RANJAN PATNAIK, PhD, is a chemical engineer by profession with 17 years of practical experience in the field of industrial biotechnology that includes small biotech start-ups and large enterprises. His research interests are in the field of metabolic engineering, fermentation optimization, process integration and R&D technology management. He currently heads the biofuels research group at DuPont Knowledge Center (DKC), Hyderabad, India. Prior to his current role, he had a variety of responsibilities within the biochemical sciences & engineering division of CR&D, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE, USA.