SUBHANGI VENKATCHARI ARVELLI
Kansas State University, PhD Biological and Agricultural Engineering
EREF Scholar 2025
Sustainable Food Waste Valorization: Fermentation-Based Strategies for Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Circular Bioproduct Development
Food waste is a major contributor to environmental challenges, accounting for nearly one-quarter of municipal solid waste and serving as one of the largest anthropogenic sources of methane emissions from landfills. Beyond the greenhouse gas burden, food waste represents an underutilized reservoir of carbohydrates, lipids, and bioactive compounds that can be transformed into value-added products. Traditional management strategies such as landfilling or composting fail to recover this potential, highlighting the need for scalable alternatives.
This project aims to develop microbial fermentation-based strategies to upcycle food waste into sustainable bioproducts. Enzymatic hydrolysis is employed to extract fermentable sugars, which as converted by engineered microbial strains into biodegradable plastics such as polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHA) and polyhydroxybutyrate (PHB), as well as platform chemicals like 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP). Parallel processes focus on producing natural antioxidants and ethanol from yeast and converting lipid fractions of food waste into biodiesel and protein fractions into feed. By integrating these multi-stream valorization pathways, the approach seeks to maximize recovery while minimizing environmental impacts.
To assess feasibility, Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and Techno-Economic Analysis (TEA) are being conducted to quantify greenhouse gas reduction, energy efficiency, and cost-effectiveness compared to conventional disposal. The ultimate goal of this research is to establish circular bioeconomy solutions where food waste is not discarded but rather transformed into renewable materials and energy sources. Such outcomes hold promise for reducing landfill dependency, mitigating climate change, and providing sustainable alternatives to fossil fuel derived plastics and fuels.
Biography
Shubhangi Arvelli earned her BTech in Agricultural Engineering from Dr. Panjabrao Deshmukh Krishi Vidyapeeth, Akola, India, in 2020 and then an MTech in Post Harvest Technology from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, in 2022. During her master’s program, she conducted research on postharvest processing of near-spoiled guava to improve shelf-life, ultimately reducing post-harvest losses. In 2023, she began her PhD in Biological and Agricultural Engineering at Kansas State University, where she is working under the guidance of Dr. Jikai Zhao. Her dissertation focuses on developing sustainable strategies for the valorization of food waste to produce high-value bioproducts such as bioplastic precursors, bioethanol, biodiesel, and animal feed through multi-stream processing. Beyond academics, Shubhangi has actively contributed to community and professional service. As a National Service Scheme volunteer in India, she trained rural households in organic waste composting and biogas generation. She also serves as the Global Engagement Representative for the Young Professionals Community of the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers and volunteers with the Institute of Food Technologists in the Sustainable Food Systems Division. Shubhangi aspires to contribute to environmental, social and economic sustainability through scientific innovation and community-centered solutions.
