Bhubaneswar: The Odisha government has selected renowned biotechnologist and conservationist Siddharth Pati as the recipient of the prestigious Biju Patnaik Wildlife Conservation Award 2024 for his significant contribution to the conservation of horseshoe crabs. Apart from Pati, Shailendra Narayan Satpathy of Balangir will jointly receive the award at a grand function to mark Wildlife Week in Bhubaneswar in the first week of October.
The Forest, Environment and Climate Change department has issued a notification in this regard.
Pati earned his Master’s and PhD in Biotechnology from Fakir Mohan University, supported by a Department of Atomic Energy research fellowship. He pursued postdoctoral research at the University Malaysia Terengganu, Malaysia, and has collaborated with prominent national and international institutes, including Fakir Mohan University, Khallikote University, and Udayana University, Indonesia.
Pati has also the credit of publishing over 70 papers in national and international journals.
He has edited three books on applied science, widely read by life science scholars and professionals, and has filed a patent for his innovative work.
As a leading expert in horseshoe crab conservation, Pati has led several internationally funded projects, supported by organizations such as the Rufford Foundation UK, WWF India, and Ideawild USA.
Additionally, Dr. Pati produced the world’s first silent clay art film, ‘A Day for Living Fossil’, to raise awareness about the biomedical and ecological importance of horseshoe crabs.
He has been invited as a visiting researcher to prestigious institutions, including the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the National University of Singapore.
