Distinguished Professor Debashish Bhattacharya Is the Recipient of the 2026 the Rutgers University Board of Trustees Award for Excellence in Research

Professor Debashish Bhattacharya is internationally recognized as a leading researcher in microbial genomics. Over his career, he has pioneered integrative multi-omics approaches that bridge genomics, bioinformatics, cell biology, ecology, physiology, and field biology. He has combined impressive international scholarship with outstanding teaching and service contributions that enriches Rutgers and the international community. Prof. Bhattacharya is a pioneering and influential builder of the exciting fields of algal genomics and evolution, establishing the polyphyletic origins of algae in the eukaryotic tree of life. He is particularly well known for his fruitful and pioneering studies in elucidating horizontal and endosymbiotic gene transfer in eukaryotes.

He and his team have made groundbreaking contributions to the field of algal evolution, elucidating the origin and spread of the photosynthetic organelle (plastid) across the tree of life and dissecting the evolutionary history of plastid metabolic integration. He pioneered phytoplankton single cell genomics, demonstrating that myriad biotic interactions occur in individual cells captured in nature. His work has reshaped evolutionary biology, advanced genomic science, and translated discovery into tools of societal relevance.