Rate My Professor Kugen Permaul

Professor Kugen Permaul is a professor in the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology in the Faculty of Applied Sciences at Durban University of Technology. He obtained his undergraduate and postgraduate degrees from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. His early research focused on bacterial molecular genetics, particularly plasmid biology. He completed his PhD in 1999, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship, and joined DUT as a lecturer in 2000. He was awarded full professorship in 2011 and served as Head of the Department of Biotechnology and Food Technology from 2014 to 2017. Professor Permaul leads the Enzyme Technology Research Group at DUT. His research has included projects on the detection and quantification of mycotoxins in food commodities, production of potable water by ultrafiltration, characterisation and production of amylase, inulinase and chitinase enzymes, directed evolution and expression of a xylanase enzyme, and genomic sequencing of a thermophilic fungus. Current research focuses on the expression of carbohydrase genes and the use of chitin as a bioresource. He served as principal investigator of a BRICS bioethanol project involving researchers from all five BRICS nations and is involved in a BRICS biohydrogen grant until 2025. Professor Permaul is an NRF C-rated researcher and was awarded an NRF SARChI Chair in Biovalorization. His academic interests include microbiology, biotechnology and science awareness.

Professor Permaul has contributed to numerous research initiatives in enzyme technology and related fields, with his work cited extensively in academic literature. He has progressed through academic ranks at DUT while maintaining a focus on applied biotechnology research with industrial relevance.