Sachin Handa, an associate professor in the Department of Chemistry at the University of Missouri, is focused on advancing various aspects of sustainability, including organic synthesis, energy and nation security. He said all of his research projects will benefit from the world-class resources at MU, including the Electron Microscopy Core (EMC) and the MU Research Reactor (MURR).

“Being at Mizzou will allow me and my research team to achieve new heights of discovery and innovation in sustainability,” Handa said.

A goal of Handa’s research group is to develop bio-based synthetics.

“Our efforts could one day help provide cost-effective solutions for development of active pharmaceutical ingredients, including radioisotopes that can be created at MURR for use in drugs to treat diseases like Hepatitis B and C,” he said.

The group’s efforts also include reducing waste byproducts and organic solvents from the process.