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Arul Mozhy Varman

Arul Mozhy Varman

Assistant Professor,
School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy
  • Arul.M.Varman@asu.edu
  • Phone: 480-965-5109
  • ‌
  • BDC 499D Tempe, AZ 85281
  • Mail code: 6106
    Campus: Tempe
  • ‌
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Long Bio

Arul Mozhy Varman is an assistant professor of chemical engineering in the School for Engineering of Matter, Transport and Energy at Arizona State University. He received his doctorate in energy, environmental and chemical engineering from Washington University in St. Louis. He then worked as a postdoctoral researcher in the Department of Biomass Science and Conversion Technologies at Sandia National Laboratories, California. 

Varman's research interests include metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources.

Education
  • Ph.D. Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
  • M.S. Energy, Environmental and Chemical Engineering, Washington University in St. Louis
  • M.Tech. Chemical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Bombay
  • B.Tech. Chemical Engineering, Pondicherry University, India
Research Website URL
Research Website
Research Interests

Metabolic engineering and synthetic biology for the sustainable production of chemicals, fuels, and pharmaceuticals from renewable resources.

Publications

Selected Publications:

  1. Varman AM, Follenfant R, Liu F, et.al.  Hybrid phenolic-inducible promoters towards construction of self-inducible systems for microbial lignin valorization.  Biotechnology for biofuels. 2018. 11 (1), 182.
  2. Machas, M., Kurgan, G., Jha, A. K., et.al.  Emerging tools, enabling technologies, and future opportunities for the bioproduction of aromatic chemicals. Journal of Chemical Technology & Biotechnology. 2018. 94: 38-52.
  3. Wu W, Dutta T, Varman AM, et.al. Lignin valorization: two hybrid biochemical routes for the conversion of polymeric lignin into value-added chemicals. Scientific reports. 2017. 7.
  4. Varman AM, He L, Follenfant R, et.al.  Decoding how a soil bacterium extracts building blocks and metabolic energy from ligninolysis provides road map for lignin valorization.  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. 2016. 113 (40) E5802-E5811.
  5. Hollinshead W*, Varman AM*, et.al. Boosting D-lactate production in engineered cyanobacteria using sterilized anaerobic digestion effluents. Bioresource Technology. 2014. 169: 462-467. * equal contribution.
  6. Varman AM, He L, You L, et.al. Elucidation of intrinsic biosynthesis yields using 13C-based metabolism analysis. Microbial Cell Factories. 2014. 12:117.
  7. Varman AM, Yu Y, You L, Tang YJ. Photoautotrophic production of D-lactic acid in an engineered cyanobacterium. Microbial Cell Factories. 2013. 12:117.
  8. Varman AM, Xiao Y, Pakrasi H, Tang YJ. Metabolic engineering of Synechocystis sp. strain PCC 6803 for isobutanol production.  Applied Environmental and Microbiology. 2013. 79(3): 908-914.
  9. Xiao Y, Ruan Z, Liu Z, Wu SG, Varman AM, Liu Y, Tang YJ. Engineering Escherichia coli to convert acetic acid to free fatty acids, Biochemical Engineering Journal. 2013. 76: 60-69.
  10. Yi X*, Feng X*, Varman AM*, et.al. Kinetic modeling and isotopic investigation of isobutanol fermentation by two engineered Escherichia coli strains. Industrial & Engineering Chemistry Research. 2012. 51 (49):15855–15863. * equal contribution.
  11. Varman AM, Xiao Y, Leonard E, Tang YJ. Statistics-based model for prediction of chemical biosynthesis yield from Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Microbial Cell Factories. 2011. 10:45.
  12. Colletti P, Goyal Y, Varman AM, et.al. Evaluating factors that influence microbial synthesis yields by regression with numerical and categorical variables. Biotechnology and Bioengineering. 2011. 108(4):893-901.
Courses
2025 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
2025 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 494 Special Topics
CHE 598 Special Topics
BDE 792 Research
2024 Fall
Course Number Course Title
CHE 461 Process Dynamic Control
BDE 792 Research
CHE 592 Research
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 799 Dissertation
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 792 Research
2024 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
2024 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
2023 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 592 Research
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 334 Intro TP II:Heat/Mass Transfer
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 494 Special Topics
CHE 598 Special Topics
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
2023 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CHE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
BDE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
2023 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 792 Research
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 792 Research
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
2022 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 334 Intro TP II:Heat/Mass Transfer
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 494 Special Topics
CHE 598 Special Topics
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
2022 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
2022 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 599 Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 792 Research
MAE 493 Honors Thesis
BDE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
BDE 799 Dissertation
2021 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 492 Honors Directed Study
CHE 592 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 795 Continuing Registration
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 334 Intro TP II:Heat/Mass Transfer
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 494 Special Topics
CHE 598 Special Topics
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
BDE 799 Dissertation
2021 Summer
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
2021 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 792 Research
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
2020 Fall
Course Number Course Title
BDE 792 Research
CHE 492 Honors Directed Study
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 792 Research
CHE 799 Dissertation
CHE 334 Intro TP II:Heat/Mass Transfer
BDE 799 Dissertation
CHE 494 Special Topics
CHE 598 Special Topics
CHE 499 Individualized Instruction
2020 Summer
Course Number Course Title
CHE 792 Research
CHE 792 Research
2020 Spring
Course Number Course Title
CHE 591 Seminar
CHE 792 Research
CHE 593 Applied Project
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
CHE 592 Research
BDE 799 Dissertation
BDE 792 Research
CHE 492 Honors Directed Study
CHE 493 Honors Thesis
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