Dr. Richa Arora joined PAU as Microbiologist on 18.05.2020 after completing BSc (Biotechnology) from Doaba College, Jalandhar in 2007 and M.Sc. (Microbiology) from PAU in 2009, and PhD (Life Sciences-Biotechnology) from PTU and SSS NIBE, Kapurthala in 2017. She has served as Assistant Professor in Lovely Professional University, Phagwara from October 2017 to April 2020. She is having research experience in integrated biorefineries, waste valorization and food fermentations. She has been awarded with Young Scientist Awards at national level by AMI and MBSI, International Travel Support to United States by DST-SERB, Research Fellowship by DIHAR-DRDO, Leh, Ladakh, SSS-NIRE Bio-Energy Promotion Fellowship by SSS-NIBE, Shri Puran Anand Adlakha medal by PAU. She has filed 1 patent and published over 30 research articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and papers in conference proceedings. She is also serving as reviewer of many peer reviewed journals.

Professional  Accomplishments

 Research Publications:

• Arora R, Bons HK, Kocher GS (2023) Fermentative processing of unexploited fruit, karonda (Carissa carandus L.) into alcoholic beverages. South African Journal of Botany, 158, 73-79. (Impact Factor: 3.1), (NAAS Rating 9.11)
• Arora R, Singh P, Sarangi PK, Kumar S, Chandel AK (2023) A critical assessment on scalable technologies using high solids loadings in lignocellulose biorefinery: challenges and solutions. Critical Reviews in Biotechnology, Jan 2: 1-18 (Impact Factor: 9.062), (NAAS Rating 15.06)
• Arora R, Behera S, Sharma NK, Kumar S (2019) Evaluating the pathway for co-fermentation of glucose and xylose for enhanced bioethanol production using flux balance analysis. Biotechnology and Bioprocess Engineering, 24 (6), 924-933 (Impact Factor: 3.386) (NAAS Rating 9.39)
• Arora R, Behera S, Sharma NK, Kumar S (2017) Augmentation of ethanol production through statistically designed growth and fermentation medium using novel thermotolerant yeast isolates. Renewable Energy, 109, 406-421 (Impact Factor: 8.634)
• Sharma NK, Behera S, Arora R, Kumar S, Sani RK (2017) Xylose transport in yeast for lignocellulosic ethanol production: Current status. Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering, 125 (3), 259-267 (Impact Factor: 3.185) (NAAS Rating 9.19)
• Sharma NK, Behera S, Arora R, Kumar S (2016) Enhancement in xylose utilization using Kluyveromycesmarxianus NIRE-K1 through evolutionary adaptation approach. Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering, 39 (5), 835-843. (Impact Factor: 3.434) (NAAS Rating 9.43)
• Behera S, Sharma NK, Arora R, Kumar S (2016) Effect of evolutionary adaption on xylosidase activity in thermotolerant yeast isolates Kluyveromycesmarxianus NIRE-K1 and NIRE-K3. Applied Biochemistry and Biotechnology, 179, 1143-1154 (Impact Factor: 3.094) (NAAS Rating 9.09)
• Arora R, Behera S, Kumar S (2015)Bioprospectingthermophilic/ thermotolerant microbes for production of lignocellulosic ethanol: A future perspective. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 51, 699-717. (Impact Factor: 16.799) (NAAS Rating 20.00)
• Arora R, Behera S, Sharma NK, Kumar S (2015) A new search for thermotolerant yeasts, its characterization and optimization using response surface methodology for ethanol production. Frontiers in Microbiology (Microbiotechnology, Ecotoxicology and Bioremediation), 6, 889, 16 pages (Impact Factor: 6.064) (NAAS Rating 12.06)
• Arora R,Behera S, Kumar S (2015) Bioprospectingthermostablecellulosomes for efficient biofuel production from lignocellulosic biomass. Bioresources and Bioprocessing, 2 (38), 12 pages(Impact Factor: 4.6)
• Behera S, Arora R, Nandhagopal N, Kumar S (2014) Importance of chemical pretreatment for bioconversion of lignocellulosic biomass. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 36: 91-106. (Impact Factor: 16.799) (NAAS Rating 20.00)
• Mundra S, Arora R, Stobdan T (2011)Solubilization of insoluble inorganic phosphates by a novel temperature-, pH-, and salt- tolerant yeast, Rhodotorula sp. PS4, isolated from seabuckthornrhizosphere, growing in cold desert of Ladakh, India. World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology, 27 (10), 2387-2396. (Impact Factor: 4.2) (NAAS Rating 10.25)
• Korekar G, Stobdan T, Arora R, Yadav A, Singh SB (2011) Antioxidant Capacity and Phenolics Content of Apricot (Prunusarmeniaca L.) Kernel as a Function of Genotype. Plant Foods for Human Nutrition, 66(4), 376-383. (Impact Factor: 4.124) (NAAS Rating 10.12)

Awards and Recognitions:

• Awarded with Young Scientist Award (National level)-2020 by Microbiologists Society, India (MSI).
• Awarded AMI-Young Scientist Award for the paper entitled, “Bioprocess development for ethanol production from rice straw” in National Conference on “Microbial Bioprospecting: Present and Future Scope” held on 6-7th March 2020 organized by Association of Microbiologist of India-LPU unit, at Lovely Professional University, Punjab.
• Awarded First Prize in oral presentation for the paper entitled, “Simultaneous saccharification and fermentation of paddy straw for enhanced bioethanol production using novel thermotolerant isolate Kluyveromyces marxianus NIRE-K3” presented in international conference on Biosciences and Biotechnology (ICBB-2019) on the theme of “Science for Community” held on November 4-5 2019 in Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
• Awarded First Prize in oral presentation for the paper entitled, “Bioprocessing of paddy straw for bioethanol production” presented in international conference in Innovative Strategies for Sustainable Water Management (ISSWM) on November 17-18 2017 in Lovely Professional University, Punjab, India.
• Awarded Best Paper Award for the paper entitled, “Alkaline hydrogen peroxide pretreatment of paddy straw for bioethanol production” presented in World Renewable Technology Congress 2015 held on August 21-23, 2015 at Convention Centre-NDCC, Parliament Street, New Delhi, India
• Awarded First Prize in oral presentation for the paper entitled, “Biochemical conversion of rice straw (Oryza sativa L.) to bioethanol using thermotolerant isolate K. marxianus NIRE-K3” presented in international conference on Exploring Basic and Applied Sciences (EBAS) for Next Generation Frontiers on November 14-15, 2014 at Lovely Professional University, Phagwara, Punjab.
• Awarded Best Paper Award for the paper entitled, “Evaluation of ethanol production by yeast strains isolated from soil samples” presented in international conference on World Renewable Technology Congress (WRETC) 2013 on September 25-27, at Convention Center- NDCC, New Delhi.
• Awarded Third Prize for the poster entitled “In vitro and in vivo antibacterial activity of Seabuckthorn (Hippophae rhamnoides L.) extracts against foodborne pathogens” presented during the International Conference on Emerging Trends on Food & Health Security in Cold Deserts, Sept 23-25, 2011.
• Awarded DRDO Fellowship at DRDO-Defence Institute of High Altitude Research, Leh, Ladakh from Nov 26, 2009 to Mar 31, 2012.
• Awarded Fellowship under SSS-NIRE Bio-Energy Promotion Fellowship at Sardar Swaran Singh National Institute of Bio-Energy under Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Punjab, India from August 10, 2015 to August 9, 2017.
• Qualified ICAR-NET-2018 in Agricultural Microbiology with 70.67 %.
• Qualified GATE-2013 in Life Sciences, GATE score: 320 (15.3.2013-14.3.2014) and 426 (15.3.2014-14.3.2015).
• Awarded Shri Puran Anand Adlakha Medal for securing first position in M.Sc. Microbiology, 2009-10.
• Awarded Merit Certificate for having obtained an overall point average of 8.45 out of 10.00 in M.Sc. in Microbiology, October, 2009.
• Honoured by Bharat Vikas Parishad as Meritorious Student (2001-02). Member of jury panel

• Invitation from Faculty of Sciences, Doaba College, Jalandhar as a as MEMBER OF Jury Panel in DBT sponsored 7th National interdisciplinary scientific interaction programme entitled “Doaba SciFiesta-2019” on 16th February, 2019 with the main theme “Innovative Frontiers in Science & Technology for Future India” under the aegis of DBT Star Status Programme.

International Exposure with financial assistance from SERB

• Presented paper in Science Slam (April 29-May 2, 2018 at Florida, USA) after being invited from The Society of Industrial Microbiology and Biotechnology and availed financial assistance from DST, Govt. of India to participate in SBFC 2018.