Biotechnology Overview: Priya Sengupta

My name is Priya, and I am from India. Growing up I was always interested in physical sciences and mathematics, and thanks to my teachers, I started developing an admiration for the potential of microorganisms, especially in agriculture, bioenergy, and pharmaceuticals early in my career. I was deeply inspired by the potential of the emerging field of biotechnology along with India’s interests in exploring Jatropha seeds for biodiesel production.

For my graduate studies I chose Chemical Engineering to get the best of both worlds. I admit that I had doubts about Chemical Engineering, whether I would be a good fit, and what were my career prospects later, etc. Little did I know that I will dedicate 11 years of my academic life studying various aspects of chemical engineering, let alone get a Ph.D. in it. In the final year of the undergraduate program, the students had to do an engineering design project.

I designed a flare stack for my project. A flare stack is a vertical venting system to safely combust gases recovered from an industrial facility to help reduce air pollution. I spent weeks reading about designing a flare stack, the application and importance of the equipment. I was able to design a good model but was not impressed with the design, however, I thoroughly enjoyed the process. It made me realize I tended to Research and Development and wanted to learn more. So, I studied hard and got selected for one of the most competitive master's programs in my country in Chemical Engineering specializing in Industrial Pollution Abatement at Indian Institute of Technology, Roorkee.

For my master's thesis I worked on a remarkably interesting and practical problem of finding a low-cost, biodegradable absorbent coupled with bacterial consumption to remove phenol and cyanide from wastewater from a steel plant. This project was extremely challenging and made me think out of the box since wastewater treatment was an already saturated field. I was formally introduced to the world of microbes, the power of genetic engineering and using unicellular organisms as chassis for producing a variety of products and chemicals. I started exploring other potential applications in industrial biotech and was keenly drawn to biofuels. I loved research, creative problem solving, analytical thinking and project design.

Finally, I decided to get a PhD in Chemical and Environmental Engineering specializing in biofuels and, to purse this dream, I came to United States in 2015. Here, I worked on another very industry relevant problem of finding a sustainable and cost-effective alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels in United States. The first generation of cellulosic ethanol produced by fermenting corn and sugarcane, is neither sustainable nor economic. While the second generation of cellulosic ethanol produced by fermenting sugars, present in non-edible agricultural, municipal waste, woody biomass, etc. is sustainable but not very economic due to the poor yields and excessive cost of production.

My doctoral research was based on finding economic cellulosic ethanol and bioplastics production routes from Poplar wood, optimizing the process further to maximize the yield and decrease cost. I attended and presented my work at many conferences during my PhD days. I also met engineers and scientists at these conferences who were solving challenging and interesting scientific industrial problems. I was very motivated to practically implement my knowledge and skills to find solutions to industrial problems and develop economic and robust processes that can produce bio-based chemicals and materials that can have a tangible impact on the environment.

To follow my passion further, I joined Huue a biotech startup in Berkeley as a fermentation scientist to create sustainable dyes for the denim industry. I worked at the company for a year and half learning the application of the theories that I had learned for years to design, develop, and scale up a bio based indigo dye production process. The tangibility of the results of the successful execution of the project in the form of a high performing bio-based textile dye that is a greener alternative to a petroleum based indigo dye is what gave me the most satisfaction. My desire to learn more and my quest for finding other challenging problems then brought me to Lygos, also in Berkeley where I currently work as a fermentation scientist. Here, I get to work on early-stage as well as late-stage development of bio-based organic acid production processes. These organic acids can then be used as building blocks for manufacturing green alternatives to many petroleum-based consumer products like diapers, feminine hygiene products etc.

In conclusion I’d like to reiterate the importance of following your passion, constantly upskilling yourself and networking. Internships in a biotech company, in an organization like Open Avenues or along with a graduate student in an academic lab can very useful. Students should try to learn the most out of these internships and increase their professional network. Schools offer many workshops and I would highly encourage for students to seek out these workshops and enroll in them. Most importantly learn to enjoy the process while keeping an eye on the end goal.