SG

Sayak Ganguli

Also known as: Sayak

St. Xavier's College (Autonomous), West Bengal State University, Lady Brabourne College

ORCID iD 0000-0001-5481-7436
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About

Over more than two decades of dedicated service, I am an accomplished educator, innovative researcher, visionary mentor, and compassionate science communicator. Throughout my teaching journey currently in its 21st year, I have taught undergraduate, postgraduate, and professional courses across several prestigious institutions, including St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, West Bengal State University, Lady Brabourne College, Barasat Government College, and IISWBM, Kolkata. My dedication to academic excellence and student-centered learning has enabled me to inspire, guide, and mentor more than 6,000 undergraduate, postgraduate, and research students cumulatively, many of whom have gone on to pursue successful careers in academia, research, industry, and scientific administration.
A passionate advocate of experiential learning, I have consistently promoted interdisciplinary education and skill development, helping bridge the gap between biological sciences and computational technologies. Among my most notable achievements is the pioneering role in strengthening Bioinformatics education and outreach in West Bengal. During my association with the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Government of India-funded Bioinformatics Centre, I have actively contributed to the implementation of the “Outreach Program in Bioinformatics” under the landmark Biology Teaching through Bioinformatics (BTBI) Scheme. This initiative played a significant role in democratizing access to Bioinformatics education and introducing computational biology to students and teachers across remote institutions of the state.
My research integrates Community Genomics, Microbiome Science, Computational Biology, Ethnomedicine, Plant Biotechnology, Metagenomics, and Drug Discovery, with a focus on addressing challenges related to environmental sustainability, public health, antimicrobial resistance, and precision nutrition. My research portfolio includes collaborative projects funded by the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), Department of Science and Technology (DST), Government of West Bengal, and several academic institutions.
I have authored an extensive body of scholarly work comprising more than 150 peer-reviewed research articles, book chapters, and international publications. My laboratory has also contributed substantially to global scientific resources through the deposition of more than 50 metagenomic and transcriptomic datasets and over 50 16S rRNA sequence datasets in international databases, thereby strengthening open-access scientific research. As a research supervisor, I have successfully mentored multiple doctoral scholars who now occupy prestigious positions in academia, industry, and research institutions. Under my guidance, students and researchers have earned numerous awards and recognitions at national and international scientific forums.
Over the years, my organizational and leadership skills have been documented through the organization of international conferences, faculty development programs, workshops, and specialized training programs in Biotechnology, Genomics, Microbiome Research, and Bioinformatics. I have served as a Convener of the International Symposium on Biotechnology, Course Coordinator for specialized microbiome training programs, and Resource Person at numerous national and international scientific events.
Notable honors and recognitions:
1. Aurobindo Guha Life Science Endowment Gold Medal, for securing the highest marks in the B.Sc. examination.
2. Department of Biotechnology (Government of India) Research Assistantship.
3. DST Award for delivering an invited lecture at the Next Generation Sequencing Congress Asia, Singapore.
4. Early Career Researcher in the Newton–Bhabha Researchers Link Workshop jointly supported by DBT, Government of India, the British Council, and Newcastle University, UK.
Beyond academia, I remain deeply committed to societal development through science. I work with tribal and indigenous communities has focused on understanding traditional knowledge systems, dietary practices, nutritional health, ethnomedicine, and microbiome diversity. These efforts aim to preserve indigenous knowledge while developing evidence-based strategies for community health and sustainable development. He has actively collaborated with non-governmental organizations and community-based groups, including initiatives dedicated to sustainable development in the Indian Sundarbans.

Employment

  • St. Xavier's College (Autonomous) Assistant Professor
    2020 - Present
  • West Bengal State University Visiting Faculty
    2019 - 2020
  • Lady Brabourne College Visiting Faculty
    2018 - 2020
  • St. Xavier's College Guest Faculty
    2016 - 2017
  • Hoogly Mohsin College Guest Faculty
    2015 - 2016
  • Presidency University Research Assistant
    2007 - 2015
  • Indian Institute of Social Welfare and Business Management Faculty
    2006 - 2010
  • Barasat Government College Guest Lecturer
    2005 - 2015

Education

  • West Bengal State University PhD
    2010 - 2014

Projects & Funding

Projects & funding information is unavailable.

Publications (61)