Avishikta’s journey of bridging astrobiology with microbes

The dimensions of space and the microbial world seem quite contrasting and distant. However, novel scientific exploration forms a profound bridge between them. On 27th November, a similar innovative approach earned Avishikta Poddar (alumnus, MNS) the Bronze Medal at the national round of the Innovation World Cup (IWC) 2026.

Her research project, titled Survival of Microorganisms Under Ultrahigh Shock Pressures and Space Conditions, explores aspects of astrobiology that affect the survivability of microbes in space. As an emerging area of research, this fascinated the judging panel. As a result, her project was selected among the top 30 out of 405 qualifying teams nationwide and eventually won a Bronze Medal. However, the journey behind this achievement is one of resilience and hard work.

​What initially began as a spark of curiosity in one of her academic courses, Avishikta developed the research project idea with the support of Dr Munima Haque (Professor, MNS). She shares, “Munima ma’am guided me in formulating the research proposal for which I am immensely grateful”. She first submitted her research proposal at the International Biotechnology Conference 2025, which received great appreciation from the professors and scientists attending. This pushed her to refine the work further and participate in another notable event, the Bangladesh Science Exposium 2025. Afterwards, she represented Team Space at IWC 2026, advancing to the international round in Indonesia, and plans to publish her research soon.

Avishikta reflects on how working on the project entirely on her own was challenging while she was a final- semester student. She shares, “balancing academics while participating in such competition is tricky but crucial for developing the sense of innovation and implications”.

She shares that a deep sense of punctuality, confidence, and communication is essential to grow through such opportunities. She was invited to be a guest external teacher at the Titanium Science Fair of St. Joseph International School. There, she ventured into the scientific endeavours of young students. She advises connecting with faculty and discovering different platforms to develop core skills through participation in conferences and competitions.