Ramesh Chandra Ray is an agriculture and food microbiologist, author, and editor. He is the former Principal Scientist (Microbiology), and Head of the Regional Centre at Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICAR - Central Tuber Crops Research Institute in Bhubaneswar, India.
Ray is the author of Agricultural and Biotechnological Applications of Bacillus subtilis, Lactic acid Fermentation of Sweet Potato, and Extracellular Thermostable α- amylase from Streptomyces erumpens, and editor of several agriculture and food microbiology books. His research interests are in the fields of food biology, and bioprocess technology with a particular focus on fermented food system, microbiology, food security, bio-ethanol from starchy crops, as well as bio-processing of agricultural and food wastes.
Ray is a Fellow of National Academy of Agricultural Sciences, National Academy of Biological Sciences, and Confederation of Horticultural Societies in India. He holds editorial appointment as Series Editor of Food Biology, and Applied Biotechnology Reviews.
Education
After completing his early education from the Board of Secondary Education in Odisha, Ray enrolled at the Utkal University and graduated with majors in Botany, Zoology, and Chemistry in 1974. Later, in 1976, he received his M.Sc. in botany from the Utkal University in Odisha, India, followed by his Ph.D. in botany in 1984.
Career
Ray started his academic career as a Full-time Lecturer in Botany at the Kendrapara Autonomous College, Government of Orissa in India in 1980, and held that appointment till 1985. He also served as Guest Faculty in the Department of Microbiology at the Utkal University in Bhubaneswar from 2000 till 2010.
Ray held an appointment as a Scientist of Plant Physiology at the ICAR-Indian Institute of Horticultural Research in Bangalore from 1985 till 1988. Following this appointment, he served as the Senior Scientist of Microbiology at the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute based in Thiruvanathapuram/Bhubaneswar from 1988 till 1998. Subsequently, he was appointed as a Principal Scientist at the ICAR-Central Tuber Crops Research Institute, Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar, and held that position for nearly two decades. From 2019 till 2020, he served as a Senior Consultant at the International Potato Center based in Odisha, India.
Research
Ray's research works span the fields of agriculture & food microbiology, bioprocess technology, and have particularly covered wide range of aspects associated with the traditional fermented food system, and its health attributes, food security, lacto-pickling of vegetables, bio valorization of food wastes, and the production of bio-ethanol.
Food fermentation processes and microbial technology
Ray has made contributions in the field of food microbiology, particularly by exploring the food processing of roots, tubers, fruits and vegetables, and developing food processing technology. Together with V.K. Joshi, he provided in-depth information on the natural food fermentation processes, and explored the diverse range of fermenting microbes along with their benefits for the product quality, and energetics of the process. In one of his highly cited works "Fermented Fruits and Vegetables of Asia: A Potential Source of Probiotics", he highlighted the crucial role of lactic acid fermentation of vegetables and fruits in the tropical and subtropical regions. He has conducted several studies on the lacto-pickling of vegetables, and his research addressed how the fermented foods carry high nutritional value, increased shelf life, reduced toxins, and a diverse group of probiotics. While studying the consumer acceptance of lactic acid-fermented sweet potato pickle, his research demonstrated that the highly educated consumer preferred it more, whereas an improvement in the sourness, and aroma could lead to an increase in consumer acceptance.
Ray developed a technology for production of lacto-juice with high nutritional value by the lactic acid fermentation of β-carotene-rich sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas L.). He also conducted research on developing processing technology for fruit wines and probiotic beverages from the typically underutilized fruits such as Jamun, and cashew apple. His research investigated the bio-processing of wastes from fruits and vegetables for the production of useful enzymes and organic acids, and addressed how the advances in microbial processing technology can increase the production of value-added products, and promote the zero-waste economy.