Bhabatarak Bhattacharyya obtained his PhD in Biochemistry from Kolkata University, Kolkata and obtained his postdoctoral training at National Institute of Health, Maryland. He later joined Bose Institute, Kolkata in 1978. His topic of research was colchicine-tubulin interaction. He elucidated the effect of the carbonyl group on the side chain of B-ring in the irreversible binding of colchicine. He demonstrated the fluorescence of colchicine-tubulin bind which is reported to have offered an alternative to radio-labeled colchicine in pharmacological assays and made the study of the kinetics of colchicine binding easier. His studies on mechanism of chaperone-like activity of tubulin and microtubule associated protein were significant in the design of lead compounds and new drugs for the treatment of cancer. Dr. Bhattacharya was the recipient of BC Guha Memorial Award, P S Sharma Memorial Award, and Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award (1988). He was the elected fellow of Indian Academy of Science, National Academy of Sciences and, The World Academy of Sciences.

Mukund Lal Bhatia obtained his PhD (1937) from Punjab University, Chandigarh, with specialization in Zoology and Entomology. He worked on morphology, functional morphology of Indian and foreign leaches. He was the Dean, University of Delhi, Delhi and Honorary Professor, Biosciences at Himachal Pradesh University, Shimla. Dr. Bhatia was President (1956) of Indian Science Congress and was a Member of Asiatic Society, and Zoological Society of India. He was a Fellow of Zoological Society of London.