Sonali Mohapatra, Postdoctoral Research Associate, University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States
Could
you introduce yourself to our audience?
My name is Sonali
Mohapatra, and I am an enthusiastic researcher who loves learning and
navigating things. My “happiness” is mainly defined by the word “curiosity,”
which leads to an “in-depth understanding” of an area in which I am interested.
Apart from research, I have a deep love for writing, be it on scientific or
non-scientific topics. I am also a firm lover of animals and nature, and I
believe that our work in biotechnology should always be mindful of its impact
on the environment. And of course, I am a coffee enthusiast, which acts as my
powerhouse!
Could
you tell us about your educational background?
My educational
journey, typical of many Indian students, began with an ICSE background in my
10th, followed by a focus on science in my 11th and 12th. I then pursued my B.Tech.
in Industrial Bio-Technology (IBT) and M.Tech. in IBT at Dr. MGR University,
Chennai, Tamil Nadu. My academic pursuits culminated in a Ph.D. in Engineering
in Biotechnology (bioprocess engineering) from Biju Patnaik University of
Technology, BPUT, Rourkela, Odisha, under a TEQIP-II fellowship funded by the
World Health Organization. My educational path has always revolved around the
practical application of biological aspects.
Could
you share details about your professional journey and achievements?
My professional
journey commenced in early 2016 as an assistant professor in the Department of
Biotechnology at the Odisha University of Technology and Research (formerly
CET) in Bhubaneswar, Odisha. In this role, I was entrusted with teaching and
conducting research for B.Tech. and M.Tech. students. Over approximately 7
years in academia, I have been honored with several prestigious awards,
including the Best Researcher Award for International Research Awards on New
Science Inventions by Science Father in 2021. I was also the recipient of the
Innovative Researcher and Dedicated Teaching Professional Award in
Biotechnology by the Society of Innovative Educationalist & Scientific
Research Professionals in Chennai in 2020 and the Foundation Day Best Research
Award in Biotechnology at Biju Patnaik University of Technology, Rourkela,
Odisha, India, in 2019. My academic journey has been further embellished with
the recognition as the Best Ph.D. candidate and the Young Scientist Award at
the 2nd International Scientist Awards on Engineering, Science, and Medicine in
Vishakapatnam, India, in 2019. I was also honored as a Fellow of the Eurasian
Academy of Sciences (FEAS) at the 2nd International Conference on
Multidisciplinary Research in the Maldives in 2018. In addition to these
accolades, I have authored 30 research articles and 5 books and secured 2
patents, all of which have been published by esteemed international publishing
houses such as Elsevier, Wiley, Taylor & Francis, and Springer Nature. My
journey continues as I recently joined as a Post-doc research associate
scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, USA in 2022, where I am eager
to contribute to and learn from high-end research.
What
are your areas of expertise?
With over 7 years
of experience in fermentation technology and product development, I have
focused on leveraging agricultural and dairy waste to create value-added
prebiotic products. As a post-doctoral research associate at UW-Madison in the
USA, I am dedicated to developing synthetic prebiotics and exploring their
application for enhancing selective probiotic proliferation. Additionally, my
expertise extends to molecular cloning using PCR for the expression/knockout of
target genes in Lactobacillus strains to produce prebiotic
oligosaccharides.
What
was your inspiration to pursue your career in research?
I wouldn't be
wrong to say that my father, Er. Surendra Kumar Mohapatra, who pursued his
career in mechanical engineering, has been a significant inspiration for my
research. He has been a constant inspiration for me; I have observed him from
my childhood working hours with the conversion of petroleum to gas-run cars,
with solar battery systems, and sometimes fixing all the electrical devices of
the house. His failed attempts never let him stop his experiments, and this had
a deep impact on me. My personal research journey started in my final year of master's,
when we were to do a six-month dissertation. The curiosity of observing the
results and simultaneous investigations and everyday learnings to move forward
with failed experiments and finally reaching sometimes unexpected outcomes
(even better than your set goals) after the hurdles turned out to be the major
drivers for me to pursue a research career. Further, a profound understanding
during my Ph.D. that a product or process developed by you may someday benefit
your society was also a great turn-on to continue my career as a researcher.
What
key insights or skills have you gained from your post-doc research?
My experience as a
post-doctoral researcher at UW-Madison has been very rewarding. While my Ph.D.
and post-doc research have focused on bioprocess engineering, my post-doc work
has allowed me to tackle real-world problems in the dairy industry. I've been
involved in projects that involve converting dairy industry waste into valuable
products and genetically engineering microbes to produce dairy substitutes, and
it has been an incredible journey. Using advanced instruments to analyze
experimental results has deepened my understanding of the underlying principles
of these processes. Furthermore, I've had the opportunity to interact with
esteemed experts, including Prof. Xuejun Pan from the Department of Biological
Systems Engineering, Associate Prof. Jan Van Pijikeren, and Research Assistant
Prof. Dr. Jeehwan Oh from the Department of Food Sciences. Their mentorship has
significantly enhanced my skills and expertise in chemical and molecular
biology during my post-doc research.
What
advice would you give students preparing for their research projects?
Before commencing
any research, it is crucial to thoroughly understand the background by delving
into reputable journals and book articles related to the area of interest.
Furthermore, it is important to articulate the problem statement and systematically
navigate the connecting links to forge a solution. This method will immensely
benefit students aspiring to pursue careers as researchers. I highly recommend
that students outline the problem statement's roadmap, objectives, and expected
outcomes before embarking on their research projects. In addition, research
necessitates unwavering perseverance to persist even when results are not as
forecasted. It is worth noting that unforeseen results can sometimes lead to
innovations, so it is vital not to abandon any experiment!
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