Question: what is the coolest thing u have done as a scientist

Binuraj Menon answered on 14 Apr 2020:

Hi Sofia,

Sometimes getting cool results out of our laboratory experiments makes every scientist excited. one of my previous research project was to turn a common microbe to produce biofuels like propane ( its the main gas component in small gas canisters or cooking gas) . we have selected Escherichia coli (E. coli) which is bacteria common in human and animal intestines and that can be grown in industrial scale. It was a mix and match game (like a lego game) with different DNA components (genetic material) from other rare microbes that can produce propane. After so many different trails and failures, i could still remember the exciting moment when we discovered that our strategy finally works. Even when I left the project other people and my juniors still carry on improving what we made initially. In fact the whole work lead into new dimensions that an industry actually being started to scale up and produce propane commercially using our techniques. It is aways a coolest experience for any scientist to see how their results and outcomes being used for the development and wellbeing of our society.