SENSING TROUBLE

Dhananjaya Dendukuri, founder of Achira Labs, a Bengaluru-based startup, studied chemical engineering at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras and the University of Toronto. He earned his PhD from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Dendukuri was awarded Infosys Prize 2022 for his work on microfluidics. His research work involved making "colloidal particles in fluids" that can detect "anomalies" in blood, including bacteria and viruses, Dendukuri told Careers360. Edited excerpts below.

- Pritha Roy Choudhury

Q. As a child what did you aspire to be?

A. I am from Hyderabad. My mother was a university professor, who herself was into research and I come from a family where academics and research are very important. That had an impact on me while growing up. I had a good, well-rounded education. I had excellent teachers as well. At IIT Madras, again, I met some excellent faculty. I had a liking for chemistry so I chose chemical engineering as my undergraduate subject. At Toronto University and MIT, too, I had excellent mentors. You can say my strong interest in scientific research happened in those institutions.

Q. Where does your research find practical application?