Smita Mishra

Indian environmental scientist pioneering plastic-eating bacteria for waste management

Dr. Smita Mishra is a microbiologist from Bhubaneswar, India, whose groundbreaking research on plastic-degrading bacteria is revolutionizing waste management. Working at the National Institute of Technology Rourkela since 2018, she discovered a strain of Pseudomonas putida bacteria capable of breaking down polyurethane plastics in record time. Her 2020 study published in Journal of Hazardous Materials demonstrated 80% degradation of plastic waste in just 48 hours under lab conditions. This discovery led to the 2022 launch of BioPlast Solutions, a startup commercializing her findings through bioremediation facilities. By 2024, her technology had processed over 2,000 tons of plastic waste in Odisha and West Bengal, reducing landfill dependency by 25% in pilot areas. Mishra's work was featured in Nature Magazine and earned her the 2023 UNESCO Women in Science Award. She now advocates for decentralized waste treatment systems through her TEDx talk The Microbes That Eat Plastic, inspiring global collaborations in bioengineering.