Research
It always was, and always will be, a world where knowledge is the key differentiator. Our growth plans are based on creating and applying new knowledge on the foundations of research. In a fast changing world with depleting fossil resources, our research studies develop the capacity of renewable resources to meet the needs. Our research competencies include sociology, agriculture, biology, chemistry, biotechnology, molecular biology, and engineering.
Agriculture Research
Working on renewable resources from agriculture is fundamentally different from working on fossil resources. With agriculture-derived feedstock, the earth is in a position to give us the same resources year after year, and possibly more, if we use it well. Godavari Biorefineries fund an agriculture research institute KIAAR, where research is done on developing new varieties of sugarcane or even energy canes, soil testing and agronomy, intercropping with other crops, and other practices. In doing so, our focus is on ensuring that the crop is suitable for the products we seek to make, the earth and soil remain healthy or are made healthier, and the farmer achieves greater prosperity.
Research Details
Biorefining
We use agricultural feedstock and biomass to produce food, fuels, chemicals, power, compost, wax, and related products. These processes are collectively called biorefining.
We have a multi-storeyed state-of-the- art research facility with sophisticated equipments and analytical instruments. The pilot plant is equipped with glass assemblies, glass line (GL) reactors, stainless steel (SS) reactors, centrifuges, filters, vacuum dryers, vacuum distillation units, high pressure SS 316 autoclaves and many more equipment to make products for a better tomorrow. Our facility is equipped to carry out reactions ranging from subzero temperature to high temperature fusion reactions. Our scale- up study to develop commercially feasible processes is done in pilot plants by a team of experienced scientists and chemists.
A few chemical reaction capabilities we have are:
- Aldol condensation
- Acetylation
- Esterification
- Hydrogenation
- Oxidation
- Acetal formation
- Fermentation
Research Details
Cancer Biology
Our cancer group, informally known as Sathgen, is working on the discovery of molecules for the treatment of breast and prostate cancer cells. Our focus is different, since we seek to eliminate cancer stem cells. Our drugs can work independently and in combination with other therapies for cancer treatment.
Our approach has been to chemically synthesize analogs of molecules found in nature, make more efficacious derivatives, and then screen them for anti-cancer and anti-cancer stem cell properties. We are then comparing the performance of these molecules with the industry standards such as Cisplatin.
We have found a few molecules that are doing better than the industry standards, and are working to take them through the pre-clinical phase. We received a Government of India BIRAC grant for one of our molecules.
