H. Patil

  • Journal: Carbohydrate Polymers

  • Year: 2025


📝Methods for Improving the Adsorption of Polysaccharide-Protein Conjugates and Multivalent Vaccine Formulation Obtained Thereof
  • Author: Swapan Kumar Jana

  • Journal: New Zealand Patent

  • Year: 2024


📝Current trends in development and manufacturing of higher-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide conjugate vaccine and its challenges
  • Authors: Shital S. Jain, Vikas K. Singh, Rajesh Kumar Kante, Swapan Kumar Jana, Rajendra H. Patil

  • Journal: Biologicals

  • Year: 2024


📝Optimization of Clarification Steps in Pneumococcal Polysaccharide Conjugate Vaccine Manufacturing: Evaluating the Performance of Depth Filters
  • Authors: Swapan Kumar Jana, Amol Dattatraya Mahajan

  • Journal: BioPharm International

  • Year: 2024


📝Methods for Simultaneous Fragmentation and Purification of Bacterial Polysaccharides
  • Authors: Swapan Kumar Jana

  • Journal: US Patent

  • Year: 2023

Dr. Chellamanimegalai P | Biomolecules | Women Researcher Award

Dr. Chellamanimegalai P | Biomolecules | Women Researcher Award

Doctorate at Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai | India

Professional Profile

Scopus

🎓 Educational Background

Dr. Chellamanimegalai holds a PhD in Fisheries from the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai (September 2019 to September 2024), graduating with First Class Distinction (OGPA: 8.88/10). She also completed her M.F.Sc. at the same institution (August 2016 to July 2018), achieving First Class Distinction (OGPA: 85.8/10). Her academic journey began with a B.F.Sc. from Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Tuticorin (September 2012 to July 2016), earning First Class (OGPA: 7.69/10).

👩‍🏫 Employment History

Dr. Chellamanimegalai began her career as a Teaching Assistant at Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Nagapattinam (November 2015 to August 2019). During this tenure, she taught major courses such as Anatomy and Biology of Shellfish and Limnology, conducting both theory and practical classes to ensure comprehensive syllabus coverage.

She furthered her career as a PhD Researcher at the ICAR-Central Institute of Fisheries Education, Mumbai (September 2020 to June 2023). Her research was part of the Institutional Project titled “Taxonomical, Biochemical Evaluation and Utilization of Order Dictyotales – Brown Algal Species”, contributing significantly to this domain.

From August 2023 to February 2024, Dr. Chellamanimegalai worked as a Senior Research Fellow under the Tamil Nadu Innovation Initiatives (TANII) Scheme at Tamil Nadu Dr. J. Jayalalithaa Fisheries University, Thalainayeru, Nagapattinam. She played a pivotal role in the project “Assessment of Spawning Seasonality of Major Marine Fishery Groups along the Coast of Tamil Nadu for Sustainable Fishery Management.”

🏆 Awards and Recognition

Dr. Chellamanimegalai has been recognized for her academic excellence and dedication. She was awarded the ICAR-Junior Research Fellowship (2016-2018) for securing 11th rank in the ICAR-AIEEA-2016 National Level Examination. Additionally, she achieved 8th rank in Fisheries Resource Management during the National Level PhD Entrance Examination-2019 conducted by ICAR-CIFE, Mumbai.

🔬 Research Experience

Her PhD research focused on the taxonomy and biochemical analysis of the genera Dictyota and Padina (Dictyotaceae, Phaeophyta) from the Indian coast. During her M.F.Sc., she conducted a taxonomical study of the Genus Grateloupia C. Agardh (Halymeniales, Rhodophyta), analyzing its morphology and biochemical composition.

🧪 Skills

Dr. Chellamanimegalai possesses extensive expertise in a variety of laboratory techniques critical to research and analysis. In the realm of molecular work, she is proficient in DNA isolation, PCR, and agarose gel electrophoresis, which are essential tools for genetic studies. Her skills in biochemical analysis include precise evaluation of protein, lipid, ash, and carbohydrate content, supporting detailed biochemical profiling.

In the field of histology, she excels in tissue processing, tissue embedding, microtome sectioning, and staining, enabling her to prepare and analyze high-quality tissue samples. Her expertise extends to bioactive studies, where she specializes in the extraction of pigments and bioactive compounds as well as conducting in-vitro antioxidant studies, contributing to the exploration of natural products with therapeutic potential. Additionally, her capability in water quality analysis highlights her versatility in environmental and aquatic research.

Publications Top Noted📰

Unveiling the nutritional and antioxidant properties of brown algae resources (Dictyota J.V. Lamouroux) from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea, Indian coast

Authors: Chellamanimegalai, P.; Deshmukhe, G.; Balange, A.K.; Layana, P.

Journal: Heliyon

Year: 2025

Biochemical properties of different species of seaweeds (Grateloupia) from the Indian coast and analysis of spatial variation in two selected species

Authors: Chellamanimegalai, P.; Balange, A.K.; Kumar, A.P.; Dwivedi, A.; Deshmukhe, G.

Journal: Journal of Environmental Biology

Year: 2022

New record of marine red algal species Grateloupia orientalis Showe M. Lin & H.Y. Liang and G. catenata Yendo (Halymeniaceae, Rhodophyta) from the east coast of India

Authors: Chellamanimegalai, P.; Pavan-Kumar, A.; Balange, A.K.; Dwivedi, A.; Deshmukhe, G.

Journal: Current Science

Year: 2020