The goal of my research is development of non- toxic, ecofriendly, cost effective and efficient water treatment agents and drug delivery systems for chemotherapeutic gene/ drugs. Plant derived polysaccharides are renewable materials, widely available, and possess biological and chemical properties including non-toxicity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and poly-functionality. These materials will be an eco-friendly and efficient alternative for water and wastewater treatment. Owing to their unique properties they will prove to be the best non- toxic target directed and efficient non-viral delivery systems for the potent drugs /genes which lack efficient delivery systems.
COURSES OFFERED
Undergraduate
- CHEM 1302 Essentials of Chemistry ()
- CHEM 1411 College Chemistry 1 ()
- CHEM 1412 College Chemistry 2 ()
- CHEM 2423 Organic Chemistry 1 – Lab ()
- CHEM 2425 Organic Chemistry – Lab ()
- CHEM 4477 Environmental Chemistry – Lecture & Lab ()
Graduate
- CHEM 5310 Environmental Chemistry ()
RESEARCH AND SCHOLARLY ACTIVITIES
Research Activities
- REU Site: Restoring Cattle Ranches for sustainable land and water resources – National Science Foundation
- Plant-based polymers as effective treatment agents in removal of dissolved solids and radioactive materials from Dockum aquifer – High Plains Underground Water Conservation District, Lubbock, TX
- Development of plant derived non-toxic materials for removal of contaminants from dairy waste water – Global Restoration Inc.
- Develop non-toxic green materials for solid removal from wastewater – Pristana LLC Inc. dba Columbia Biogas
- Synthesis and characterization of plant derived non-toxic systems for drugs and genes for treatment of pancreatic cancer – Tarleton State University
- Synthesis using microwave technology, characterization and application – Tarleton State University
- Plant derived polysaccharides as non-toxic gene delivery system for cancer treatment – Tarleton State University
Scholarly Activities
- NSF REU Faculty Mentor
- First Year Research Experience (FYRE)
PUBLICATIONS
Refereed Publications
- Rajani Srinivasan, Anuradha Mishra and John McKinney, Polysaccharide agents and methods of their use for removing solids from water, patent application (USP No. 14/555,448) published on 05/28/2015
- Rajani Srinivasan and Alexander Asea, Plant derived polysaccharides for RNA based therapies: International patent Application (PCT/US2011/045239) filed by Scott and White health care in July 25, 2011, published on Feb 9, 2012.
- Rajani Srinivasan (2011) Advances in application of natural Clay and its composites in removal of biological, organic and inorganic contaminants from drinking water, Advances in Material Science and Engineering, Volume 2011, Article ID 872531, 17 pages doi:10.1155/2011/872531
- Rajani Srinivasan (2008) Simple, efficient and eco-friendly solutions for water and wastewater treatment, 2008 Sigma Xi Year of Water White Papers in critical issues in science. http://www.sigmaxi.org/programs/issues/Srinivasan.pd
- Rajani, S. (2005). Fenugreek mucilage as a treatment agent for textile wastewater. Preprints of Polymeric Material Science and Engineering, 93, 1041, ACS Publications, U.S.A.
- Rajani Srinivasan, Natural polysaccharides as treatment agents for waste water In Green Materials for Sustainable Water Remediation and Treatment (RSC Green Chemistry) Anuradha Mishra (Editor), James H Clark (Editor), George A Kraus (Series Editor), Peter R Seidl (Series Editor), Andrzej Stankiewicz (Series Editor) ISBN: 978-1-84973-621-3, DOI:10.1039/9781849735001, 2013, 51-81
- Rajani Srinivasan, Role of plant biomass in heavy metal treatment from contaminated water Green Materials for Sustainable Water Remediation and Treatment (RSC Green Chemistry) Anuradha Mishra (Editor), James H Clark (Editor), George A Kraus (Series Editor), Peter R Seidl (Series Editor), Andrzej Stankiewicz (Series Editor) ISBN: 978-1-84973-621-3, DOI:10.1039/978184973500, 2013, 30-50
Non-Refereed Publications
- Harmel, R.D., Karthikeyan, R., Gentry, T., Srinivasan, R. (2010) Effects of Agricultural Management, Land Use, and Watershed Scale on E. coli Concentrations in Runoff and Stream flow, Transactions of the ASABE, 53 (6): 1833-1841.
- Rajani, S, Hoffman, D., Wolfe, J. and Prcin, L. (2008). “Evaluation of orthophosphate and ammonia from rainfall runoff using aboveground permeable reactive barrier composed of limestone and zeolite”. Environmental Science and Health-Part A, 43(12) 1441-1450.
- Rajani, S., Mishra, A., (2008) “Okra (Hibiscus esculentus) and Fenugreek (Trigonella foenum graceum) mucilage: Characterization and application as flocculants for textile effluent treatment”. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 26 (6) 679-687.
- Mishra, A, Yadav, A., Agarwal, M and Rajani, S, (2005). Plantago psyllium-grafted Polyacrylonitrile- Synthesis, Characterization and use for solid removal from sewage wastewater. Chinese Journal of Polymer Science, 23 (1), 113-118.
- Mishra, A., Rajani, S., Bajpai, M. and Dubey, R. (2004). Use of polyacrylamide grafted plantago psyllium mucilage as flocculant for treatment of textile wastewater. Colloid and polymer Science, 282 (7), 722-727.
- Mishra, A, Yadav, A., Agarwal, M and Rajani, S. (2004). Polyacrylonitrile grafted Plantago psyllium-mucilage for removal of suspended and dissolved solids from tannery effluent. Colloid and Polymer Science, 282 (3), 300-303.
- Mishra, A., Rajani, S. and Gupta, R. (2003). P.psyllium grafted polyacrylonitrile: Synthesis and characterization. Colloid and Polymer Science, 281,187-189.
- Agarwal, M., Rajani, S. and Mishra, A. (2003). Utilization of okra mucilage for treatment of tannery waste water. International Journal of Polymeric Material, 52(11-12), 1049-1057.
- Rajani, S., Agarwal, M., Dubey, R. and Mishra, A. (2002). P.psyllium –g-polyacrylamide –synthesis and characterization. Polymer Bulletin, 48(6), 439-444. Springer verlag, Japan.
- Rajani, S., Dubey, R. and Mishra, A. (2002). Flocculation of textile wastewater by Plantago psyllium mucilage. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 287, 592-596.
- Rajani, S., Agarwal, M. and Mishra, A., (2002). Plantago psyllium grafted polyacrylonitrile- Synthesis, characterization and its use in suspended and dissolved solid removal from textile effluent. Water quality research journal of Canada, 37(2), 371-378.
- Rajani, S., Agarwal, M., Vankar, P.S. and Mishra (2002). Synthesis, characterization and flocculation efficiency of sodium alginate –g-Polyacrylamide in textile waste water. Asian Textile Journal, 11(2-3), 48-52.
- Agarwal, M., Rajani, S. and Mishra, A. (2002). Synthesis of Plantago psyllium grafted polyacrylamide and its flocculation efficiency in tannery and domestic wastewater. Journal of Polymer Research, 9, 69-73.
- Agarwal, M., Rajani, S. and Mishra, A. (2001). Study on flocculation efficiency of okra mucilage in sewage wastewater. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 286(9), 560-563.
- Agarwal, M., Rajani, S. and Mishra, A. (2001). Study on flocculation efficiency of okra mucilage in sewage wastewater. Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, 286(9), 560-563.
- Rajani, S., Agarwal, M. and Mishra, A. 2001. Synthesis, characterization and flocculation efficiency of sodium alginate–g-polyacrylamide in textile waste water. Included as a chapter in the Proceedings of National Symposia on Emerging Trends in Agricultural Biochemistry
DEGREES
- Ph.D., Applied Chemistry, Chattrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), Kanpur, India. 2003
- M.Sc. Organic Chemistry, Chattrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University (CSJMU), Kanpur, India, 1998
- B.Sc., Chemistry and Zoology, Chattrapati Shahu Ji Maharaj University, Kanpur, India, 1996