Varun Srinivasan 
Education
M.S. Environmental Engineering, UMass - Amherst exp. May 2012
Bachelor of Technology in Industrial Biotechnology 8/2006- 5/2010
Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai, India
Current MS Research
I am currently studying the role of granular activated carbon (GAC) adsorption on halobenzoquinones, a group of important disinfection byproducts. This work inlcudes surface-catalyzed formation reactions as well as degradation reactions. In addition to my thesis research, I am participating in several externally-funded projects on:
- EDC/PPCP Benchmarking and Monitoring for Drinking Water Utilitiess
- Fate of Non-regulated DBPs in Distribution Systems
Other Research Experience
Centre for Biotechnology, Anna University, Chennai, India
Project Advisor: .Dr. P.Gautam
- Simultaneous Water Treatment and Electricity Production in a Microbial Fuel Cell(MFC)Jun ’09 - Sep ’09
Different aspects affecting electricity generation were monitored – mediator, bacteria, medium etc. using polluted water from a local river in the anode chamber.
- Microbial Fuel Cells and Amplification of Exoelectrogenesis using the Urey- Miller Setup Dec ’09 – June ‘10
A salt bridge MFC was constructed and run with an anaerobic sludge from the EID Parry Factory with potassium permanganate as the catholyte. The characteristics of the MFC system were first determined. An experiment was devised to amplify the exoelectrogenesis of the mixed culture of microorganisms in the anaerobic sludge using the Urey-Miller Setup. After a run time of 10 days in the setup, the sludge inoculum was cultured. These cultures were then inoculated into separate MFCs and the power output in the modified sludge was found to be 42 times greater than the unmodified sludge indicating that the experiment had amplified the power output of the system.
Centre for Biotechnology and Centre for Technology Development and Transfer, Anna University, Chennai, India
Project Advisor: .Dr. Meenakshi Sundaram
- Bio treatment of Textile Effluents using enzymes-Grant Proposal Approved
The objective of this project was to use enzymes like laccase and hydrogen peroxidase to treat the effluent from wet processing of textiles. Also we aimed to immobilise these enzymes on a suitable substrate and optimise their use in a reactor system.