Ram Karan, Ph.D.

Alumni and Former Staff

Research Scientist

Social Profile:

Research Interests

Discovering and bioengineering novel microbes and their biomolecules for environmental, biomedical, and biotechnological applications using microbiology, bioinformatics, biochemistry, chemistry, and molecular biology techniques

Selected Publications

  • Bioengineering of air-filled protein nanoparticles by genetic and chemical functionalization.R. Karan, D. Renn, S. Nozue, L. Zhao, S. Habuchi, T. Allers, M. RuepingJ. Nanobiotechnology 21(1):108 (2023).
  • Bioprospecting of novel extremozymes from prokaryotes – The advent of culture-independent methods.
    M. Sysoev, S.W. Grötzinger, D. Renn, J. Eppinger, M. Rueping, R. Karan Front. Microbiol. 12: 630013 (2021) 
  • Engineering a promiscuous pyrrolysyl-tRNA synthetase by a high throughput FACS screen. A. Hohl, R. Karan, A. Akal, D. Renn, X. Liu, A. Dharmarajnadar, S. Ghorpade, M. Groll, J. Eppinger, M. Rueping Nature Sci. Rep. 9(1):11971 (2019) 
  • Identification and experimental characterization of an extremophilic brine pool alcohol dehydrogenase from single a. S.W. Grötzinger, R Karan, E. Strillinger, S. Bader, A. Frank, I.S. Al Rowaihi, A. L. Akal, ACS Chem. Biol. 13(1): 161-170 (2017) 
  • Key amino acid residues conferring enhanced enzyme activity at cold temperatures in an Antarctic polyextremophilic . V.J Laye, R Karan, J.M. Kim, W.T. Pecher, P. DasSarma, S. DasSarma Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A, 114(47):12530-12535 (2017)
  • Microneedle-assisted skin permeation by non-toxic bioengineerable gas vesicle nanoparticles. A.U. Andar, R. Karan (contributed equally), W.T. Pecher, P. DasSarma, W.D. Hedrich, A.L. ACS Mol Pharm 14 (3), 953958, (2017)
  • Bioengineering radioresistance by overproduction of RPA, a mammalian-type single-stranded DNA-binding protein, in a. R. Karan, P. DasSarma, E. Balcer-Kubiczek, R.R. Weng, C. Liao, W.V. Ng, S. DasSarma Appl Microbiol Biotechnol. 98(4), 1737-1747, (2014)
  • Cloning, overexpression, purification, and characterization of a polyextremophilic β-galactosidase from the Antarct. R. Karan, M.D. Capes, P. DasSarma, S. DasSarma BMC Biotechnol. 13:3, (2013)
  • Interaction and nanotoxic effect of ZnO and Ag nanoparticles on mesophilic and halophilic bacterial cells. 
    R. Sinha, R. Karan, A. Sinha, S.K. Khare Bioresource Technol. 102, 15161520, (2011)
  • A novel organic solvent tolerant protease from a newly isolated Geomicrobium sp. EMB2 (MTCC 10310): Production opti. R. Karan, S.P. Singh, S. Kapoor, S.K. Khare N Biotechnol. 28, 136-145 , (2011)

Education

  • Higher Education Teaching Certificate, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, 2021.
  • Ph.D., Biochemistry, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, India, 2011.
  • Master of Science, Bioorganic Chemistry, CCS University, Meerut, UP India, 2005.
  • Master of Science, Physical Chemistry, CCS University, Meerut, India, 2003.
  • Bachelor of Science, Bio-Chemistry, CCS University, Meerut, India, 2001

Professional Profile

  • 2021-Till: Senior Research Scientist, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 2020-Till: Visiting professorship, CCS University, Meerut, India
  • 2018-2021: Research Scientist, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 2015-2018: Senior Research Fellow, KAUST, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
  • 2014-2015: Research Fellow, USUHS, Bethesda, Maryland, USA
  • 2011-2014: ASM Fellow, University of Maryland, Baltimore, Maryland, USA 

Scientific and Professional Membership

  • Biotech Research Society of India (BRSI)
  • American Society of Microbiology (ASM), USA
  • Asian Federation of Biotechnology (AFOB) 

Awards

  • Excellence Recognition and COVID-19 Response Awards, Saudi Arabia, 2021
  • Young Scientist Award (YSA) by the Society for Biotechnology, Japan, in “Thermophiles 2019” Japan
  • Best paper and presentation award by International Society of Extremophiles (ISE) and Springer in “Extremophiles 2018” Naples, Italy.
  • American Society for Microbiology (ASM) International Fellowship for Asia, 2011
  • International travel award, 2010 by CSIR, Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST) Government of India
  • Award of Senior and Junior Research National Fellowship from CSIR, India
  • Award for publishing high impact factor research paper by IIT, Delhi, Indi
  • Associate editor: Environmental Sustainability, International Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, Frontiers in Microbiology, Microorganisms.

KAUST Affiliations

  • ​KAUST catalysis Center (KCC)

  • Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE)

Research Interests Keywords

Sustainability Extremophiles halophiles thermophiles psychrophiles extremozymes bioengineering gas vesicle nanoparticles vaccines

Former Faculty

  • ​Jorg Eppinger, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)
  • Jr-Hau He, Ph.D. (Associate Professor)
  • Kazuhiro Takanabe, Ph.D. (Professor)
  • Lain-Jong Li, Ph.D. (Professor)
  • Valentin Rodionov, Ph.D. (Assistant Professor)
  • Vicent Tung, Ph.D. (Associate Professor)
  • Yu Han, Ph.D. (Professor)

 

Former Research Staff

  • Abou-Hamad edy, Ph.D. Research Engineer
  • Douaa Hamed (Lab Technician)
  • Haibo Zhu, Ph.D. (Research Scientist)
  • Isidoro Morales Osorio , Ph.D. (Research Technician)
  • Jeremie Pelletier ( Lab Manager)
  • Jing Fan (Lab Technician)
  • Lu Zhou
  • Lan Zhao (Research Technician)
  • Linjie Su (Lab Technician)
  • Rong-rong Jiang (Lab Technician)

Research Scientist

  • Chen Zhu, Ph.D.
  • Huaifeng Li, Ph.D.
    • Jun Pan, Ph.D.
    • Muralirajan Krishnamoorthy, Ph.D.
    • Pavlo Nikolaienko, Ph.D.
    • Ram Karan, Ph.D.
    • Sergey Kozlov, Ph.D.
    • Xiulin Yang, Ph.D.
    • Yuanlong Shao, Ph.D.
    • Yichen Cai, Ph.D.

    Postdoctoral Fellows

    • Abdesslem Jedidi, Ph.D.                                                     
    • Abhishek Dutta Chowdhury,Ph.D.
    • Akshaya K Samal, Ph.D.
    • Anatoly Peshkov, Ph.D.
    • Athira Cheruvelil, Ph.D.
    • Chaochao Yue, Ph.D.
    • Chaojie Cui, Ph.D.
    • Changguang Yao, Ph.D.
    • Chinmoy K. Hazra, Ph.D.
    • Dandan Zhang, Ph.D.
    • Diego Zapater Bes, Ph.D.
    • Eleonora Fava, Ph.D.
    • Eva Pump, Ph.D.
    • Fazal Raziq, Ph.D.
    • Gabriel Buchel, Ph.D.
    • Gangaiah Mettela,Ph.D.
    • Hong Wang, Ph.D.
    • Hassan Ait Ahsaine, Ph.D.
    • Ida Autiero, Ph.D.
    • Janet Chakkamadathil Mohandas, Ph.D.
    • Jung-Hyun Park, Ph.D.
    • Jinsong Hu, Ph.D.
    • Jie Chen, Ph.D.
    • Kwangjae Lee, Ph.D.
    • Karthik Peramaiya, Ph.D.
    • Kushal Deepak Bhatte​,Ph.D.
    • Luis Miguel Azofra Mesa
    • Liangjin Xu, Ph.D.
    • ​Manbo Li, Ph.D.
    • Michael Kelly, Ph.D.
    • Mannathan Subramaniyan, Ph.D.
    • Manas Bhunia, Ph.D.
    • Niladri Maity, Ph.D.
    • Olga Gladkovskaya, Ph.D.
    • Raju Dey, Ph.D.
    • Sai Vikrama Chaitanya vummaleti, Ph.D.
    •  Somphonh Peter Phivilay, Ph.D.
    • Sandeep Kumar Mishra, Ph.D.
    • Shao-Chi Lee, Ph.D.
    • Stefania Evoli, Ph.D.
    • Shixiong Min, Ph.D.
    • Srikanth Pedireddy, Ph.D.
    • Shashank Sakleshpur Nagaraja, Ph.D.
    • Tunc Deniz, Ph.D.
    • Tianyou Chen, Ph.D.
    • Wei Zhao, Ph.D.
    • Won Suk Juang, Ph.D.
    • Xuechao Liu, Ph.D.
    • Xiufang wang, Ph.D.
    • Yuan Wang, Ph.D.
    • Yunfei Cai, Ph.D.
    • Yupeng Pan, Ph.D.
    • Yuri Lebedev, Ph.D.
    • Yogesh Raghunath Patil, Ph.D.
    • Zhaolai Chen, Ph.D.

    Ph.D. Students

    • Adrian Hol, Ph.D
    • Arwa Makki, Ph.D.
    • Adrian Hohl, Ph.D.
    • Amal A. Baqais, Ph.D.
    • Abdullah Dakhi, Ph.D.
    • Azimet Karluk, Ph.D.
    • Baraa Werghi, Ph.D.
    • Batian Chen, Ph.D.
    • Bilel Hamzaoui, Ph.D.
    • Bedour E. Al-Sabban, Ph.D.
    • Chao Guan, Ph.D.
    • Dalal Noureldine, Ph.D.
    • Duanxing Li, Ph.D.
    • Ding-Jier Yuan, Ph.D.
    • Eleanor Ang Pei Ling, Ph.D.
    • Gabriel Jeantelot, Ph.D.
    • Hind Al-Johani, Ph.D.
    • Haleema Alamri, Ph.D.
    • Hsin-Hua Huang, Ph.D. 
    • Israa Salem Al-Rowaihi, Ph.D.
    • Ibrahim Dursun
    • Keisuke Obata, Ph.D.
    • Liliana Panarone, Ph.D.
    • Miguel Dinis Veloso Guerreiro, Ph.D.
    • Maha Al Haddad, Ph.D.
    • Muhammad Qureshi, Ph.D.
    • Muhammad Naufal Lintangpradipto, Ph.D.
    • Nawal alhajri, Ph.D.
    • Nazeeha Alkayal, Ph.D.
    • Noor Almana, Ph.D.
    • Nouf Al Jabri, Ph.D.
    • Nikita Kolobo, Ph.D.
    • Oleksii Pustovarenko, Ph. D.
    • Quaid Johar Samun Virpurwala, Ph.D.
    • Reem Al-Shareef, Ph.D.
    • Reem Alshumrani, Ph.D.
    • Sarah Almahdali, Ph.D.
    • Sheikha Lardhi, Ph.D.
    • Stefan Grotzinger, Ph.D.
    • Tatsuya Shinagawa, Ph.D.

    Master Students

    • Abdulaziz Khan
    • Abdulelah Qahtan
    • Amer Alabd
    • Alexandra Vancea
    • Ali Hamieh
    • Khalid F. Alahmadi
    • Kanav Kalra
    • Mram Alyami
    • Mohammad Al Rebh
    • Salha E. Alotaibi


    Former Administration

    • Ann Bauwens (Executive Secretary)
    • Jiao Qiu (Business Administrator)
    • Wenwen Zhu(Administrative Assistant)
    • Xijun Deng(Administrative Assistant)
    • Xianzheng Meng(Business Administrator)
    • Yi-Cing Li (Business Administrator)