BKB
Biochemist and Immunologist

Bimal Kumar Bachhawat

Born 16 August 1925 · verify — Died 23 September 1996

Discovered HMG-CoA lyase, key in mevalonate and ketogenesis metabolic pathways.

Bimal Kumar Bachhawat was an Indian neurochemist and glycobiologist, known for his discovery of HMG-CoA lyase, an intermediate in the mevalonate and ketogenesis pathway, and for the elucidation of the molecular cause of metachromatic leukodystrophy, a hereditary disease of the brain His studies on sugar-bearing liposomes led to its use as a carrier for in situ delivery of drugs and hormones to diseased organs and he pioneered the therapy of systemic fungal infections using liposomal formulations. He was a recipient of several awards including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award, the highest Indian honor in science and technology and an elected fellow of three major Indian science academies. The Government of India awarded him the third highest civilian honour of the Padma Bhushan, in 1990, for his contributions to science.

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A detail that
surprised us

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Bimal Kumar Bachhawat discovered HMG-CoA lyase, a key enzyme in ketogenesis, during his postdoctoral work in the US before returning to India to transform neurochemical research.

The Story

1
🌍 Born in Kolkata on 26 August 1925, Bimal Kumar Bachhawat pursued his MSc in Applied Chemistry from the University of Calcutta by 1948, setting the stage for his future biochemical explorations.
2
🎓 In 1953, he earned his PhD from the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, after pioneering research on antibiotics under Carl Swensson Vestling, a period during which he also worked on ketone body formation in mammals at the University of Michigan.
3🔬 Returning to India in 1957, he established a neurochemistry and glycobiology research center at Christian Medical College, Vellore, where he began unraveling the molecular causes of rare brain diseases like metachromatic leukodystrophy.
4In 1976, Bachhawat took charge as director of the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology in Kolkata, where he became the first Indian president of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists (1983–1985), a post that connected him with leading Asian researchers.

🏅 Awards & Honours

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Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Science and Technology

🔍 One thing most people don't know

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In 1953, Bachhawat completed his PhD in biochemistry at the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign, where he worked on ketone body formation, linking metabolism to steroidogenesis before many of these pathways were fully understood.

📸 Through the Years

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🗓️ A Life in Moments

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Birth
Birth in Kolkata, Bengal
Bimal Kumar Bachhawat was born in Kolkata, then part of British India, into a large family with five brothers and three sisters.
1925
📚
Education
MSc in Applied Chemistry
Completed his master's degree at the University of Calcutta, setting foundation for biochemical research.
1948
📚
Education
PhD from University of Illinois
Awarded PhD for research on antibiotics and ketone body formation under Carl Swensson Vestling.
1953
⚡
Career
Return to India, CMC Vellore
Joined Christian Medical College, Vellore, and started advanced neurochemistry and glycobiology research center.
1957
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Career
Director of Indian Institute of Chemical Biology
Assumed leadership of IICB, Kolkata, fostering biochemical research and becoming first Indian president of FAOB.
1976
🏅
Award
Awarded Padma Bhushan
Received India’s third highest civilian honor recognizing his contributions to science and medicine.
1990
⚡
Career
Retirement from University of Delhi
Retired as Dean of Faculty of Interdisciplinary and Applied Sciences, concluding formal academic service.
1990
🕊️
Death
Death
Passed away, leaving a legacy in neurochemical and glycobiological research.
1996
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🗝️Discoveries

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01 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

His pioneering work in Vellore identified deficiency of lysosomal arylsulfatase A as the molecular cause of metachromatic leukodystrophy, a rare infantile brain disease causing early mortality, a breakthrough in neurochemical genetics.

02 / 04
🌍HISTORICAL IMPACT

Bachhawat was the first Indian elected president of the Federation of Asian and Oceanian Biochemists (1983–1985), highlighting his regional scientific influence beyond national boundaries.

03 / 04
🏆ACHIEVEMENT

His work on sugar-bearing liposomes in the 1970s led directly to liposomal drug delivery systems for in situ hormone and drug release, a technique now fundamental in targeted therapy research.

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🌱 What changed because of them

Bachhawat’s fusion of neurochemistry with glycobiology established new understanding of hereditary brain diseases such as metachromatic leukodystrophy, influencing diagnostic and therapeutic approaches in India. His leadership roles at the Indian Institute of Chemical Biology and University of Delhi fostered research infrastructure and interdisciplinary bioscience programs, while his innovations in liposome drug delivery paved the way for targeted therapies in fungal infections and beyond.

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