The Cellulose Group @ IITH
Dr. Mudrika Khandelwal
PhD University of Cambridge, UK (2013)
M.Tech, B.Tech Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (2009)
Associate professor
Department of Materials Science and Metallurgical Engineering, IIT Hyderabad
Mail ID : mudrika@iith.ac.in
Co-founder, Restyro Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
Focus
Research Focus
Our group focuses on finding solutions to societal problems through science and technology in an economically viable and sustainable manner. Hence, most of the work in the group is built around natural and nature-derived and inspired materials.
Cellulose is the most common naturally occurring biopolymer, which is also used in various applications. Unfortunately, the commonly used cellulose is derived from plants and trees which leads to deforestation and also requires intensive chemical treatment to remove impurity. We work on cellulose produced by bacteria in our laboratory from natural as well as synthetic media.
Currently, we are working on the following:
Health Care
- Antifouling materials for food packaging
- Liners for female hygiene
- Drug delivery materials for various routes
Environment and heritage
- Paper restoration
- Dessert beetle inspired water harvesting
Energy
- Bacterial cellulose for battery electrode
- Conducting paper
Actuator
- Artificial muscle
People
PhD
Project staff
M.Tech
Alumni
Dr. Manohar Kakunuri
Post Doctoral fellow, DST-UKIERI, 2015-2017
Divya Anand
M.Tech 2015
Palash Chandra Maity
M.Tech 2016
Kranthi Reddy
External B.Tech Project
Neha Sadanand
Intern summer 2018
Shreeja Reddy
Intern summer 2018
Akshay Agrawal
Intern summer 2016
Ankit
Intern summer 2018
Collabarators
Facilities
Our lab is equippied with the following
- Autoclave
- Incubator maintained at 25 ℃ and 37 ℃
- Biosafety Cabinet
- Vortexer
- UV-vis spectrophotometer
- Freeze Dryer
- Stability Chamber
- Weighing balance
- Hot air oven
Projects
Completed:
DST-UKIERI Project on 'Polymer and Carbon based Three Dimensional Micropatterned Nanofabric with Enhanced Wettability Contrast 2015-2017
Collaborators -
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sharma (Chemical Engineering, IITH)
Prof. Stephen Eichhorn (Head, Engineering,Chair in Materials Science within the College of Engineering, Maths and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter)
SERB Fast Track for Young Scientists/Start-Up Research Grant (Young Scientists) entitled
“Novel low cost antifouling materials for healthcare and food packaging industry.” 2015-2018
Ongoing:
Teaching Learning Centre under Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya National Mission for Teaching and Training
Consultancy Projects:
LDS Pvt. Ltd.
Malai Biomaterials Pvt. Ltd.
Eaton Pvt. Ltd.
CSR grant:
AT&T Herbal antimicrobial pantyliners for mitigation of vaginal candidiasis
Awards and Publication
Gandhian Young Technological Innovation Award- Divya Anand
Papers
- Yadav, S., et al., Recycling of thermoplastic polystyrene waste using citrus peel extract for oil spill remediation. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2019. 136(33): p. 47886.
- Mahanta, U., M. Khandelwal, and A.S. Deshpande, Wetting Transition from Lotus Leaf to Rose Petal using Modified Fly Ash. ChemistrySelect, 2019. 4(27): p. 7936-7942.
- Illa, M.P., C.S. Sharma, and M. Khandelwal, Tuning the physiochemical properties of bacterial cellulose: effect of drying conditions. Journal of Materials Science, 2019: p. 1-12.
- Illa, M.P., M. Khandelwal, and C.S. Sharma, Modulated Dehydration for Enhanced Anodic Performance of Bacterial Cellulose derived Carbon Nanofibers. ChemistrySelect, 2019. 4(21): p. 6642-6650.
- Illa, M.P., M. Khandelwal, and C.S. Sharma, Bacterial cellulose-derived carbon nanofibers as anode for lithium-ion batteries. Emergent Materials, 2018: p. 1-16.
- Gaydhane, M.K., et al., Cultured meat: state of the art and future. Biomanufacturing Reviews, 2018. 3(1): p. 1.
- Adepu, S. and M. Khandelwal, Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of bacterial cellulose silver nanocomposites with sustained release. Journal of Materials Science, 2018. 53(3): p. 1596-1609.
- Adepu, S., et al., Three-Dimensional Bioprinting for Bone Tissue Regeneration. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, 2017. 2 p: 22-28
- Kakunuri, M., et al., Three‐dimensional electrospun micropatterned cellulose acetate nanofiber surfaces with tunable wettability. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2017. 134(15):
- Kakunuri, M., et al., Fabrication of bio-inspired hydrophobic self-assembled electrospun nanofiber based hierarchical structures. Materials Letters, 2017. 196: p 339-342
- Adepu, S., et al., Effect of micropatterning induced surface hydrophobicity on drug release from electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers. Applied Surface Science, 2017. 426: p. 755-762.
- Khandelwal, M., A.H. Windle, and N. Hessler, In situ tunability of bacteria produced cellulose by additives in the culture media. Journal of Materials Science, 2016. 51(10): p. 4839-4844.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle, Small angle X-ray study of cellulose macromolecules produced by tunicates and bacteria. International journal of biological macromolecules, 2014. 68: p. 215-217.
- Khandelwal, M. and A. Windle, Origin of chiral interactions in cellulose supra-molecular microfibrils. Carbohydrate polymers, 2014. 106: p. 128-131.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle. Hierarchical Organisation in the Most Abundant Biopolymer–Cellulose. in MRS Proceedings. 2013. Cambridge University Press.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle, Self-assembly of bacterial and tunicate cellulose nanowhiskers. Polymer, 2013. 54(19): p. 5199-5206.
- Khandelwal, M., N. Hessler, and A.H. Windle. Effect of modification in cellulose microstructure on liquid crystallinity. in MRS Proceedings. 2013. Cambridge University Press.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle. Structure and Low Concentration Self Assembly of Food Grade Bacterial Cellulose Nano-Whiskers. in MRS Proceedings. 2012. Cambridge University Press
- Khandelwal, M., et al., Correlation between microstructure and electrical conductivity in composite electrolytes containing Gd-doped ceria and Gd-doped barium cerate. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2011. 31(4): p. 559-568.
Media
Teaching
Our lab is equippied with the following
- Autoclave
- Incubator maintained at 25 ℃ and 37 ℃
- Biosafety Cabinet
- Vortexer
- UV-vis spectrophotometer
- Freeze Dryer
- Stability Chamber
- Weighing balance
- Hot air oven
Collaborators -
Dr. Chandra Shekhar Sharma (Chemical Engineering, IITH)
Prof. Stephen Eichhorn (Head, Engineering,Chair in Materials Science within the College of Engineering, Maths and Physical Sciences, University of Exeter)
“Novel low cost antifouling materials for healthcare and food packaging industry.” 2015-2018
Papers
- Yadav, S., et al., Recycling of thermoplastic polystyrene waste using citrus peel extract for oil spill remediation. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2019. 136(33): p. 47886.
- Mahanta, U., M. Khandelwal, and A.S. Deshpande, Wetting Transition from Lotus Leaf to Rose Petal using Modified Fly Ash. ChemistrySelect, 2019. 4(27): p. 7936-7942.
- Illa, M.P., C.S. Sharma, and M. Khandelwal, Tuning the physiochemical properties of bacterial cellulose: effect of drying conditions. Journal of Materials Science, 2019: p. 1-12.
- Illa, M.P., M. Khandelwal, and C.S. Sharma, Modulated Dehydration for Enhanced Anodic Performance of Bacterial Cellulose derived Carbon Nanofibers. ChemistrySelect, 2019. 4(21): p. 6642-6650.
- Illa, M.P., M. Khandelwal, and C.S. Sharma, Bacterial cellulose-derived carbon nanofibers as anode for lithium-ion batteries. Emergent Materials, 2018: p. 1-16.
- Gaydhane, M.K., et al., Cultured meat: state of the art and future. Biomanufacturing Reviews, 2018. 3(1): p. 1.
- Adepu, S. and M. Khandelwal, Broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity of bacterial cellulose silver nanocomposites with sustained release. Journal of Materials Science, 2018. 53(3): p. 1596-1609.
- Adepu, S., et al., Three-Dimensional Bioprinting for Bone Tissue Regeneration. Current Opinion in Biomedical Engineering, 2017. 2 p: 22-28
- Kakunuri, M., et al., Three‐dimensional electrospun micropatterned cellulose acetate nanofiber surfaces with tunable wettability. Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 2017. 134(15):
- Kakunuri, M., et al., Fabrication of bio-inspired hydrophobic self-assembled electrospun nanofiber based hierarchical structures. Materials Letters, 2017. 196: p 339-342
- Adepu, S., et al., Effect of micropatterning induced surface hydrophobicity on drug release from electrospun cellulose acetate nanofibers. Applied Surface Science, 2017. 426: p. 755-762.
- Khandelwal, M., A.H. Windle, and N. Hessler, In situ tunability of bacteria produced cellulose by additives in the culture media. Journal of Materials Science, 2016. 51(10): p. 4839-4844.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle, Small angle X-ray study of cellulose macromolecules produced by tunicates and bacteria. International journal of biological macromolecules, 2014. 68: p. 215-217.
- Khandelwal, M. and A. Windle, Origin of chiral interactions in cellulose supra-molecular microfibrils. Carbohydrate polymers, 2014. 106: p. 128-131.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle. Hierarchical Organisation in the Most Abundant Biopolymer–Cellulose. in MRS Proceedings. 2013. Cambridge University Press.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle, Self-assembly of bacterial and tunicate cellulose nanowhiskers. Polymer, 2013. 54(19): p. 5199-5206.
- Khandelwal, M., N. Hessler, and A.H. Windle. Effect of modification in cellulose microstructure on liquid crystallinity. in MRS Proceedings. 2013. Cambridge University Press.
- Khandelwal, M. and A.H. Windle. Structure and Low Concentration Self Assembly of Food Grade Bacterial Cellulose Nano-Whiskers. in MRS Proceedings. 2012. Cambridge University Press
- Khandelwal, M., et al., Correlation between microstructure and electrical conductivity in composite electrolytes containing Gd-doped ceria and Gd-doped barium cerate. Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 2011. 31(4): p. 559-568.
Science and Engineering of Materials (1 credit) (even semester, undergraduate)
Polymers (1 credit) (even semester, undergraduate)
Functional and structural polymers (2 credit) (even semester, undergraduate, suitable for postgraduates)
Soft matter science (1 credit) (odd semester, suitable for postgraduates)
Nature inspired materials engineering (2 credits) (odd semester, suitable for 3rd onwards undergraduate and all post graduates)
Polymer science and engineering (3 credit) (even semester, suitable for 3rd onwards undergraduate and all post graduates)
Soft matter (3 credit) (odd semester, suitable for 3rd onwards undergraduate and all post graduates)
Hierarchical and Supramolecular materials (1 credit) (yet to be introduced)
Liquid crystals (1 credit) (yet to be introduced)
Antifouling and health care materials (1 credit) (yet to be introduced)