On this day, microbiologist Ananda M. Chakrabarty was born in Sainthia in Birbhum district. After completing his PhD in biochemistry at Calcutta University, he studied at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in the US.
He engineered a new species of Pseudomonas bacteria, also known as the oil-eating bacteria. It was used to clean oil spills. Chakrabarty developed this in 1971 while working for the research and development centre at General Electric Company in New York. He applied for a patent, which led to a long legal battle and eventually the Supreme Court in the US ruled in his favour.
Chakrabarty’s pioneering work earned him an eminent place in the science world and paved the way for several more patents on genetically modified micro-organisms. He advised several internationally renowned organisations and institutions in the US and other parts of the world. He was awarded the Padma Shri by the Indian government for his work.
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