Niranjan Parajuli (Nepali: निरञ्जन पराजुली) is a Nepali chemist, biochemist and biotechnologist, who was President of Nepal Chemical Society (2019-2021) and Professor of Chemistry at the Central Department of Chemistry, Tribhuvan University, Nepal. Parajuli is also an advocate for change in the Nepali education system, writing op-eds for national dailies, particularly focusing on higher education. EduRank has sorted Professor Parajuli as a notable alumnus of Tribhuvan University.
Personal life
Niranjan Parajuli was born in Kathmandu, the capital of Nepal to Govinda Prasad Parajuli (Nepali: गोविन्द प्रसाद पराजुली) and his wife Durga Parajuli (Nepali: दुर्गा पराजुली), on August 1972. He is married to Madhabi Bhatta who is a Nepali journalist and former commissioner of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Nepal.
Religious views
In an interview by a Nepali Science Magazine, RevoScience dating to 2016, Parajuli has clarified that he believes in religion however is secular, he has added that he is not able to lead religion, because there are certain things which even science is unable to clarify.
Public affairs
Parajuli, has been voicing in controversial issues, including in a topic related to compensation in land procurement, going as far as protesting against constructing a park at the township, meant for public welfare.
Education
Parajuli has received his Bachelor of Science majoring in Physics, Chemistry and Mathematics from Tribhuvan University. He then, completed his Master of Science degree majoring in Chemistry from the same university, passing with a distinction, and topping the university. Parajuli received his doctorate from Department of Chemistry, Institute of Biomolecule Reconstruction at Sun Moon University, Korea in 2004. His PhD dissertation focuses on manipulation of antibiotic biosynthetic pathway and bioorganic chemistry.
Career and research
Parajuli began his career from Kathmandu University as a lecturer of Chemistry in 1998. He was promoted to assistant professor at the same institution in 2004. He was a postdoctoral researcher from 2005-2009 at Ewha Womans University, upon completion of PhD from Sun Moon University. He assumed the role of research professor at the same university in 2009. Early 2010 to late 2011 he was a postdoctoral research associate at North Carolina State University. As a biotechnologist, from 2012 he led the Department of Biotechnology, National College, Tribhuvan University, as the head.
Teaching
Parajuli started his teaching career from Kathmandu University in 1998, continuing teaching activities from other institutions after leaving Kathmandu University, he has been appointed as a teaching full professor in 2018.
Research
Parajuli's research is mostly focused on microbial biotechnology, enzyme technology, protein engineering and combinatorial chemistry. He is also active in research using applied biophysics in the field of biochemistry and computational chemistry. He has also published his research works in the field of nanotechnology, from a biological point of view. In 2009, he was appointed as a research full professor. As of 2020, Parajuli has projects in the fields of computational chemistry, identification of enzyme inhibitors from plant sources to treat diabetes, and genetic characterization of actinomycetes for antibiotics production. He also is the chief scientific advisor to a project on investigation of secondary metabolites from natural products with a computational chemistry and immunochemistry approach on COVID-19.
Awards, honors and other experiences
1998 Mahendra Vidya Bhushan B
2005 Mahendra Vidya Bhushan A
2007 Science and Technology Youth Award
2011- Reviewer, Biotechnology Letters
2011- Reviewer, Journal of Industrial Microbiology & Biotechnology
2011-2012 Reviewer, Journal of Bioscience and Bioengineering
2013- Reviewer, Nepal Journal of Science and Technology
2014- Reviewer, Journal of Applied Microbiology
2018 President, Nepal Chemical Society
2019- Reviewer, International Journal of Environment
2021 - Guest Editor Processes Special Issue "Isolation, Detection, and Quantification of Antibiotics" 2022- Academic Editor: Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine