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

• 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)

• 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
  

• 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 
  

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

• 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 catalysis Center (KCC)

• Division of Physical Science and Engineering (PSE)