About me

Work Profile

2013-Present- ‘Senior Scientist’, Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium. Research on microbial electrosynthesis and developing electroconversion processes for conversion of CO2 into chemicals

2010-2013- ‘Research Scientist’, Separation and Conversion Technology, Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium. Research on bioelectrochemical systems for energy/product recovery from wastewater, biomass and bioenergy.

2008-2010- ‘Postdoctoral Researcher’, Department of Biology (University of Antwerp) and Flemish Institute for Technological Research (VITO), Mol, Belgium. Project “Second life of sewage as a matrix for dilution of organic waste streams”, with an objective to treat wastewater and generate electricity in a microbial fuel cell.

2007-2008- ‘Research Associate’, Biotechnology & Management of Bioresources Division, The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI), New Delhi, India. Projects on industrial wasteland reclamation and biofuel production from Jatropha curcus.

Awards/Fellowships

• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (FRSC) for outstanding contributions in Bioelectrochemistry and electrocatalysis. Fellowship awarded by RSC, London after nomination by two FRSCs and evaluation by the society. January 2022, London, UK.

• Young Scientist award of the International Bioprocessing Association (An International Forum on Industrial Bioprocesses) for the block years 2017-2018. Award presented at the Eighth International Conference on Bioprocessing (IBA-IFIBiop 2019), 2 May 2019, Miri, Malaysia.

• Travel grant from FWO (Belgium) for participation in the Eighth International Conference on Bioprocessing (IBA-IFIBiop 2019), 1-5 May 2019, Miri, Malaysia.

• The Overseas Fellow (FBRS) award of the Biotechnology Research Society (BRSI) for the year 2018 for outstanding contributions in Bioelectrochemistry and Microbial Biotechnology. Award presented at the XV BRSI Convention and International Conference on Biotechnological Research and Innovation for Sustainable Development (BIOSD 2018, 22-25 November 201, Hyderabad, India.

• Highly cited Impactful Research paper award 2018 by the Elsevier journal ‘Bioresource Technology’ for our paper “Carbon dioxide reduction by mixed and pure cultures in microbial electrosynthesis using an assembly of graphite felt and stainless steel as a cathode. Bioresource Technology. 195: 14-24”. Award presented at the Second International Conference on Bioresource Technology for Bioenergy, Bioproducts & Environmental Sustainability (BIORESTEC), 16-19 September 2018, Sitges, Spain.

• Elected Member of the Board of the ISMET Society (International Society for Microbial Electrochemistry and Technology)’, in 2018 for two years.

• Highly cited Review paper award 2016 by the Elsevier journal ‘Applied Energy’ for our paper “Recent advances in the use of different substrates in microbial fuel cells towards wastewater treatment and simultaneous energy recovery. Applied Energy. 168: 706-723”. Award presented at the International Conference on Applied Energy on 24 August 2017, Cardiff, UK.

• Invitation to comment on paper in Energy & Environmental Science for a press release in Chemical World. https://www.chemistryworld.com/news/corn-fed-bioelectrorefinery-harnesses-excess-electricity/3008039.article?adredir=1

• Invited speaker at the EU-US Frontiers of Engineering symposium, in the session ‘FRONTIERS OF CARBON CAPTURE, UTILIZATION AND STORAGE’ organized by the National Academy of Engineering (NAE, Washington, USA). 17-19 October 2016, Helsinki, Finland.

• Deepak Pant, Yolanda Alvarez Gallego, Metin Bulut. CO2ElectroRefinery. Electrochemistry driven conversion of carbon dioxide to chemicals. 1st Prize Winner at the ClimateLaunchPad 2015 National finals, Belgium. Selected for European finals.

• Deepak Pant, Suman Bajracharya, Sandipam Srikanth, Gunda Mohanakrishna, Heleen De Wever, Karolien Vanbroekhoven, Ludo Diels. Microbial and Enzymatic Electrosynthesis of Renewable Chemicals: A Case Study of Bioelectrochemical Conversion Of CO2 to Chemicals. Qatar Foundation Annual Research Conference 2014. (ARC’14). 18-19 November, Doha, Qatar. 1st Prize Winner in the ‘Energy and Environment Research’ Category.

• Employee in the spotlight half-yearly award (August 2012) given by our research unit at VITO. The citation for the award read as “High drive, open-minded. Put VITO on the map for bio-electrochemistry. Is very frequently approached for  PhD and Postdoc positions at VITO. Realizes opportunities, patents and publications”.

• Travel grant for participation in Marie Curie training conference CREATE (Creating a competitive ERA through the empowerment of the young researchers) on the topic "Human factors in teams", at Trondheim, Norway from 26 May-2 June’2010, hosted by SINTEF.

• Travel grant for participation in Marie Curie training conference CREATE (Creating a competitive ERA through the empowerment of the young researchers) on the topic "Knowledge transfer far more then communication", at Munich, Germany from 3-10 June’2009, hosted by Fraunhofer.

• COST-STSM (short-term scientific mission) grant, awarded by the European Science Foundation, for a 2-week stay at the Biofilm Centre, University of Duisburg-Essen, Duisburg, Germany, with Professor Wolfgang Sand — October 2008.

• The Flemish Inter University Council (VLIR) Scholarship for attending the International Summer Course on “Sustainable Water Management and Technology in Urbanised Areas”. 22-31 August’2007. Antwerp, Belgium.

• PTB Prize for Research and best presentation in biotechnology at 5th International Conference on Mycorrhizae "Mycorrhiza for Science and Society". 23-27 July'2006. Granada, Spain.

• Junior & Senior research fellowship from University Grants Commission (UGC), India for pursuing doctoral research (2002-2007).

• Silver medal in General Knowledge and Mathematics in National Talent Search Contest of Central Institute of G.K. Learning (1995).