Meenakshi Banerjee facts for kids

Meenakshi Banerjee is an Indian scientist who studies tiny living things called cyanobacteria. She is a leader in this field. Currently, she heads the Center for Applied Algal Research at Rice University in Houston, Texas, USA. Before this, she was the head of the Bioscience Department at Barkatullah University in Bhopal, India.

Learning Journey

Meenakshi Banerjee finished her school studies at Irish Convent, Loreto, in Asansol. After that, she went to Nirmala College at Ranchi University to study science.

She then joined Women's College at Banaras Hindu University for her bachelor's degree. There, she focused on Botany, which is the study of plants. Her strong interest in plants led her to get a master's degree in Botany. During her master's studies, she became very interested in cyanobacteria.

Her Work as a Scientist

Dr. Banerjee started working at Barkatullah University in 1989 as a lecturer. She became a Reader in 1997 and then a Professor in 2005. She later became the head of the Bioscience Department at the university.

In 2010, Dr. Banerjee received the Dr. K. N. Katju state-level science award. This award recognized her important contributions to science. She is also a lifelong member of the National Academy of Sciences India.

Research on Cyanobacteria

Dr. Banerjee's current research focuses on several exciting areas. She studies how to grow rare types of medicinal plants using special plant food made from algae. These are called algal biofertilizers.

She also studies cyanobacteria from many different places. This includes very cold and very hot deserts. These tiny organisms can survive in extreme conditions, right at the edge of where life is possible. Her work helps us understand how life adapts.

Dr. Banerjee has also published research on using algae to clean up wastewater. She has also explored how algae can be used to make biofuel, which is a type of energy.