Dr Kadambari Lokesh
Post Doctoral Research Associate

Profile

Biography

Kadambari Lokesh is a post-doctoral research associate at the Green chemistry centre of excellence, Department of Chemistry. She obtained her PhD in Aerospace from Cranfield University (2012-2015) with her multi-disciplinary work focussing on the techno-economic environmental risk analysis (TERA) of advanced biofuels in civil aero-engines. Environmental and economic impact studies, particularly via the approach of life cycle assessment (LCA) and socio-economic evaluation in the context of circular/ bio-economy is her main research interest.

She is currently working on the H2020-funded “Sustainability Transition Assessment and Research of Bio-based Products” (STAR-ProBio) which is a multi-disciplinary and multi-actor collaborative project encompassing the construction of a common framework for the development of regulations and standards, suitable for horizontal industrial application, to support the growth of and transition to a bio-based economy. This will be achieved through development of a “fit-for-purpose” sustainability scheme (including standards and labels for bio-based products). An integral part of this project entails use of life cycle assessment (LCA) in a circular economy framework, with emphasis on “end-of-life” phase. This assessment with cover the three pillars of sustainability: environmental, economic and social impacts of exemplary bio-based products from different sectors; http://www.star-probio.eu/

Her past project, while working as a part of the Sustainable Consumption and Productions group at SEI-York and undertaken in collaboration with the Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence (GCCE), was an EPSRC-funded “Sustainable Chemical Feedstock” (2015-2016) research. This study aimed at evaluating the sustainability of a potential supply chain of bio-surfactant sourced from a low-value, low-cost feedstock in the UK, wheat straw. The bio-surfactant is synthesised by upgrading organic molecules extracted from left-over wheat straw. This cross-disciplinary study was approached via LCA encompassing the environmental and socio-economic impact of this potential value chain. The collaborating partners of this project were Green Chemistry Centre of Excellence, University of York and University of Liverpool.

Publications

Full publications list

Lokesh, K., Ladu, L., Summerton, L., 2018. Bridging the Gaps for a ‘Circular’ Bioeconomy: Selection Criteria, Bio-Based Value Chain and Stakeholder Mapping. Sustainability 10, 1695. https://doi.org/10.3390/su10061695

Lokesh, K., West, C., Kuylenstierna, J.C., Fan, J., Budarin, V., Priecel, P., Lopez-Sanchez, J.A., Clark, J.H., 2019. Economic and agronomic impact assessment of wheat straw based alkyl polyglucoside produced using green chemical approaches. Journal of Cleaner Production 209, 283–296. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2018.10.220

Lokesh K, West C, Kuylenstierna J, Fan J, Budarin V, Priecel P, et al. Environmental impact assessment of wheat straw based alkyl polyglucosides produced using novel chemical approaches. Green Chem [Internet]. 2017 Aug 18 [cited 2017 Sep 13]; Available from: http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2017/gc/c7gc01719g.

Lokesh K, Sethi V, Nikolaidis T, Goodger E, Nalianda D. Life cycle greenhouse gas analysis of biojet fuels with a technical investigation into their impact on jet engine performance. Biomass and Bioenergy. 2015 Jun;77:26–44.

Conferences

Lokesh, K., Bengoa, X., Majer, S., Ernstoff, A., Sessa, F., Rossi, V., 2018a. Development of non-conventional LCA indicators and metrics for circular characteristics of bio-based products. Presented at the 28th SETAC Annual Meeting 2018, Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, Rome, Italy.

Lokesh, K., Ladu, L., Summerton, L., 2018b. Bridging the gaps for a ‘circular’’ bio-economy: selection criteria, bio-based value chain and stakeholder mapping.’ Presented at the ECO-BIO: Challenges in Building a Sustainable Bio-based Economy 2018, Elsevier, Dublin, Ireland.

Lokesh K, West C, Kuylenstierna J, Fan J, Budarin V, Priecel P. Environmental Impact Assessment of Wheat Straw based biosurfactant synthesised via novel chemical pproaches, versus bio-surfactant ased on conventional Palm kernel/ Wheat grain. In: Environnemental impact and life cycle assessment / Renewable carbon / Biomass conversion / Valorization of waste. La Rochelle, France: Royal Society of Green Chemistry; 2017.

Lokesh K, Sethi V, Nikolaidis T, Karumbaiah D. System Level Performance and Emissions Evaluation of Renewable Fuels for Jet Engines. 2014 Dec 15;V001T03A001.