"My father used to take me to Star Wars and Star Trek films – I think Star Wars was the one that got a lot of people inspired and fascinated by science,” Abhishek says.

 

Although Abhishek didn’t grow up to be a Jedi Knight, the “big visions” presented by science fiction left an impression on him. He ultimately made his own real-life story into a science career that’s helping sustain the natural resources here on Earth. He is motivated to solve significant challenges facing humanity: the long-term availability of energy and water.

 

Abhishek is a chemist by training. “Whenever I am thinking about the next chemistry we should be working on, the challenge is understanding how it could be applied to a current market need,” Abhishek says. “If that need isn’t there, then we aren’t doing the right thing."

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“After all of the research and hard work spent addressing those needs, seeing how the results impact real people is a gratifying experience.”