A generous donation from Dr. PA Lokabharathi, TPSF member, has been supporting internships on microbial ecology in Kochi, Kerala, India. Two internships were offered to candidates selected from those who completed a hands-on training course on measurements and sampling techniques for aquatic microbial studies, under the supervision of Jasmin, C. at Enfys life Science Private Ltd (http://enfyslifescience.com/), Kochi, India. The training courses themselves are funded by the ONWARD project (https://onwardnetwork.net/). The internship covers the expenses associated with mini projects, typically associated with graduate or undergraduate courses and last for one to three months. So far, 2 students have been supported through this scheme, run by TPSF. A second set of internships will be offered on completion of the third ONWARD training course scheduled for 18 th – 24 th July 2023.
Some quotes from interns:
Ms. Ananditha S.S .
TPSF genuinely cared about the progress and success of the project and always
maintained regular contact to address any challenges or concerns of the interns for
which I’m really grateful.
Ms. Arathi M
I am much obliged to receive TPSF fellowship, It helped me to gain sound
knowledge and confident in Molecular techniques and microbiology.
Meet our Donor: PA Lokabharathi
Dr. PA Lokabharathi retired from the National Institute of Oceanography, Goa, as its Deputy Director in 2012. Educated in India (BSc from St. Teresa’s College and MSc from Cochin University) and France (Doctorate from Aix-Marseille University, Luminy site), she is a microbiologist, and serves on many high-level panels in oceanography and microbiology in India. She has done pioneering work on marine microbiology, including on sulphur-reducing
bacteria from the Indian Ocean, long before it became a fashionable topic, and on hydrothermal vents from the Indian Ocean.
