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Manipal : Dr. Kishore M Paknikar (former Director, Agharkar Research Institute, Pune) delivered the 15^th Annual MAHE-Prof. JV Bhat Memorial Oration at Manipal on March 3, 2021 in the presence of Dr MS Valiathan (National Research Professor and former Vice-Chancellor, MAHE, Manipal) and Dr K Satyamoorthy (Director, Manipal School of Life Sciences (MSLS), MAHE). The annual event is held to commemorate the birthday of eminent microbiologist and researcher, Prof. JV Bhat, by selecting a renowned microbiologist for the oration award. This event of MSLS was initiated by Dr PM Gopinath (former Senior Scientist, MSLS) and Dr K Satyamoorthy, supported by an endowment and the university.

Delivering his oration to a captive live and virtual audience, Dr Paknikar gave a narrative of his varied research work of the three decades, involving microorganisms and a peek into their fascinating array of applications. He provided overview of metal resources on earth and mining them using microorganisms and application. In addition he provided several examples as evidences of their remarkable versatility of specific microorganisms ranging from leaching toxic minerals such as arsenic and chromium to being potential synthesizers of nanomaterials that have applications in biomedicine, agriculture, environment etc. He explained his interest in scientific research that actually contributes to solving problems faced in real-life scenarios such as heavy metal poisoning, bio mineral leaching, cancer therapy among others. His oration also highlighted the importance of multi-disciplinary scientific research to help solve societal issues. He expressed his gratitude to be a recipient of the award in the name of Prof. JV Bhat, whom he acknowledged as the father of microbiology in the country.

Dr MS Valiathan, in his presidential address, remarked on the contributions of Prof. JV Bhat and appreciated his pioneering achievements. He commented that coming close on the heels of the National Science Day celebrations, the annual oration is also a celebration of science, as much a celebration of a renowned scientist.

Dr. TS Murali (Associate Professor, MSLS) welcomed the audience and gave a brief description of the genesis of the Prof. JV Bhat Memorial Oration. Dr. KP Guruprasad (Associate Director-Research, MSLS) proposed the vote of thanks.