Environmental Microbiology & Biotech Researcher
Resume:
Dr. Monika Simon
Ph.D. (Environmental Microbiology), IIT Roorkee Post-doctoral Researcher 7+ Years Experience
*************@*****.***
******@**.****.**.**
SKS Royal Meadows Block-I, Kissan Road, Donka Road, Patamata, Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh,520007
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=FNlR6wYAAAAJ&hl=en
https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9945-8147
Scopus Author ID: 572********
Research Gate
Research Metrics
Publications: 18
Scopus Indexed: 16
Citations: 289
H-index: 7
Patent: 1 (2024)
Books: 2 + 1 In Press
Professional Summary
Environmental Biotechnology Researcher with over 7+ years of combined industrial and academic experience spanning environmental microbiology, wastewater treatment, microbial biotechnology, and sustainable bioprocesses. Research expertise includes microbial consortium development, biological nutrient removal, bioremediation, biodegradation of emerging contaminants, molecular microbial techniques, and environmental nanobiotechnology for sustainable water and wastewater treatment. Demonstrated research excellence through 16 peer-reviewed publications, an Indian patent with successful technology transfer, and contributions to books and book chapters. Experienced in interdisciplinary research, laboratory development, student mentoring, and translating scientific innovations into practical environmental solutions. Committed to delivering high-quality teaching, establishing an externally funded research program, mentoring undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, and fostering national and international collaborations to advance environmental biotechnology and sustainable bio-based solutions for environmental challenges.
Research Interests
Microbial inoculants; biodegradation of emerging contaminants (microplastics, PFAS); simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal; in-situ bioremediation; resource recovery; sewage and industrial wastewater treatment; sustainable treatment technologies; water quality, water body monitoring, and management.
Educational Qualifications
Institution
Degree
Year
CGPA
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee, Uttarakhand
Ph.D. in Environmental Microbiology
2024
10/10 (Coursework)
Madan Mohan Malaviya University of Technology, Gorakhpur, U.P., formerly affiliated to Gautam Buddha Technical University (GBTU)
M.Tech. in Environmental Engineering
2011
8.15/10
Sam Higginbottom University of Agriculture, Technology and Sciences (SHUATS) (Formerly Allahabad Agricultural Institute), Prayagraj, U.P.
B.Tech. in Biotechnology
2009
7.91/10
Research & Industrial Experience
Organization
Designation
Period
Duration
School of Engineering and Sciences, SRM University-AP, Amaravati
Post-doctoral Researcher
June 2025 – Sept 2026
1.25 years
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Research Associate
Jan 2024 – Mar 2025
1.25 years
Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee
Doctoral Researcher (Teaching Assistant)
Jan 2018 – Jun 2024
6 years
SN Aqua System Inc., New Delhi
Sr. Environmental Engineer
Sept 2016 – May 2017
9 months
Clover Organic Pvt. Ltd., Dehradun
Environmental Engineer
Oct 2013 – Jun 2016
2.75 years
SBA Enviro Systems Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
Asst. Environmental Engineer
May 2012 – Sept 2013
1.6 years
Eco Water Solutions Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi
ETP/STP Designer (Trainee)
Dec 2011 – Apr 2012
5 months
Patent & Technology Transfer
Patent Title: A microbial consortium for simultaneous removal of nutrients and major organic pollutants from polluted water.
Inventors: M. Simon and H. Joshi Status: Indian Patent Published (Application No. 202*********)
Technology Transfer: Successfully transferred to Bioritin Biosciences Pvt. Ltd., Gurgaon, Haryana, India, on a non-exclusive basis for commercialization (2025) with a technology transfer value of INR 15 lakh and 1% royalty on net profit for 10 years.
Books (Edited/Authored)
1. Yadav, A.K., Shirin, S., Simon, M., Kumar, A., & Dixit, A.K. (2025). Arsenic Removal Technologies: From Challenges to Innovative Solutions. Springer Cham. ISBN: 978-3-031-91173-6 https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-91171-2
2. Garg, M.C., Sharma, P., Simon, M. (2026). Artificial Intelligence in Wastewater Treatment: Innovations for Sustainable Environmental Management. NIPA.ISBN: 978-9-372-19583-5
https://www.nipabooks.com/info/978**********/artificial-intelligence-in-wastewater-treatment
3. Yadav, A.K., Simon, M. (2026). Cutting-edge Techniques for Sustainable Arsenic Removal in Water Resources. Springer Singapore. (Under editorial process)
Selected Journal Publications
i.Simon, M. Roy, D., Dash, S., Joshi, H. (2026) “Integrated aerobic remediation of polluted water using a novel bacterial consortium (MBC-4): Performance, Optimization, and Mechanistic Insights” Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2026.123369 (IF=7.5, Q1)
ii.Pandey NK., Simon, M., et al. (2026), “Exploring microbial diversity, antibiotic resistance, and their environmental drivers in urban and peri-urban riverbed sediments of sub-tropical river basins”. Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envres.2025.123174 (IF=8.2, Q1)
iii.Simon, M., Singh, Prakash, et al. (2026) “Impact of Storage Period on Biomethane Potential (BMP) of Agricultural Residues: A Comprehensive Review of Scientific Mapping, Storage Methods, Biochemical Changes, and Practical Implications”, Industrial Crops and Products. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.indcrop.2026.123776 (IF=6.4, Q1).
iv.Pandey NK., Alkhatib, AE., Simon, M., et al. (2026), “Input point sources regulate the dynamics of river water quality to drug resistance in sub-tropical rivers” Journal of Environmental Management https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jenvman.2026.130572 IF=9.2, Q1).
v.Roy, D., Simon, M. et al. (2026) “Wastewater-Based Surveillance in Public Health: Applications, Methods, and Future Directions” RSC Environmental Science: Advances https://doi.org/10.1039/D6VA00181E (IF=6.7, Q1)
vi.Kumar, S., Metya, S., Sinha, A.K., Simon, M and Yadav, A.K. (2026) “XGBoost based surrogate technique for system reliability analysis of foundation over cavity aided with bootstrapping” Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-37058-0 (IF=4.9, Q1)
vii.Kumar, S., Rashid, A., Simon, M., Raviteja, KVNS., Yadav, A.K. (2026) “Smart urban utility management using ML-based prediction of pipeline performance in the sustainable water supply network of Jamshedpur industrial city” Scientific Reports. (IF=4.9, Q1) https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-026-55307-0 .
viii.Simon, M., Joshi, H. and Yadav, A.K. (2025) “Dynamics of pollution and trophic status in selected sub-tropical surface water bodies in Haridwar district, India” Environmental Science and Pollution Research. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11356-024-35724-2 (IF=5.8, Q1)
ix.Kumari S., Gupta J., Simon M, Chowdhry J., and Garg M.K. (2025) “Next-Generation Air Quality Management: Unveiling Advanced Techniques for Monitoring and Controlling Pollution.” Aerosol Science and Engineering https://doi.org/10.1007/s41810-024-00281-1 (IF=2.3, Q2)
x.Simon, M. and Joshi, H. Yadav, A.K. (2024) “Simultaneous nitrogen and phosphorus removal from polluted water using a novel bacterial consortium (BACON-38): Promising application for wastewater remediation” Journal of Water Process Engineering. Volume 66 (August), 106044. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jwpe.2024.106044. (IF=7.0, Q1)
xi.Simon, M., Joshi, H. and Hazra, M. (2023), Performance appraisal of microbial inoculants Treating polluted surface water through bench-scale investigation. Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 98: 2462-2476. https://doi.org/10.1002/jctb.7472 (IF=3.7 Q1)
xii.Simon, M. and Joshi, H. (2021) “A review on green technologies for the rejuvenation of polluted surface water bodies: field-scale feasibility, challenges, and future perspectives”. Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 9(4), 105763. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jece.2021.105763. (IF=7.97 Q1)
xiii.Bowes MJ, Read DS, Joshi H, Sinha R, Ansari A, Simon M., Rees HG (2020) Nutrient and microbial water quality of the upper Ganga River, India: identification of pollution sources. Environ Monit Assess 192(8):1–20 https://doi.org/10.1007/s10661-020-08456-2 (IF=3.2, Q2)
xiv.Simon, M., Dash, S., Yadav, A.K. Raviteja, KVNS., (2026) “Transformation-Coupled Transport and Toxicity of PFAS in Groundwater Systems: From Precursors to Persistent Fragments Across Environmental Matrices” Groundwater for Sustainable development (Under Review) (IF=5.8, Q1)
xv.Vishwakarma, R., Simon, M., Pandey, N.K., and Joshi, H. (2026) “Streamflow Dataset Evaluation through Hydrological Modelling and Assessment of Sediment and Pollutant Load in a Subtropical River Basin of India” Hydrological Sciences Journal (Under Review) (IF=2.5, Q2)
xvi.Kumar, S., Metya, S., Sinha, A.K., Simon, M., Yadav, A.K. (2026) “Foundation-cavity interactions and reliability analysis: current insights and future directions”
Discover Applied Sciences (Under Revision). (IF=2.5, Q2)
xvii.Roy, D., Kar, S., Simon M., Dash, S., Kuroda, K., Kumar, M. (2026) Shotgun Metagenomic Insights into Soil Microbial Communities and Resistome Dynamics across Agricultural and Natural Ecosystems, Journal of Hazardous Materials (Submitted). (IF=10.6 Q1)
xviii.Rashid, A., Kumar, S., Simon, M., Raviteja, KVNS., Yadav, A.K. (2026) “Integrated GIS, Remote Sensing, and AHP approach for groundwater potential mapping in Koderma district of Jharkhand”. Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances (Under Revision) (IF=9.2, Q1)
xix.Pandey NK., Alkhatib, AE., Simon, M., et al. (2026) “Integrated multiomics, resistome, and water quality analyses to evaluate the ecological recovery of a subtropical river along an urban gradient” Journal of Cleaner Production (Under Review) (IF=10.7, Q1)
xx.Roy, D., Kar, S., Simon M., Dash, S., Kuroda, K., Kumar, M. (2026) “Nitrapyrin–mediated alterations in soil microbial communities and resistomes: Implications for Nitrogen biogeochemistry and agricultural sustainability” Soil Biology and Biochemistry (Submitted) (IF=12.2, Q1)
xxi.Yadav, A.K., Simon, M., et al., (2026) “Meta-Review on the toxicological and epidemiological impact of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PHAs) on human health”, Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (to be resubmitted).
Book Chapters
i.Simon, M., Joshi, H. 2022. “Story of the Ganga River: Its Pollution and Rejuvenation” In: Mukherjee, A. (eds) Riverine Systems: Understanding the Hydrological, Hydrosocial and Hydro-heritage Dynamics, Springer Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030- 87067-6_2 ISBN: 978-3-030-87066-9
ii.Simon, M., Kumar, A., Garg, A., Manisha (2021). “Biological Treatment of Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products (PPCPs) Before Discharging to Environment.” In: Gupta, P.K., Bharagava, R.N. (eds) Fate and Transport of Subsurface Pollutants. Microorganisms for Sustainability, vol 24. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978- ***-**-****-9_14 ISBN: 978-***-**-****-2
iii.Gupta, P.K., Kumar, A., Simon, M., Manisha (2021). “Arsenic Pollution in Groundwater and Its in-situ Microbial Remediation Technologies.” In: Gupta, P.K., Bharagava, R.N. (eds) Fate and Transport of Subsurface Pollutants. Microorganisms for Sustainability, vol 24. Springer Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-***-**-****-9_10 ISBN: 978-***-**-****-2
iv. Simon, M. Roy, D., Dash, S., (2026) “Anaerobic-Aerobic Sequencing Batch Reactors: A Synergistic Approach to Recalcitrant Pollutant Removal" CRC Press (Accepted)
v.Simon, M. Roy, D., Dash, S., (2026) “Innovations in Monitoring Technologies for Detecting Emerging Contaminants” Springer Nature (Switzerland) (Accepted)
vi.Bhatta, P., Simon, M., Roy, D., Gajula, D., Raviteja, KVNS., Dash, S., (2026) “Coupled Soil–Water–Air Systems: Multiphase Pathways and Interfaces Driving Contaminant Dynamics” CRC Press (Submitted)
vii.Roy, D., Simon, M., Bhatta, P., Gajula, D., Dash, S., (2026) “The Connecting Bridge Between the Emerging Contaminants of Concern” CRC Press (Submitted)
viii.Gajula, D., Simon, M., Bhatta, P., Gajula, D., Dash, S., (2026) “Contaminants of Emerging Concern: A Global Overview” CRC Press (Submitted)
ix.Simon, M., Roy, D., Bhatta, P., Gajula, D., Dash, S., (2026) “Next-Gen Contaminants in the Biosphere: Environmental Behaviour and their Associated Risks” CRC Press (Submitted)
Conference Presentations
i.Simon, M., & Dash, S. (2025), “Multifunctional Bacterial Consortium for Enhanced Simultaneous Nitrogen and Phosphorus Removal from Polluted Surface Water” International Conference on Biotechnology in Health Science and Therapeutics (ICBHST 2025), Dec 28 to 31, 2025, Jaipur, India (Delivered).
ii.Simon, M., & Dash, S., Yadav, A.K., (2026) "Microbial Synergy for Enhanced Biological Nutrient Removal from Surface Water" at 13th International Conference on Environmental Management, Engineering, Planning and Economics (CEMEPE 2026), organized by Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece, July 12-16, 2026 (Delivered).
iii.Pandey, N.K., Simon, M., & Joshi, H. (2025, June), “Role of water in the transmission of pathogens and antimicrobial resistant strains in a mixed-use Indian watershed under CGIAR One-Health Initiative.” In 11th Microbial Ecology and Water Engineering (MEWE) Conference, June 2 to 5, 2025, Atlanta, Georgia, USA (Delivered).
iv.Simon, M., & Joshi, H. (2020, May), “Performance appraisal of bioremediation materials for polluted surface water treatment.” In EGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts (p. 13998), Vienna, Austria, May 4 to 8, 2020 (Online). https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/abs/2020EGUGA..2213998S/abstract.
v.Vishwakarma, R., Simon, M., and Joshi, H. (2019, December), “Sustainability evaluation of the stormwater drainage system of a sub-tropical town of India,” 24th Hydro-2019 International Conference, Osmani University, Hyderabad, December 17th to 20, 2019 (Delivered).
Key Skills Analytical Expertise
• Research Proposal & Scientific Writing: Experienced in developing high-quality research proposals aligned with competitive funding schemes, and preparing, revising, and editing manuscripts for peer-reviewed journals.
• Technology Translation & Commercialization: Experience in translating research outcomes into industry applications, including technology transfer valued at 15 lakh.
• Design and implementation of tailor-made solutions for polluted surface water, sewage, and industrial wastewater treatment and bioremediation.
• Experienced in environmental microbiology and molecular techniques, including 16S rRNA, PCR, DGGE, and qRT-PCR.
• Proficient in water quality and contaminant analysis using GC-MS, ion chromatography, TOC, FTIR, UV-Vis, SEM-EDX, fluorescence microscopy, and titrimetric methods.
•Proficient in experimental design, statistical analysis, data interpretation, scientific/technical reporting, and research documentation.
• Expertise in ETP/STP design, commissioning, operation, maintenance, and optimization, including UASBR, FAB, SBR, and MBBR technologies.
Professional Memberships
Member, Society of Chemical Industry
Member, International Association of Hydrological Sciences
Fellowships & Achievements
•Senior Research Fellow (MHRD), IIT Roorkee, January 2020 – December 2022.
•Junior Research Fellow (MHRD), IIT Roorkee, January 2018 – December 2019.
•Institute Assistantship, IIT Roorkee, January 2023 – December 2023.
•Merit-cum-Means Scholarship, Ministry of Minority Affairs, 2010–2011.
•Highest score in Ph.D. coursework – 10.0 CGPA, IIT Roorkee.
•Department Representative, Research Committee, IIT Roorkee (August 2018 – July 2019).
•Best Oral Presentation Award, International Conference on Biotechnology in Health Science and Therapeutics (ICBHST 2025), organized by IIT Bombay & Manipal University Jaipur, Dec. 2025.
Reference
Referee 1
Dr. Himanshu Joshi
Visiting Professor
Department of Hydrology
Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Roorkee
Roorkee – 247 667, Uttarakhand, India
Email: ***************@*****.*** ********.*****@**.****.**.**
Phone: +91-941*******
Relationship to applicant: Doctoral supervisor and research collaborator
Referee 2
Dr. Siddhant Dash
JSPS Postdoctoral Fellow
Urban Water Management Lab
Research Group of Prof. Keisuke Kuroda
Department of Environmental and Civil Engineering
Toyama Prefectural University
Toyama, Japan
Email:********.****@*****.***
Phone: +91-943******* (WhatsApp)
Relationship to applicant: Research Collaborator and Supervisor (post-doctoral)
Referee 3
Dr. Akhilesh Kumar Yadav
Assistant Professor (Research),
Department of Electronics and Communication Engineering,
Associate Faculty, Department of Civil Engineering,
Manipal University Jaipur,
Jaipur, 303007, INDIA
Email: ********.*****@******.*******.***, **********@*****.***
Relationship to applicant: Research collaborator
Referee 4
Dr. Manoj Chandra Garg
Amity Institute of Environmental Science (AIES)
Amity University
Sector 125, Noida, Uttar Pradesh 201303
Email: **********@*****.***
Relationship to applicant: Research collaborator
Contact this candidate