Three PAU students win National Biotech Youth Award

Ludhiana, June 5, 2023: Three students, namely Preetiman Kaur, Riya Bansal and Swati Pandey from the Department of Microbiology, Punjab Agricultural University (PAU), were awarded “National Biotech Youth Award 2023” during Microbiologists Society of India (MBSI) sponsored two-day national level students conference on “Industry-Academia Meet for Students and Urban India on Biomake In India (IAMSRUI-2023),” held at Krishna Institute of Allied Sciences, Karad, Maharashtra on May 20 and 21, 2023. Students from different states of India participated in this conference. In all, 40 awardees were selected from different states for their outstanding contributions to microbiology/biotechnology.

Preetiman Kaur was awarded for her M.Sc. project “Biosorption of electronic waste through microbial cultures: A Bioremediation Technology” which she completed under the guidance of Dr Shivani Sharma, Mycologist (Mushrooms). Currently she is pursuing PhD. project entitled “Development of improved flavor fermentative Saccharomyces cerevisae strains through metabolic foot printing” with an objective to develop a novel red wine starter culture with a known metabolome under the guidance of Dr GS Kocher, Head, Department of Microbiology.

Riya Bansal was awarded for her doctorate research, focused on the development of liquid PSB biofertilizer for potato and being carried out under the guidance of Dr Pratibha Vyas, Assistant Professor (Microbiology). She is also holding Prime Minister Fellowship by DST-SERB, Government of India, in collaboration with Industry (FICCI) and a private partner Crops Chemicals Limited for her doctoral research.

Swati Pandey, DST- Innovation in Science Pursuit for Inspired Research (INSPIRE) fellow 2022, was awarded for her doctoral research project entitled “Valorisation of brewers spent grain to arabinoxylans and a novel symbiotic supplement” being conducted under the guidance of Dr Keshani, Extension Scientist (Microbiology).

Dr Satbir Singh Gosal, Vice-Chancellor, PAU; Dr PK Chunneja, Dean, Postgraduate Studies; Dr Shammi Kapoor, Dean, College of Basic Sciences and Humanities; and Dr GS Kocher, Head, Department of Microbiology, congratulated the awardees and their advisors for bringing laurels to the department.