RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Elesha has been a part of the Tersa team since January 2022 and has built the synthetic biology program at the company. She received a PhD in Chemistry from UBC while studying enzyme chemistry and natural product biosynthesis in bacteria. In addition to her academic achievements, Elesha has extensive experience teaching, mentoring peers, participating in planning committees and student government and organizing seminars. Now, Elesha is fascinated by the challenging chemical problems that microbes have evolved to overcome and how to harness these functions to solve real-world problems.

BIOPROCESS ENGINEER

Jordan was Tersa’s second technical hire in October 2021. To date, his work with the Microbial Fuel Cell Team has improved the technology by leaps and bounds, fundamentally changing the way that we think about the Tersa Clean process. His technical interests encompass bioprocess engineering, bioelectrochemistry, catalytic surface modifications, and renewable energy production. His start-up experience at Hyasynth Bio focused on cannabinoid production from yeast.

He previously worked for The Department of National Defence developing solutions for the Canadian Military. Furthermore, he is the co-author of a publication in Applied Catalysis A for his work with a catalyst for eco-friendly methacrylic acid production.

BIOPROCESS ENGINEER, MICP

Navya has been a part of the Tersa team since February 2021, serving as the technical lead for Microbial Induced Carbonate Precipitation (MICP) - the water neutralization phase of our treatment process . Navya holds a masters degree in chemical engineering with a specialisation in bioprocess engineering from the University of Toronto. With a keen focus on upscaling optimised enzyme production and downstream processing, Navya has played a key role in enhancing the biocementation process at Tersa. Her expertise extends to her previous collaboration with Bioproducts Research Team at UofT with Fortress Advanced Bioproducts where she contributed to the production of high-value bioproducts from waste. Passionate about sustainable bioprocesses, Navya is dedicated to leveraging biowaste to create valuable and environmentally friendly products.

ELECTROCHEMICAL PROCESS ENGINEER

Protiva is the electrochemical process engineer at Tersa, who joined in April 2022. Her focus is to continuously improve the performance of the microbial fuel cell (MFC), to improve metal recovery rates within the fuel cell. During her PhD, from Tokyo Institute of Technology, Japan, she has worked on developing electrochemical biosensors for neurotransmitters. She also has experience in developing pathogen biosensors by dielectrophoretic method, synthesis of solid phase peptide synthesis used for drug discovery by protein-peptide interaction. She worked as a research associate at UBC in the synthesis of plant cannabinoids by metabolic engineering of microorganisms.

PROCESS ENGINEER

Satvik has been a process engineer at Tersa since January 2023, contributing to the scale-up of the process. He graduated from UBC in 2020 with a chemical engineering degree and a minor in commerce. Satvik’s previous work experience includes working at the National Research Council of Canada as a mathematical modeling engineer and at Julich Research Centre, Germany, as an AI and Data Engineer. His technical interests include process engineering, mathematical modeling, machine learning, and data analysis.

Currently, Satvik is responsible for the development of TersaClean’s techno economic models that outline treatment rates, scalability, and cost analysis for our field and commercial units.

LAB MANAGER

Chaklin joined the Tersa team in April 2022. He oversees day-to-day operations, manages equipment procurement to support innovative projects, and maintains the laboratory for optimal functionality. Moreover, Chaklin plays a crucial role in upholding safety standards as the chair of the joint health and safety committee. He previously worked for Dubois Chemicals, a chemical solutions company, specialising in niche mining problems such as sulphur dust control and coal spontaneous combustion. Prior to Dubois, Chaklin worked at Solvay on projects improving the recovery of copper oxides in the flotation process. With a dedicated focus on organization and safety, Chaklin contributes to Tersa's ongoing efforts in sustainable technologies and innovation.