Goandamanholidays at 01:10, 11 January 2026

2026-01-11T01:10:52Z

New page

{{short description|Indian biochemist and molecular biologist}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2018}}
{{Use Indian English|date=May 2018}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Asis Datta
| birth_date = 2 February 1944
| birth_place = [[West Bengal]], India
| occupation = [[Molecular biologist]] [[Geneticist]]
| yearsactive = Since 1964
| spouse = Kasturi Datta
| awards = [[Padma Shri]] [[Padma Bhushan]] [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]] [[Om Prakash Bhasin Award]] [[TWAS Prize]] Goyal Prize Guha Memorial Award G. D. Birla Award Dr. Nitya Anand Endowment Award [[Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry|FICCI]] Award Ranbaxy Award D. M. Bose Gold Medal Indira Priyadarshini Award R. D. Birla Award Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centenary Award SBC Lifetime Achievement Award [[P. C. Mahalanobis]] Memorial Award Asutosh Mookerjee Medal [[Indian Science Congress|ISC]] Lifetime Achievement Award BRS Lifetime achievement Award Priyadarshini Gold Medal G. M. Modi Science Award
}}
'''Asis Datta''' is an Indian [[biochemist]], [[molecular biologist]] and [[Genetic engineering|genetic engineer]], known for his research on [[genetically modified foods]] and food nutritional security.<ref name="INSA Fellow">{{cite web|url=http://www.insaindia.org.in/detail.php?id=N88-0992 |title=INSA Fellow |publisher=Indian National Science Academy |date=2015 |access-date=1 November 2015 |url-status=usurped |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160812233252/http://www.insaindia.org.in/detail.php?id=N88-0992 |archive-date=12 August 2016 }}</ref><ref name="NISCAIR profile">{{cite web|url=http://scm.niscair.res.in/videos/324/prof.-asis-datta,-emeritus-scientist,-nipgr. |title=NISCAIR profile |publisher=National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources |work=Web Cache |date=2015 |access-date=1 November 2015 }}{{dead link|date=October 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> He was the founding Director of the [[National Institute of Plant Genome Research]] and is credited with the discovery of genes that assist in extended preservation of fruits and vegetables.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /><ref name="NISCAIR profile" /> He is a recipient of the [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award]], the highest Indian award and in the Science category,<ref name="SSB Prize list of awardees">{{cite web | url=http://ssbprize.gov.in/Content/AwardeeList.aspx | title=SSB Prize list of awardees | publisher=Council of Scientific and Industrial Research | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> and was awarded the fourth highest civilian award of the [[Padma Shri]], by the [[Government of India]], in 1999.<ref name="Padma Awards">{{cite web |url=http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |title=Padma Awards |publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India |date=2015 |access-date=21 July 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151015193758/http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/LST-PDAWD-2013.pdf |archive-date=15 October 2015 }}</ref> In 2008, he was included again in the [[Indian honours system|Republic Day Honours]] list for the third highest civilian honour of the [[Padma Bhushan]].<ref name="Padma Awards" />

== Biography ==
Datta, born on 2 February 1944,<ref name="IAS Fellow">{{cite web | url=http://www.ias.ac.in/listing/fellows | title=IAS Fellow | publisher=Indian Academy of Sciences | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> secured a PhD from [[Calcutta University]] for his doctoral work done at [[Bose Institute]]. He later followed it up by obtaining the degree of [[Doctor of Science]] (DSc) from [[Calcutta University]].<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> His doctoral work at [[Bose Institute]] was facilitated by a fellowship from the Government of India from 1964 to 1968. After this he moved to New York as a research associate at the [[Public Health Research Institute]] to continue research till 1971.<ref name="NIPGR profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.nipgr.res.in/research/prof_adatta.php | title=NIPGR profile | publisher=National Institute of Plant Genome Research | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> His next move was to the [[University of California, Los Angeles]], as assistant virologist, where he spent three years.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile">{{cite web | url=http://www.jnu.ac.in/faculty/adatta/CV.pdf | title=Jawaharlal Nehru University profile | publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru University | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015 | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702190900/http://www.jnu.ac.in/Faculty/adatta/CV.pdf | archive-date=2 July 2016 }}</ref> Returning to India in 1975, he joined [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]] (JNU) at its [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|School of Life Sciences]] and rose to the rank of a professor in 1978. He held several positions at JNU such as that of the dean from 1983 to 1985 and that of the rector from 1993 to 1996,<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> eventually becoming the vice chancellor of the university in 1996 and holding the post till 2002. During this period, he also served as visiting scientist at [[Roche Institute of Molecular Biology]] for two academic years, 1976–77 and 1980–81.<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> In 2002, when the National Centre for Plant Genome Research was upgraded as an autonomous institution under a new name, ''National Institute of Plant Genome Research'', Datta was appointed as its founder director.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> He worked at the institute till his superannuation in 2008.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> At the end of his official career, he was recognized as the emeritus professor by the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]]<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> and as the distinguished emeritus scientist and professor emeritus by the National Institute of Plant Genome Research.<ref name="Professors Emeritus/Emerita">{{cite web|url=http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp |title=Professors Emeritus/Emerita |publisher=Jawaharlal Nehru University |date=2015 |access-date=1 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151115201938/http://www.jnu.ac.in/Administration/ProfessorEmeritus.asp |archive-date=15 November 2015 }}</ref>

== Positions ==
Datta has been associated with several central and state government and government-aided autonomous bodies in various positions. He chaired the ''Recruitment Assessment Board'' of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] (CSIR) from 2003 to 2006 and has held the chair of the Integrated Long Term Programme (ILTP) of the [[Department of Science and Technology (India)|Department of Science and Technology]].<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> He was the chairman of Scientific Advisory Committee (SAC) of the [[National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases]], [[Kolkata]] from 2005 to 2007 and has been holding the chair of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the [[Indian Council of Medical Research#ICMR Centers|Vector Control Research Centre]], [[Puducherry (city)|Puducherry]] from 2007 till date.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> He has served as a member of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the [[Prime Minister of India]] and was involved in the [[Five-Year Plans of India#Tenth Plan .282002.E2.80.932007.29|Tenth Five–Year Plan of India]] as a member of the Steering Committee on Science and Technology of the [[Planning Commission (India)|Planning Commission]]. He was also a member of the Steering Committee of Biotechnology of the states of [[Maharashtra]], [[Odisha]], [[Madhya Pradesh]] and [[West Bengal]].<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" />

Datta was the president of the Society of Biological Chemists in 2000 and the [[Indian Science Congress]] from 2003–2004 term.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> He sat in the governing body of the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]] and the steering committee of the National Bioresource Board. He was associated with the [[Indian National Science Academy]] as its council member (2002–2004) and vice president, and the [[National Academy of Sciences, India]] (NASI) as its president (2009–2011).<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> He served the Governing Bodies of the [[Indian Council of Agricultural Research]] (ICAR) (2007–2010) and the [[Indian Council of Medical Research]] (ICMR) 2007–2010, and has chaired the Biomedical Board of the latter.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> He has been a member of the Science and Technology Forum, Japan, the Review Committee of ICMR, the ICAR Society and the Board of Governors of the [[ICFAI University, Dehradun]] and the [[Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati]].<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> He sits in the general bodies of [[National Institute of Technology, Silchar]] and the [[Academy of Scientific and Innovative Research]], Chennai. He is also a [[President of India|President's]] nominee at [[University of Delhi]], [[Central University of Hyderabad]], [[Northeastern University]].<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" />

== Career ==
[[File:Human tongue infected with oral candidiasis.jpg|thumb|120px|Human tongue infected with oral candidiasis]]
Besides his academic contributions as a teacher, Datta is reported to have contributed in developing the [[Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi|Jawaharlal Nehru University]] by establishing schools and centres of excellence within the university.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> He is also credited with pioneering researches in the field of [[molecular biology]]. His researches on [[Candida albicans]], a pathogenic variety of [[fungus]] which causes [[candidiasis]], an infection to humans, have assisted in designing a drug to combat the disease.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /><ref name="1996 TWAS Award Winners">{{cite web | url=http://twas.org/recipients-twas-awards-and-prizes | title=1996 TWAS Award Winners | publisher=The World Academy of Sciences | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> The team led by him have carried out biological researches which have applications in the fields of agriculture, medicine, science and industry; discovery of genes which helps in extending the shelf life of fruits and vegetables and development of genetically modified food are two such applications.<ref name="NIPGR profile" /><ref name="1996 TWAS Award Winners" /> His team was successful in receiving US patents, the first time an Indian firm receiving US patent for genes.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> His researches on the ''structure-function-application'' of eukaryotic genes paved way for the creation of the ''National Institute of Plant Genome Research'', the first institute in India for genetic research.<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> He has published several articles, documenting his researches, in peer reviewed journals and [[Google Scholar]] has listed 226 of them, with an [[h-index]] of 20 and i10-index of 35 (since 2010).<ref name="Google Scholar profile">{{cite web | url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=3WwX2xoAAAAJ&hl=en | title=Google Scholar profile | publisher=Google Scholar | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> He holds 7 Indian patents, 5 US patents and 5 patents of other countries for his research findings.<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> He has also mentored over 45 research scholars in their doctoral research.<ref name="INSA Fellow" />

== Awards and honours ==
Datta is an elected Fellow of all the three major Indian science academies, [[Indian National Science Academy]] (1988), [[National Academy of Sciences, India]] (1991)<ref name="NASI Fellow">{{cite web|url=http://www.nasi.org.in/fellows.asp?RsFilter=D |title=NASI Fellow |publisher=National Academy of Sciences, India |date=2015 |access-date=1 November 2015 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150717020647/http://www.nasi.org.in/fellows.asp?RsFilter=D |archive-date=17 July 2015 }}</ref> and [[Indian Academy of Sciences]] (1992)<ref name="TWAS Fellow">{{cite web | url=http://twas.org/member/datta-asis | title=TWAS Fellow | publisher=The World Academy of Sciences | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> [[The World Academy of Sciences]] (TWAS) also elected him as their Fellow in 1998.<ref name="TWAS Fellow" /> [[University of Burdwan]] conferred the degree of Doctor of Science (honoris causa) on him in 2002, and [[Bidhan Chandra Agricultural University]], [[Vidyasagar University]] and [[Pandit Ravi Shankar Shukla University]] also awarded DSc to him in 2004, 2008 and 2017.<ref name="INSA Fellow" />

While working as a Professor at JNU, Datta was awarded [[Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize]], the highest Indian science award, by the [[Council of Scientific and Industrial Research]], in 1980.<ref name="SSB Prize list of awardees" /> Towards the end of 1980s and in early 90s, he received three awards, namely, ''Guha Memorial Award'' (1988), the inaugural ''G. D. Birla Award for Science and Technology'' (1991) and ''Dr. Nitya Anand Endowment Award'' of the [[Indian National Science Academy]] (1993).<ref name="INSA Fellow" /> The [[Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry]] awarded him their annual honour for research and development in Life Sciences in 1994 and he received the [[Om Prakash Bhasin Award]] in 1995.<ref name="Om Prakash Bhasin Award">{{cite web | url=http://www.opbfawards.com/biotechnology.html | title=Om Prakash Bhasin Award | publisher=Om Prakash Bhasin Foundation | date=2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}</ref> The [[TWAS Prize]] of [[the World Academy of Sciences]] reached him in 1996,<ref name="1996 TWAS Award Winners" /> the same year as he received three more awards, ''Goyal Prize'', ''Ranbaxy Award'' in Medical Sciences and ''D. M Bose Gold Medal'' of the Indian Science News Association.<ref name="NIPGR profile" />

The Government of India awarded him the civilian honour of the [[Padma Shri]] in 1999; they would honour him again in 2008 with the [[Padma Bhushan]].<ref name="Padma Awards" /> He received the ''R. D Birla Award'' for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology in 2001, ''Dr. B. R. Ambedkar Centenary Award'' for Excellence in Biomedical Research of the [[Indian Council of Medical Research]] in 2003 and the Lifetime Achievement of the Society of Biological Chemists in 2005.<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> He was again honoured the same year by the [[Government of West Bengal|West Bengal Government]] with [[P. C. Mahalanobis]] Memorial award. The [[Indian Science Congress]] awarded him the ''Asutosh Mookerjee Medal'', the same year and followed it up with the Lifetime Achievement award in 2006.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" /> The year 2011 also brought him three awards, namely, Lifetime Achievement award of the Biotech Research Society, ''Priyadarshini Gold Medal'' and ''G. M. Modi Science Award''.<ref name="NIPGR profile" /> He has also delivered several award orations; Sir Amulya Rattan Oration, Bashambar Nath Chopra Lecture and Sir Edward Melbary Oration are a few among them.<ref name="Jawaharlal Nehru University profile" />

== See also ==
{{Div col|colwidth=30em}}
* [[Bose Institute]]
* [[Public Health Research Institute]]
* [[Genetically modified food]]
* [[Alok Bhattacharya]]
{{div col end}}
{{portal|India|Biology}}

== References ==
{{reflist}}

== External links ==
* {{cite web | url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N0_D52LJYNY | title=100 Voices on the future of genomics: Prof. Asis Datta, NIPGR, India | publisher=ICRISAT Co | work=[[YouTube]] video | date=8 July 2015 | access-date=1 November 2015}}

{{1900s Padma Shri Award Recipients in Science & Engineering}}
{{PadmaBhushanAwardRecipients 2000–09}}
{{SSBPST recipients in Biological Science}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Datta, Asis}}
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Shri in science & engineering]]
[[Category:1944 births]]
[[Category:Indian biotechnologists]]
[[Category:Indian geneticists]]
[[Category:Scientists from West Bengal]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Padma Bhushan in science & engineering]]
[[Category:Recipients of the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award in Biological Science]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian Academy of Sciences]]
[[Category:Fellows of the Indian National Science Academy]]
[[Category:Fellows of the National Academy of Sciences, India]]
[[Category:University of Calcutta alumni]]
[[Category:University of California, Los Angeles faculty]]
[[Category:Academic staff of Jawaharlal Nehru University]]
[[Category:Heads of universities and colleges in India]]
[[Category:Indian biochemists]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:20th-century Indian biologists]]
[[Category:TWAS laureates]]
[[Category:Om Prakash Bhasin Award recipients]]

Asis Datta - Revision history

Goandamanholidays at 01:10, 11 January 2026