Dr. Keshani Bhushan joined PAU as Extension Scientist (Microbiology) on 25.07.2016 after completing BSc (Medical) in 2008, M.Sc. (Microbiology) in 2010 and PhD (Microbiology) in 2014 from CSK HPKV, Palampur. She is a gold medalist in her bachelors and masters programme and a DST-INSPIRE fellow in her doctorate. She qualified ARS-NET in Agricultural Microbiology. She has guided 13 MSc students and 2 PhD students as major advisor and published more than 40 papers in national, international journals, magazines, books, and attended number of seminars and conferences. She has handled two DBT projects as PI and thirteen, industry sponsored testing projects. She has submitted thirty gene sequences in NCBI, USA and deposited two potential brewing yeast strains in MTCC, Chandigarh. She is actively involved in imparting trainings and lectures to the farmers and farm women regarding recommended microbiological products of the department. Presently she is in-charge of water and food testing laboratory and co-chairperson of the extension committee of the department. For her noteworthy contribution in education and research, she has been conferred Young Microbiologist Award by AEDS, Young Scientist Award by MBSI and Young Achiever Award by Institute of Researchers, MSME. She is a member of various societies including AMI, MBSI, AEDS and ISC.

Professional Accomplishments

Research Projects completed

1. Evaluation of ATF1 gene of brewing yeasts of Western Himalayas for aroma and flavor of alcoholic beverages funded by BIOCARE – DBT, New Delhi in 2017 as PI
2. Development of wine yeast starter inoculum with improved flavor phenotype through metabolic foot printing funded by DBT, New Delhi in 2023 as PI
3. Nine Industry sponsored projects on testing of biofertilizers funded by different industries as Co-PI
4. Three Industry sponsored projects on in situ paddy/wheat straw degradation funded by different industries as Co-PI
5. Industry sponsored project on testing of yeast/enzymes funded by UNICORN International in 2023 as Co-PI 

Research Publications:

1. Khanna R and Bhushan K (2025) Microbial safety and quality assessment of drinking water from various water sources in Punjab, India. International Journal of Environmental Health Research. https://doi.org/10.1080/09603123.2025.2514597 (NAAS Rating 8.2)
2. Luthra V, Bhushan K, Kocher GS and Singh A (2024) Quality evaluation and fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy characterization of vodka produced from malted and unmalted potatoes using Saccharomyces cerevisiae (MK680910). Potato Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11540-024-09694-4 (NAAS Rating 8.9)
3. Jaswal D, Bhushan K, Kocher GS and Singh A (2024) Optimization of pretreatment of potato waste for release of fermentable sugars for vodka production: response surface methodology approach. Biomass Conversion and Biorefinery. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13399-024-05698-9 (NAAS Rating 10.0)
4. Pandey S, Bhushan K, Kocher GS and Sahota PP (2024) Microbiological assessment of ready-to-eat foods and drinking water sources as a potential vehicle of bacterial pathogens in northern India. Environmental Monitoring and Assessment. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-024-12704-0 (NAAS Rating 9.0)
5. Kaur P, Kocher GS and Bhushan K (2024) Effect of oleic acid supplementation and microoxygenation on volatilome of wine prepared from grape hybrid h27 using S. cerevisiae MK680910. Indian Journal of Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12088-024-01357-9 (NAAS Rating 9.0)

Awards and Recognitions:

1. DST INSPIRE fellow- PhD.
2. Received Gold Medal in BSc and MSc.
3. Young Microbiologist Award – 2021, Agro Environmental Development Society (AEDS) in International Conference on “Advances in Agriculture, Environment and Biosciences for Sustainable Development (AAEBSD-2021).
4. Young Microbiologist Award – 2021, by Microbiologists Society, India (MBSI).
5. Young Achiever Award – 2023, by Institute of Researchers, MSME.