Mysore/Mysuru: M.M. Ponnamma (Shreya) has secured a gold medal in M.Sc. Medical Biotechnology at Manipal School of Life Sciences (MSLS), under Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE).

Hailing from Mandeda family in Nalvathokkalu near Virajpet, Shreya has also been adjudged the Best Outgoing Graduate Student of Manipal.

A moment of childhood curiosity marked the beginning of Shreya’s journey into biotechnology. Fascinated by how milk turned into curd overnight, she was told by her mother that “tiny living things” made it possible — a simple explanation that ignited a lifelong fascination for the unseen world of microbes.

What began as innocent wonder evolved into a focused academic pursuit during her undergraduate studies. Her project exploring chilli stalks as a non-dairy source of lactic acid for curd fermentation earned her a research publication and a poster award.

The COVID-19 pandemic further strengthened her conviction in the transformative power of biotechnology to influence and improve global health.

Exposure to cutting-edge research at MSLS shaped her scientific perspective further. Her work on developing an in vitro drug-testing platform for osteosarcoma became a defining milestone, deepening her interest in cancer biology and organoid technology.

Daughter of Mandeda Manu Madaiah, a businessman and Chethan (Boovadira), a homemaker, Shreya Ponnamma aims to pursue her Ph.D next.