THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Nobel Prize had a Malayali connection much before poet K Satchidanandan was considered for the Literature Prize. City-based retired professor Madhava Bhattatiry, who keeps a low profile amidst the excitement and discussions around the coveted prize, was once designated by the five-member Nobel Committee to suggest names for the Prize in Chemistry. Bhattatiry was assigned to suggest three candidates from the field of Chemistry back in 1984.Bhattatiry is a life fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry, American Institute of Chemistry and Malaysia Institute of Chemistry. During his 32-year stint in various foreign universities, Bhattatiry had a chance to rub shoulders with many Nobel laureates. He will turn 84 on October 24.“I was asked to suggest three names back in September 1984 for the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. The report was submitted in January, 1985, based on the requirements of the Nobel Committee which included their work, its significance, applications etc. I was not allowed to talk about the names then,” Bhattatiry said.Bhattatiry’s studies on diabetes, cholesterol synthesis in human body and Ascites Tumour Cells make his contribution in Biochemistry more relevant. After completing his degree in Chemistry from the University College, Bhattatiry went to Nagpur University to do MSc in Biochemistry. Biochemistry was a new subject then and only eight students were admitted to the PG course. He passed PG with a gold medal.After taking PhD in diabetes from Nagpur University, Bhattatiry went to the US for his post-doctoral fellowship. He took up follow up works of Nobel laureate Frederick Banting, one of the discoverers of insulin. Argentinian physiologist and Nobel laureate Bernardo Alberto Houssay was the examiner for Bhattatiry’s work on ‘Experimental diabetes’.Bhattatiry conducted studies on cholesterol synthesis in human body, which has remained a rare topic even now. He refutes the belief that coconut oil causes cholesterol. “No vegetable oil can cause cholesterol. They have short chain fatty acid, which gets digested easily,” he said. Bhattatiry has his life as example. A pure vegetarian, Bhattatiry does not have diabetes or cholesterol.Bhattatiry was in charge of the Biochemistry Department during the time of the establishment of the first Medical Colleges in Malaysia, Ethiopia and Nigeria. His name was suggested by the Inter-University Council for Higher Studies in Medicine, London. He returned to the state after retirement in 1986. Malathi is his wife. Manu is his son and Maduri and Malini are daughters.Though he contributed much to the field of Biochemistry, Bhattatiry’s talent has been little utilised by his home state.
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