He received this recognition for his work: ‘Halo-thermophilic Brine Pool Extremozymes from Single Amplified Genomes', based on his current research on extremophiles and extremozymes from Red Sea brine pools.  

Karan's research focuses on the biotechnological application of extremophiles and understanding how life is possible under extreme conditions.​ "Extremophiles are organisms that thrive in extreme environments which for other life forms are unbearable or even lethal, such as hydrothermal vents, polar oceans and acidic and alkaline conditions, or in the presence of toxic waste, organic solvents or heavy metals", Karan explains.