G.D. Birla Award 2007:Shri Santanu Bhattacharya (49Y) has been selected for G.D. Birla Award for 2007. Shri Santanu Bhattacharya, old senior professor at the Department of Organic Chemistry in the Indian Institute of Science, has been selected for the G.D. Birla Award for Scientific Research for his contributions in the areas of chemical biology and molecular design.

His investigations on DNA trafficking inside eukaryotic cells in the lipid mediated gene delivery have been cited extensively by experts. Besides proposing the DNA transfer mechanism, he has also developed a new formulation for gene transfection in mammalian cells in the presence of serum.

The G.D. Birla award which carries a cash prize of Rs.1.5 lakh was instituted by the K. K. Birla Foundation in 1991. It is given to young scientists below 50 years of age. The foundation's mission is to promote scientific research in the country by giving recognition to high caliber Indian scientists.