Though Renewable Energy is our answer to a cleaner environment for our current and future needs, we still depend on coal driven fossil fuels for global power demand, and these are one of the largest emitters of carbon !

Robin Marlar Rajendran (PhD), our next pathbreaker, Research Scientist at Mati Carbon, provides tech support for the field deployment of carbon capturing technologies, ensuring that systems operate effectively in real-world conditions, especially for accurately assessing CO2 levels.

Robin talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about combining his agricultural background with a degree in Chemical/Environmental Engineering and his PhD on removing arsenic, a harmful chemical, from water, using a Nanofiltration membrane.

For students, the sheer scale of carbon emissions is humungous and we neet more innovative ideas to tackle these problems !

Robin, can you share your background with our young readers?

I grew up in Kanyakumari, Tamil Nadu, where my father is a farmer. From a young age, I worked on our farm, which fostered my love for nature and agricultural processes. My academic journey includes a BTech in Chemical Engineering, an MTech in Environmental Engineering, and a PhD in Chemical Engineering.

My choice of BTech in Chemical Engineering was accidental, but my decision to pursue an MTech in Environmental Engineering was driven by my background. Coming from a farmer’s family, I have always had a strong connection with plants and animals. During my BTech studies, I visited various places and witnessed the impact of pollution on agricultural lands, forests, and human health. This exposure heightened my awareness of pollution abatement and its importance.

I started reading and collecting news about pollution and its impact on the environment and human health, which motivated me to choose Environmental Engineering for my MTech. My PhD research also focused on pollution-related topics. Currently, I work as a Research Scientist, addressing climate change through a technology called “Enhanced Rock Weathering”. This technology captures CO2 from the atmosphere and improves soil fertility in agricultural land. My choice to specialize in this technology stems from my agricultural background and my Environmental Engineering knowledge. By combining these two areas, I can contribute effectively to my field. I proudly consider myself a “nature’s doctor.”

In my spare time, I enjoy badminton, reading, writing stories, photography, and gardening.

What did you do for graduation/post graduation?

I did my BTech in Chemical Engineering from Arunai Engineering College Tiruvannamalai (Anna University), and MTech in Environmental Engineering from Pondicherry Engineering College, Pondicherry.

I did my PhD in Chemical Engineering at National Institute of Technology, Punjab

What made you choose such an offbeat, unconventional and uncommon career?

The impact of pollution on the environment and human health motivated me to choose this path. I started reading environmental news and journals to educate myself. 

After completing my master’s degree, I worked as a professor at a private engineering college. Here, I collaborated with students on research projects and guided them in presenting their papers at symposiums, where they won prizes. This experience made me realize my passion for research, leading me to secure a position as a Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Bio Energy (NIBE) in Kapurthala, Punjab. At NIBE, I met inspiring scientists like Dr. S.K. Tyagi and Dr. Sachin Kumar. Their approach to problem-solving and their high standards of work deeply impressed me. I had the opportunity to write a book chapter with them, which was later published. Comparing myself to them, I noticed I was missing the title “Dr.” before my name. This realization sparked my dream of earning a PhD and becoming a scientist.

I applied for a PhD position in Chemical Engineering at NIT Jalandhar, Punjab. After a rigorous selection process, I secured the position and became a scholar under the guidance of Dr. Shailendra Bajpai. He taught me valuable research skills, but despite my hard work, I faced many practical difficulties and couldn’t complete my PhD within the stipend duration of five years. At a low point, my junior, Mr. Abhishek Ashokan, introduced me to the TVF series “ASPIRANTS,” which taught me the importance of perseverance. Renewed with determination, I continued my PhD work, presented my research at various conferences, and won a Best Paper Award. Eventually, I successfully completed my degree.

After earning my PhD, I received two job offers: Assistant Professor in Chemical Engineering and Research Scientist in an industry. I chose the industry position, where I worked on various problem statements. One of my proposals, in collaboration with Mr. Arnab Deep Nath, secured funding for an agriculture-related project. This success inspired me to focus my career on agriculture, combining my practical knowledge of agriculture with my Environmental Engineering degree. I started working on net negative emission technologies, such as Enhanced Weathering, which can reduce global warming and improve soil fertility. Now, I am working as a Research Scientist with Enhanced Weathering Technology, aiming to make a significant impact in this field.

How did you plan the steps to get into the career you wanted? Or how did you make a transition to a new career? Tell us about your career path

After completing my master’s degree, I began working as a professor at an engineering college. During this time, I guided my students on various research topics and prepared them to present our research work at symposiums. Their efforts were rewarded when they won a prize in a competition. This experience fueled my passion for research, leading me to pursue a position at the National Institute of Renewable Energy in Kapurthala, Punjab, where I secured a role as a Senior Research Fellow (SRF).

As an SRF, I realized the importance of a systematic approach to research for better understanding of phenomena. This realization led me to join a PhD program, where I learned the structured methodology necessary for conducting effective research. One of the objectives in my PhD work was to analyze the economic feasibility of the membrane separation process for arsenic removal. Here, I understood the importance of developing cost-effective technologies that are accessible to everyone. This knowledge helped me in industrial design and prototype development.

The goal of my PhD was to study how to remove arsenic, a harmful chemical, from water using a Nanofiltration membrane. Arsenic is a big problem in many parts of India, where it contaminates groundwater. People who drink this water or eat food grown with it can get very sick. It can cause skin problems like rough patches (Keratosis) and dark spots (Melanosis), and it can even damage the lungs, liver, and cause cancer.

Challenges:

  • Removing Arsenic from Water: I had to figure out how to get arsenic out of water safely and effectively.
  • Using Membrane Technology: I used a method called Membrane Separation Process (MSP), which filters out arsenic using tiny pores or diffusion process in the membrane.
  • Economic Feasibility: I also had to make sure this method was affordable and could be used on a large scale.

Cons:

  • Time-Consuming Process: Doing a PhD takes a long time. Even after I finished my work, I had to wait for approval from experts who reviewed it.
  • Real-World Challenges: What works in the lab doesn’t always work in the real world. In actual field conditions, many factors can affect the outcome, and these can be different from what you expect based on theory.

To overcome these challenges, I had to be patient and persistent. Importantly, keep the courage to try again after failure. This experience taught me that facing difficulties is a part of the learning process, and these challenges make you stronger and more determined to succeed.

I have always been interested in turning waste materials into useful products. For instance, Poonam Singh started Aaruhi Enterprises to recycle floral waste from temples into incense sticks and more. Such initiatives inspire me to think creatively about waste management.

The people you meet in your life can have a significant impact on your journey. I once read that you are the average of the people you meet. Therefore, it’s essential to make meaningful connections aligned with your interests. The easiest way to do this is by showing genuine interest in others.

My first job was as a Professor at an Engineering College, I focused on mentoring students, guiding them for conducting research and preparing them for symposiums, resulting in them winning prizes.

My next role was as Senior Research Fellow at the National Institute of Renewable Energy. Here, I learnt the importance of systematic research to understand phenomena. I conducted economic feasibility analysis of membrane separation processes, focusing on low-cost technology development.

When I was a Senior Research Fellow, my main job was to design and develop cookstoves that burn wood or pellets more efficiently and with less smoke. These stoves were made to help reduce pollution and improve the health of people, especially women and children, who use them for cooking. The goal was to create new, research-based products that were better than the traditional stoves people were using. The stoves we worked on could also be used to earn carbon credits, which help fight climate change. The project was part of a bigger effort by the Indian government to provide cleaner and safer cooking options for both rural and urban poor communities.

I then embarked on my PhD in order to acquire a structured methodology for effective research.I learnt systematic approaches to research, focusing on making technologies affordable for wider accessibility. I was Inspired by the contacts I met and people like Poonam Singh, who turned waste into valuable products.

After my PhD, I worked at Caliche Private Limited, where I was part of a team that tackled various industrial problems, such as predicting how materials corrode, cleaning oil, and treating water. I also helped develop new technologies for capturing carbon dioxide, which is important for fighting climate change.

Caliche is a research company that works on solving problems for the oil and gas industry. For example, one of the projects I worked on was helping to predict when corrosion might happen in large crude oil storage tanks. My job was to help the computer scientists understand the chemical aspects of the problem so they could build software to solve it.

Next, at Everest Carbon, as the Head of Research and Development, I focused on capturing carbon dioxide using a process called Enhanced Rock Weathering (ERW). I studied how well different materials could remove CO2 and improve soil health. I then helped turn these lab studies into real-world applications by testing them in the field. Additionally, I worked on creating tools to measure and verify the carbon we captured, wrote reports, and even helped with patents.

How did you get your first break?

The first major break in my career came when I faced a layoff at my previous organization. It took some time to recover from that setback, but thanks to the unwavering support and belief of my family and friends, I was able to move forward. This experience taught me the invaluable importance of having a strong support system in both personal and professional life.

After my PhD, I got the job through networking, which means I connected with people who already worked there. Building connections is very important in your career, as it can help you find opportunities like this one.

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

Challenge 1: 

One significant challenge was coordinating with people from multidisciplinary domains. To address this, I focused on expanding my knowledge beyond my primary domain, never restricting myself to a small circle. 

Challenge 2: 

One of the key challenges I faced was recognizing that not everything is within our control. Despite our best efforts, there are times when we may still experience failure. I addressed this challenge through acceptance and perseverance, understanding that setbacks are a natural part of the process and maintaining determination to continue working towards my goals.

Where do you work now? 

Mati Carbon India Private Limited:  Mati’s goal is to cumulatively remove 100 million tons of CO2 by 2040 while creating agronomic and financial benefits for smallholder farmers in the Global South.

Mati Carbon helps farmers to increase the soil fertility as well capture carbon dioxide (CO2) from the air using a special kind of crushed rock. This rock, when spread on the ground, reacts with CO2 in the air or water and turns it into a mineral that gets stored safely in the soil. This process not only cleans the air but also makes the soil healthier. Imagine a farmer spreading these crushed rocks on their fields. The rocks absorb CO2 from the air, turning it into a mineral stored in the soil, making the soil more fertile and reducing the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere at the same time.

What problems do you solve?

I provide tech support for the field deployment of carbon capturing technologies, ensuring that systems operate effectively in real-world conditions. Additionally, I design and develop measurement tools for accurately assessing CO2 levels, and conduct thorough soil and water analysis to monitor environmental impact and ensure compliance with sustainability standards.

What skills are needed for your role? How did you acquire the skills?

Skills:

Basic Knowledge in Chemistry:

Understanding chemical reactions, properties, and processes.

Modelling:

Proficiency in mathematical and computational models to simulate environmental and chemical processes.

Chemical Engineering Knowledge:

Expertise in the principles of chemical engineering, including process design, optimization, and scaling up.

Environmental Engineering Knowledge:

Skills in pollution control, waste management, and sustainable practices.

How I Acquired These Skills?

Academics:

Through rigorous coursework and practical labs during my undergraduate and graduate studies in Chemical and Environmental Engineering.

Research:

Conducting research projects, particularly focusing on CO2 capture, wastewater treatment, and pollution abatement.

Solving Industrial Problem Statements:

Working on real-world problems during internships and professional engagements, which involved applying theoretical knowledge to practical challenges and finding innovative solutions.

What’s a typical day like?

A typical day involves conducting titrations and data analysis, developing and testing prototypes, designing and refining tools, presentations, and engaging in meetings with scientists, and the CTO.

What is it you love about this job? 

What I love about this job is that it involves continuous learning and problem-solving. We can’t achieve results in a single iteration; each iteration challenges us to identify what went wrong and refine our approach. This process deepens our understanding of the underlying mechanisms and ensures that we grasp the exact process of how things happen. The constant cycle of testing, learning, and improving keeps the work engaging

How does your work benefit society? 

As an Environmental Engineer with a background in Chemical Engineering, I am currently working as a research scientist focusing on capturing CO2 from the atmosphere. My work directly addresses the critical issue of climate change by contributing to the global effort to limit the increase in average temperatures to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels, and ideally to 1.5°C. By developing and implementing effective CO2 capture technologies, we can significantly reduce greenhouse gas concentrations, thereby mitigating climate change impacts and promoting a sustainable future for society.

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

During my bachelor’s degree, we aimed to recover mercury from CFL bulbs. This was my first problem statement, and the idea we submitted secured prizes. This accomplishment brought me immense joy and satisfaction, as it was a significant milestone in my career. 

Your advice to students based on your experience?

Choose a career based on your skills and passions. Don’t focus solely on earning money. Remember, if you prioritize learning and growth, the earnings will follow.

Future Plans?

Aspire to become the Director of a leading research organization, leveraging expertise to drive innovation and scientific advancements.