Dr Muniyasamy is a senior researcher who is currently leading research and development on sustainable biobased biodegradable plastics at the CSIR. He holds a PhD in Chemical Science from the University of Pisa-Italy.

He is a research associate at the Department of Chemistry at Nelson Mandela University (since 2013).  Prior to this position, he was a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Guelph-Canada and a project officer at the Department of Biotechnology at the Indian Institute of Technology in Madras, India.

His current research activity mainly focuses on the development of sustainable biodegradable plastics from renewable resources and studying end-of-life options such as recyclability, biodegradation and composting and verifying the environmental claims for biobased products.  He has authored and co-authored numerous peer-reviewed papers in the fields of biobased polymers and biodegradation.

He is a National Research Foundation-rated researcher and he holds various awards such as:

• Best Business Development for CSIR Future Production: Chemicals
• CSIR CEO award to Project Synapse Bioplastics
• Enviropaedia: Eco-logic Innovation award
• Best research display for industrial sector, Bio-New Industrial Products (BioNIP), University of Guelph - Canada
• 2007 – 2010: Recipient of prestigious International Galileo Gallei Fellowship for top three young researchers in chemical science at the University of Pisa-Italy (2007 – 2010)

Expertise: Bioplastics, biodegradable polymers, biocomposites and biodegradation.