Prof. Dr. Meenakshi Bhattacharjee is an internationally renowned algal biotechnologist and cyanobacteriologist, with about 35 + years of extensive experience and research and have obtained fascinating results that forms the cutting edge of research internationally. She is Professor of Research at Rice University Houston Texas USA presently and before that she was Professor and Head of the Department of Bioscience and Dean Faculty of Life Sciences, Chairperson Board of studies, Chairperson Examination Committee of Bhopal University, India before moving to USA. The Indian Academy of Sciences, Bangalore India, published a book “Lilavati’s Daughters” profiling 100 top women scientists of India. She is profiled as number 12. Dr. Bhattacharjee was featured on the Cover page of the “Ojaswini Magazine” after winning the Ojeswini award honoring women scientists of repute. She has had the privilege of working in leading algae labs in Germany, UK and US on the prestigious DAAD, Commonwealth Fellowship and Department of Biotechnology Overseas Associateship respectively. 25 students have obtained their Ph.D. Under her supervision, 60 M.Phil., and over 300 M.Sc. students completed their dissertation under her. She has around 250 publications in internationally/nationally reputed journals. She has to her credit teaching experience of nearly 34 years of master's courses, M.Phil. courses and Ph.D. programs in Bioscience subjects both in India and USA. She has been decorated with several coveted awards and distinctions, both national and international, throughout her career. To mention a few are Albert Schweitzer International Medal for Science (UK), Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose Award for Environmental Biotechnology (UNESCO), K.N. Katju Award for outstanding achievements in Life science (Department of Science and Technology Govt. of India) and the World Oil Award in the category " Innovative Thinker" for her work on cleaning up and bioremediation of waste return fluid from oil wells, USA, 2017. She is a member /life member /Fellow of several scientific organizations, academies nationally and internationally. Recently in 2021 she has been the recipient of the International Scientist Lifetime Achievement Award and the Perficio Award and Trophy of Excellence for Lifetime Achievements 2022 and in 2023 was nominated for the award of one of the top 50 women leaders of Houston USA for outstanding achievements in Algal and Environmental biotechnology. Also, in 2023 she has been included in Marquis American Who’s and Who’s and Strathmore Who’s Who worldwide honors as Women of Excellence. She is also featured in the Spotlight, Summer of Science by the Association of Woman in Science USA. Also on International Womens Day 8 th March this year featured as “The Most Inspiring Women Educationalist 2024 on the cover page of Entrepreneurial Outlook Magazine USA, and an exclusive 5-page interview.
Presently she is at Rice University and actively pursuing her passion for algal biotechnology research as an entrepreneur, as an independent consultant and advisor in areas related to the commercial mass cultivation of algae/ industrial applications of algae and consulting with various companies to help solve big environmental problems with the use of algae.