Faculty Profile
Deepak Kumar

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Associate Professor

Department of Chemical Engineering
402 Walters Hall

dkumar02@esf.edu
315-470-6503

RESEARCH INTERESTS

Bio-based circular economy
Novel fermentation technologies
Enzyme application and kinetics
Modeling and multi-objective optimization of biological and chemical processes
Techno-Economic analysis (TEA) and life cycle assessment (LCA)

Group Webpage: https://sites.google.com/view/kumar-sbbl/

COURSES

BPE 300 Introduction to Industrial Bioprocessing
PSE 361 Engineering Thermodynamics
BPE 496 Bioprocess Engineering Simulations
PSE 370/570 Principles of Mass and Energy Balances
BPE 797 Bioprocess Engineering Seminar

EDUCATION

Ph.D. Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis OR, 2014
M.S. Agricultural Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, India, 2009
B.Tech. Agricultural Engineering, Punjab Agricultural University, India, 2006

PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE

Associate Professor, Chemical Engineering, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY (09/2025 – Present)
Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, State University of New York College of Environmental Science and Forestry, Syracuse, NY (08/2019 – 08/2025)
Adjunct Research Scientist, Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (08/2019 – 07/2022)
Research Assistant Professor, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (08/2018 – 07/2019)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, Agricultural and Biological Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL (10/2015 - 0872018)
Postdoctoral Research Associate, ADM Institute for the Prevention of Postharvest Loss, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (12/2014 - 09/2015)
Graduate Research Assistant, Biological and Ecological Engineering, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR (09/2009 – 10/2014)

RECENT PUBLICATIONS

Google Scholar Citations: ?Deepak Kumar? - ?Google Scholar?

2026

Mousavi, S., Brown, T., Malmsheimer, R.W., Kumar, D., Crovella, P. (2026) Operational and embodied emissions in life cycle analysis of Biopolymers in Northeastern United States buildings. Bioresource Technology, 445: 134093 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biortech.2026.134093
Ashok, R.P.B., Bergman, R., Hossain, Md. S., Kumar, D., Nepal, P., Runge, T. (2026) Cellulose nanocrystals from forest residues: An integrated techno-economic analysis and life cycle assessment. Resources, Conservation & Recycling, 227: 108778. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2026.108778
Aman, M.S., Daley, D.J., You, Y., Kumar, D., Yoo, C.G. (2026) PFAS in commercially available organic amendments and food-contact paper products. Science of the Total Environment, 1014: 181342. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2025.181342

2025

Hossain, Md. S., Stuart, T., Verma, A., Cheatham, R., Reza, T., Ramarao, B., Runge, T., Kumar, D. (2026) Forest residue-derived thermoresponsive nanocellulose adsorbent for efficient removal of short- and long-chain PFAS from water. Water, Air, & Soil Pollution, 237: 144. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11270-025-08808-z
Ananthakrishnan, K., Volk, T.A., Jin, Y.-S., Juneja, A., Therasme, O., Kumar, D. (2025) Bioethanol production from shrub willow (Salix spp.) using a low severity pretreatment and detoxification-free fermentation by engineered Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Bioresource Technology Reports: 102394. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2025.102394
Kumar, M., Cheatham, R., Hossain, Md S., Reza, T., Volk, T.A., Juneja, A., Kumar, D. (2025) Sustainable Valorization of Forest Waste Hydrolysis Residues to Solid Biofuel: Insights into Conversion Mechanisms and Fuel Properties. Energies, 18: 6156. https://doi.org/10.3390/en18236156
Jia, L., Zhang, M., Kumar, D., Jikai, Z. (2025) A Review of Polyhydroxybutyrate Biosynthesis by Different Microorganisms. ChemBioChem, 26: e202500562. doi.org/10.1002/cbic.202500562
Winkler, G.L., Gao, K., Seng, E.M., Olmsted, C.N., Rovinsky, R., Kumar, D., Simmons, B.A., Choudhary, H., Majumder, E.L.-W. Bioconversion of self-neutralized chemically depolymerized lignin streams into polyhydroxyalkanoates. RSC Sustainability, 3:5136 https://doi.org/10.1039/D5SU00563A
Ji, A., Han, N., Zhang, S., Pearson, S., Zhao, X., Thapa, S., Karki, B., Lee, S., Ragauskas, A.J., Vyas, D., Kumar, D., Wie, J.J., Yoo, C.G. (2025) Utilization of hemp processing waste for 3D printing of biocomposites. Waste and Biomass Valorization. ACCEPTED, IN PRESS. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12649-025-03314-z
Thomas, C.M., Scheel, R.A., Nomura, C.T., Ramarao, B.V., Kumar, D. (2021) Production of polyhydroxybutyrate and polyhydroxybutyrate-co-MCL copolymers from brewer’s spent grains by recombinant Escherichia coli LSBJ. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery, 15: 1803-1814. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-021-01738-w
Mousavi, S., Brown, T., Malmsheimer, R.W., Kumar, D., Frank, J. (2025) End-of-life climate impacts of polyhydroxyalkanoates in the United States: The role of feedstock variability and temporal dynamics - A Systematic Review. Polymer Degradation and Stability, 240: 111500. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polymdegradstab.2025.111500
Jayalath, P., Ananthakrishnan, K.*, Jeong, S., Shibu, R.P., Zhang, M., Kumar, D., Yoo, C.G., Shamshina, J.L., Therasme, O. (2025) Bio-based polyurethane materials: technical, environmental, and economic insights. Processes, 13: 1591. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr13051591
Karthikeyan, M., Kumar, D., Lee, J, Barathi, S., Rajendran, K. (2025) Time series forecasting of microalgae cultivation for sustainable wastewater treatment. Process Safety and Environmental Protection, 196: 106845. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psep.2025.106845

2024

Jia, L., Kaur, G., Juneja, A., Majumder, E. L.-W., Ramarao, B., Kumar, D. (2024) Improved fermentation strategies for enhancing polyhydroxybutyrate production from paper mill fiber rejects. Bioresource Technology Reports, 28: 101976. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biteb.2024.101976
Hans, M., Umrao, D., Velusamy, M. Kumar, D., Kumar, S. (2024) Biochemical conversion of municipal solid waste to biofuel and bioproducts: a review. Submitted in Environmental Science and Pollution Research, 32: 19204-19224 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35667-8
Ravichandran V., Kumar D., Mani S., Rajendran K. (2024) Beyond tradition: charting a greener future for cassava starch industry using multi-criteria decision-making. Biofuel Research Journal, 43: 2181-2193. https://doi.org/10.18331/BRJ2024.11.3.4
Hossain, Md. S., Therasme. O.T., Volk, T., Kumar, V., Kumar, D. (2024) Optimization of combined hydrothermal and mechanical refining pretreatment of forest residue biomass for maximum sugar release during enzymatic hydrolysis. Energies, 17: 4929. https://doi.org/10.3390/en17194929
Jia, L., Kaur, G., Juneja, A., Majumder, E. L.-W., Ramarao, B., Kumar, D. (2024) Polyhydroxybutyrate production from non-recyclable fiber rejects and acid whey as mixed substrate by recombinant Escherichia coli. Biotechnology for Sustainable Materials, 1:12. https://doi.org/10.1186/s44316-024-00013-y
Jia, L.*, Juneja, A., Majumder, E. L.-W., Ramarao, B., Kumar, D. (2024) Efficient enzymatic hydrolysis and polyhydroxybutyrate production from non-recyclable fiber rejects from paper mills by recombinant Escherichia coli. Processes, 12: 1576. https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12081576.
Shrestha, S., Goswami, S., Banerjee, D., Garcia, V., Zhou, E., Olmsted, C.N., Majumder, E. L.-W., Kumar, D., Awasthi, D., Mukhopadhyay, A., Singer, S.W., Gladden, J.M., Simmons, B.A., Choudhary, H. (2024) Perspective on lignin conversion strategies that enable next generation biorefineries. ChemSusChem, e202301460. https://doi.org/10.1002/cssc.202301460.
Franco, L.A., Stuart, T.D., Hossain, Md S., Ramarao, B.V., VanLeuven, C.C., Wriedt, M., Satchwell, M., Kumar, D. (2024) Apple Pomace-Derived Cationic Cellulose Nanocrystals for PFAS Removal from Contaminated Water. Processes, 12: 297 https://doi.org/10.3390/pr12020297.
Annu, Yadvika, Kargwal, R., Kumar, D., Kumar, V. (2024) Assessment of techno-economic feasibility of solar-powered shredder. Environmental Engineering and Management Journal, 23: 319-329. http://doi.org/10.30638/eemj.2024.026
Awasthi, M.K., Rajendran, K., Vigneswaran, V.S., Kumar, V., Dregulo, A.M., Singh, V., Kumar, D., Sindhu, R., Zhang, Z. (2024) Exploration of upgrading of biomass and its paradigmatic synthesis: Future scope for biogas exertion. Sustainable Chemistry and Pharmacy, 38: 101450. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scp.2024.101450.
Ramesh, P., Jasmin, A., Tanveer, M., Roshan, R.U., Ganeshan, P., Rajendran, K., Roy, S.M., Kumar, D., Chinnathambi, A., Brindhadevi, K. (2024) Optimizing aeration efficiency and forecasting dissolved oxygen in brackish water aquaculture: Insights from paddle wheel aerator. Journal of the Taiwan Institute of Chemical Engineers, 156: 105353. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtice.2024.105353.

PUBLICATIONS (Book Chapters)

Kumar, D. and Singh, V. (2020) Bioconversion of processing waste from agro-food industries to bioethanol: creating a sustainable and circular economy, Chapter 7 In C.S. Lin, G. Kaur, C. Li, X. Yang (ed.) Waste Valorisation: Waste Streams in a Circular Economy, Wiley, pp 161-182
Kumar, D. and Singh, V. (2018) Bioethanol production from corn, Chapter 22 In Sergio O. Serna-Saldivar (ed.) Corn: Chemistry and Technology, Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA., pp 15-32
Juneja, A., Kumar, D., and Tumuluru, J.S. (2017) Hydrothermal liquefaction – a promising technology for high moisture biomass conversion, Chapter 11 In J.S.Tumuluru & J. Richard Hess (ed.) Biomass Preprocessing for Biofuels Production, CRC Press
Meghwal, M., Sowmya, H. T., Maherda, L., Kumar, D., and Kadeppagari, R.K. (2017) Emerging foodborne illnesses and their prevention, Chapter 4 In M. Meghwal and M.R. Goyal (ed.) State-of-the-Art Technologies in Food Science - Human Health, Emerging Issues and Specialty Topics, CRC Press
Kumar, D. and Murthy, G.S. (2016) Enzymatic hydrolysis of cellulose for ethanol production: fundamentals, optimal Enzyme Ratio, and hydrolysis modeling, Chapter 7 In V.K. Gupta (ed.) New and Future Developments in Microbial Biotechnology and Bioengineering, Elsevier, Philadelphia, PA, pp 65-80
Kumar, D., Tiwari, G., and Murthy, G.S. (2012) Microwave and radio frequency heating of food products: Fundamentals, modeling and applications, In J.K. Sahoo (ed.) Introduction to Advanced Food Process Engineering, Taylor & Francis, Boca Raton, pp 3-30