Journal of Molecular Biology

Dr. Vivek N. Upasani, is a well known microbiologist from India with over four decades of experience in research and academic leadership. He currently serves as a Chief Scientist at Genexplore Diagnostics and Research Centre Pvt. Ltd., Ahmedabad. He has coordinated and led multiple DBT, UGC, and GUJCOST-funded research projects and schemes. Dr. Upasani has conducted postdoctoral research in Canada (Lipids of haloarchaea), and the USA (Rice Biotechnology: Carotenoid biosynthesis). He has done pioneering work on the isolation and characterization of haloarchaea (natronobacterium /natrialba) from Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan, India. His research also includes the genomic study of halophilic archaea, studies on halophilic microalgae from Indian saline ecosystems, hydrocarbon degradation, etc. He has supervised five Ph.D. candidates to completion, published over 48 research papers, authored 7 books, and contributed whole genome sequences to international repositories and deposited microbial cultures in ATTCC, NCIMB, NCCS, etc. An active member of several professional bodies, including the American Society for Microbiology and the Microbiologists Society of India. He is also a certified Lead Auditor (FSSC 22000). He continues to mentor, review and collaborate in national and international scientific communities.

• Microbial Biotechnology
• Microbial diversity of saline ecosystems
• Forensic science
• Hydrocarbon degradation
• fruit spoilage

1. Speaker/Guest faculty in various universities.
2.  Resource Person for Refresher Courses for faculty development.
3.  Member, Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBSC, DBT).
4.  Member, Institutional Ethical Committee (IEC, ICMR)
5. Ambassador- Gujarat State, Microbiologists Society of India (MBSI) 2022
6. (organized Outreach programs in schools for promotion of Microbiology & Biotechnology)
7. Ex-Member, Expert Committee for Screening of project proposals (AIC-LMCP, iHub, GUJCOST, etc.)
8. Mentor (GTU-Ahmedabad) Paper presentations: National & International Conferences
9. Paper publications: More than 45 in National & International Journals (See Google Scholar: Vivek N. Upasani)
10. Online video lectures on “Biotechnology & Genetic Engineering” under UGC model syllabus in UG Zoology (Paper 306: Applied Zoology), NME-ICT programme of MHRD
11. Editorial Board member &/or Reviewer: Springer, Elsevier, Frontiers in Environmental Microbiology (FEM), etc.
12. Countries visited: USA, UK, EU (Austria, Germany, France, Italy), Canada, Dubai, Malaysia

1. A new look on factors affecting microbial degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon pollutants — 2017

2. Critical review on biosurfactant analysis, purification and characterization using rhamnolipid as a model biosurfactant — 2017

3. Biodegradation of petroleum hydrocarbons by oleophilic strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514 — 2016

4. Synergistic ex-situ biodegradation of crude oil by halotolerant bacterial consortium of indigenous strains isolated from on shore sites of Gujarat, India — 2015

5. Carbon spectrum utilization by an indigenous strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514: Production, characterization and surface active properties of biosurfactant — 2016

6. Diversity of alkaliphilic halobacteria: proposals for transfer of Natronobacterium species — 1997

7. Influence of abiotic factors, natural attenuation, bioaugmentation and nutrient supplementation on bioremediation of petroleum crude contaminated agricultural soil — 2019

8. Core flood study for enhanced oil recovery through ex-situ bioaugmentation with thermo- and halo-tolerant rhamnolipid — 2016

9. Applications of algae in cosmetics: An overview — 2018

10. Bioremediation of oily sludge polluted soil employing a novel strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa and phytotoxicity of petroleum hydrocarbons — 2020

11. Bioaugmentation of Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514 – A novel oily waste degrader for treatment of petroleum hydrocarbons — 2021

12. Isolation and screening for hydrocarbon utilizing bacteria (HUB) from petroleum samples — 2013

13. Petroleum sludge polluted soil remediation: Integrated approach involving novel bacterial consortium and nutrient application — 2021

14. Comparative studies on bacterial consortia for hydrocarbon degradation — 2013

15. Sambhar Salt Lake: Chemical composition of the brines and studies on haloalkaliphilic bacteria — 1990

16. Evaluation of rhamnolipid production by a halotolerant novel strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa — 2019

17. Lipids of extremely halophilic archaeobacteria from saline environments in India: A novel glycolipid in Natronobacterium strains — 1994

18. Screening and identification of biosurfactant (bioemulsifier) producing bacteria from crude oil contaminated sites of Gujarat, India — 2014

19. Oilfield waste treatment using novel hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial consortium — 2020

20. Crude oil degradation by Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514: influence of process parameters — 2017

21. Optimization of growth conditions of native hydrocarbon utilizing bacterial consortium — 2014

22. Characterization of hydrocarbon utilizing Pseudomonas strains from crude oil contaminated samples — 2012

23. Comparing bioremediation approaches for agricultural soil affected with petroleum crude: a case study — 2019

24. Microbiological studies on Sambhar Lake (Salt of Earth), Rajasthan, India — 2008

25. Isolation and characterization of a halophilic cyanobacterium Euhalothece SLVH01 from Sambhar Salt Lake, India — 2016

26. Screening of microorganisms for therapeutic enzymes — 2021

27. Isolation and characterization of pathogens causing disease in pomegranate (Punica granatum) — 2021

28. Soil microcosm study for bioremediation by a crude oil degrading Pseudomonas aeruginosa NCIM 5514 — 2020

29. Prevalence of Listeria monocytogenes in raw and pasteurized milk samples from Tiruchengode (TN), India — 2016

30. Extracellular hydrolases producing haloarchaea from marine salterns at Okhamadhi, Gujarat, India — 2016

31. Studies on microbial diversity of a soda lake in India by Winogradsky column technique — 2016

32. Studies on halophilism — 1988

33. Diatoms from saline ecosystems and biotechnological applications: An overview — 2019

34. Diversity of endophytic fungi from the medicinal plant Mucuna pruriens — 2019

35. Isolation and identification of haloalkaliphilic archaeal isolates from a soda lake in India — 2017

36. Purification of halolipase from Haloferax larsenii isolated from Gujarat, India — 2021

37. An application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification technology in forensic science — 2019

38. The 16S rRNA genes of three species of the genus Natronobacterium were sequenced — 1997

39. Exploring microbes from Bhavnagar and Okhamadhi marine salterns for production of industrially important enzymes — 2021

40. Fingerprinting hydrocarbons in a crude oil contaminated agricultural soil and its bioremediation employing bacterial consortium — 2019

41. Whole genome sequence of Pandoraea pnomenusa GXDRC_01 isolated from a clinical sample, Gujarat, India — 2025

42. Microbiological analysis of a synbiotic gut health supplement capsule by metagenomics — 2025

43. Isolation and identification of endophytic fungi from Cassia senna L.: A medicinal plant — 2022

44. Screening of microorganisms for hydrolyases with commercial potential — 2022

45. Evaluation of rhamnolipid production by a halotolerant novel strain of Pseudomonas aeruginosa — 2019

46. An application of loop-mediated isothermal amplification assay for identification of closely related species in cattle — 2019

47. Biochemical investigations of halophilic microalgal flora of Gujarat and Rajasthan for biotechnological applications — 2018

48. Draft genome sequence of a haloalkaliphilic archaeon: Natrialba sp. SSL1 isolated from Sambhar Salt Lake, India — 2017

49. Improving provitamin A (carotenoid) content of rice endosperm — 1996

50. Grain quality — 1996