Fish Structural Proteins and its Derivatives: Functionality and Applications

Dr. Maya Raman graduated in botany, and received her masters and PhD Degree from School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology, India in 2006. Her doctoral area of study was fish biochemistry and fish processing technology. She is presently working as an associate professor and Head, Department of Food Science and Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, India. She also worked as a post-doctoral fellow in applied nutrition and food chemistry at Centre for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Lund University. She also worked as a scientist at Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. She has 34+ peer-reviewed publications to her credit and has published 3 books and 16+ book chapters. Her area of expertise is fish biochemistry (collagen), fish processing technology, nutrition and health (cancer), nanotechnology, bioactive marine compounds, dietary fibers (cereal, vegetable, marine algae) and colon cancer (in vitro and in vivo), molecular modelling and dynamics, gut simulation techniques, drug encapsulation, hydrogels and antimicrobial biodegradable food wraps. A patent on hydrogel from cyclic beta-glucan for cosmetics/ food applications was granted in 2022.

Dr. Abhilash Sasidharan is currently pursuing his postdoctoral research at the Department of Biotechnology and Food Science, Norwegian University of Science & Technology (NTNU), Trondheim, Norway. He is also serving as an assistant professor at the Department of Fish Processing Technology, Kerala University of Fisheries & Ocean Studies (KUFOS), Kerala, India. He did his masters degree in industrial fisheries from Cochin University of Science & Technology (CUSAT), Kerala, India in 2003 and PhD under the Faculty of Marine Sciences, CUSAT in 2014. His PhD work focused on seafood side stream management and valorization aspects. He has developed a foliar fertilizer from seafood side stream which later resulted in developing a startup called Green Allies Organics Pvt. Ltd. in 2012. He also worked as the state coordinator and thematic expert of the Reliance Foundation Information Services, the CSR wing of the Reliance Industries Ltd., research associate, ZTMC-BPD, CIFT and as senior research fellow in various R&D projects in CIFT. He has more than 49 peer-reviewed national and international publications, 5 book chapters and several seminar proceedings to his credit. His fields of interests are seafood side stream valorization, seafood product and by-product technology, seafood packaging and thermal processing.

Dr. S. Sabu, associate professor in fish postharvest technology and the Director of the School of Industrial Fisheries of Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), graduated from the University of Kerala with a triple main degree (Biochemistry, Zoology and Industrial Fish and Fisheries) in the year 2001. He obtained his masters degree in industrial fisheries from CUSAT in 2003 and completed his PhD in marine science at the Indian Council for Agricultural Research-Central Institute of Fisheries Technology (ICAR-CIFT), Cochin in 2009. Dr. S. Sabu has one year of industrial experience in seafood processing and quality assurance from Abad CAP Seafoods Pvt. Ltd, Cochin and two years of industrial chitin-chitosan manufacturing and quality assurance experience as the advisor of the P. T. Biotech Surindo, West Java, Indonesia. So far, he has published 40+ peer-reviewed publications, more than three books and five book chapters. The current research areas are food waste management, chitin-chitosan, food safety, application of natural extractives, chitosan derivatives, and nano-chitosan in agriculture crops/food and aquaculture.

Dr. Dhanya Pulikkottil Rajan currently holds the position of an assistant professor at M.E.S Asmabi College, Thrissur, India. Prior to this role, she served as a faculty at the School of Industrial Fisheries, Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT), and St. Albert's College, Ernakulam. She earned her post-graduate degree in industrial fisheries from CUSAT and obtained a doctoral degree in marine sciences. Her doctoral research delved into investigating the impact of spice oleoresins on microbial decontamination and their potential application in enhancing the quality stability of tuna (Euthynnus affinis) during storage. Her research interests encompass biopreservation, safety and sensory enhancement of seafood products, value addition, and the study of microbial spoilage by psychrotrophic and histamine-forming bacteria. Her contributions extend beyond the confines of academia, with 17+ research papers published in esteemed international and national journals, presentations at conferences, a published book, and numerous book chapters.