Sonali Mohapatra

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!


Post a Comment

Previous Post Next Post