Metabolix (NASDAQ: MBLX), a bioscience company focused on developing clean, sustainable solutions for plastics, chemicals and energy, today announced that Senior Scientist Dr. Rajendra K. Krishnaswamy was honored by the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) with a lifetime achievement award for his considerable contributions to the polymers industry. The Research/Engineering Technology Award for lifetime achievement in plastics research/engineering was presented to Dr. Krishnaswamy at ANTEC 2011 in Boston, Mass.
"It is a tremendous honor to receive one of SPE's lifetime achievement awards, which would not be possible without the support of, encouragement from and collaboration with the Metabolix team," said Dr. Krishnaswamy. "I am looking forward to continuing my association with the Metabolix team, creating new, innovative advances that will benefit the entire plastics industry."
Dr. Krishnaswamy leads the development of a family of biobased and biodegradable polymers for film and blow-molding applications at Metabolix. His approach to product development combines a theoretical understanding of polymer rheology with traditional scientific methods - from design-of-experiments (DOE) approaches to new product development. A number of Dr. Krishnaswamy's innovations have led to advancements in Mirel, a commercialized bioplastics offering from Telles, a joint venture between Metabolix and Archer Daniels Midland Company.
"We've always been incredibly proud of Dr. Krishnaswamy's achievements in the polymer space and are very fortunate to have him on our team," said Rick Eno, CEO of Metabolix. "Under Dr. Krishnaswamy's guidance, his team developed a unique patented formulation of new PHA biopolymers, thus playing an integral role in Metabolix's ability to provide the market with more sustainable bioplastic materials. SPE's lifetime achievement award reflects Dr. Krishnaswamy's many contributions to the research and development of biobased and biodegradable plastics."
Prior to joining the company in 2006, Dr. Krishnaswamy spent nine years in the polymer science group at Chevron Phillips Chemical Company. He currently serves on the editorial boards of the Journal of Plastic Film and Sheeting and the Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology. Additionally, he serves on the Engineering Properties and Structure Division (EPSDIV) and bioplastics boards of SPE, as well as the materials science board of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). To date, Dr. Krishnaswamy has co-authored more than 40 peer-reviewed papers and over 25 patents and patent applications, and has been an invited speaker at many conferences and universities worldwide.