Santanu Bhattacharya

Professor & Chairman

Tel : 91-80-2293-2664/2403/2402
Fax : 91-80-2360-0529
E-mail

One page summary

Education:
Ph.D. Rutgers University (1988, with Robert A. Moss)
Postdoc: Massachusetts Institute of Technology (with H.G. Khorana)

I have the following research interests:

Molecular Design, Chemical Biology, Bioorganic & Biomimetic Chemistry, Membrane Biology/ Biophysics, and Supramolecular Materials.

1. Molecular Design:

My group is involved in the design and synthesis of the following types of molecules or molecular/supramolecular entities.

  1. Lipids and their analogues.

  2. Dendrimers and cascade molecules.

  3. Self-assembled layered molecules.

  4. Nucleic acid binding/modifying molecules.

  5. Transition metal based catalysts for sequence-neutral/-specific DNA and Protein modification.

  6. Micellar catalysts for acyl transfer, hydrolytic and oxidation reactions in water.

2. Chemical Biology, Bioorganic & Biomimetic Chemistry, Membrane Biology/ Biophysics:

We are currently dealing with the following types problems in these areas.

  1. Membrane Formation and Assembly.

  2. Molecular Mechanism of Drug action on DNA.

  3. Protein-DNA interactions.

  4. Activation of ambient oxygen species.

  5. Phospholipase action.

  6. Mechanism of Gene Transfer.

3. Supramolecular Materials:

  1. New Gelators

  2. Novel Surfactants

  3. Materials with Tribological properties

  4. Design of Porous solids

Figure 1

Representative Publications:
  1. P. Chaudhuri, B. Ganguly & S. Bhattacharya (2007) An Experimental and Computational Analysis on the Differential Role of the Positional Isomers of Symmetric Bis-2-(pyridyl)-1H-benzimidazoles as DNA Binding Agents. J. Org. Chem. 72, 1912.
  2. S. Bhattacharya & A. Bajaj (2007) Membrane-Forming Properties of Pseudoglyceryl Backbone based Gemini Lipids possessing Oxyethylene Spacers. J. Phys. Chem. B, 111, 2463.
  3. A. Bajaj, P. Kondiah, & S. Bhattacharya (2007) Design, Synthesis and in-Vitro Gene Delivery Efficacies of Novel Cholesterol based Gemini Cationic Lipids and their Serum Compatibity: A Structure-Activity Investigation J. Med. Chem. in press.
  4. S. Bhattacharya, A. Srivastava. & A. Pal (2006) Modulation of Viscoelastic Properties of Physical Gels by Nanoparticle Doping: Influence of the Nanoparticle Capping Agent.  Angew Chem., Int. Ed. 45, 2934.
  5. S. Bhattacharya & A. Bajaj, (2005) Recent Advances in Lipid Molecular Design. Curr. Opin. Chem. Biol.  9(6), 647.
  6. J. Haldar, P. Kondaiah and S. Bhattacharya (2005) Antimicrobial Properties of Novel ‘Cleavable’ Multi-headed Cationic Surfactants, J. Med. Chem., 48, 3823.
  7. A. Srivastava, S. Ghorai, A.Bhattacharjya, & S. Bhattacharya (2005) A Tetrameric Sugar based Azobenzene that Gels Water at various pH values and in the presence of salts, J. Org. Chem., 70, 6574.
  8. S. Bhattacharya & V. Praveen Kumar (2005) Effect of Heteroatom Insertion at the side-chain of 5-Alkyl-1H-tetrazoles on their Properties as Catalysts for Ester Hydrolysis at Neutral pH, J. Org. Chem., 70, 9677.
  9. S. Bhattacharya & J. Haldar (2004) Thermo-dynamics of Micellization of Multiheaded Single-chain Cationic Surfactants, Langmuir, 20, 7940.
  10. S. Bhattacharya and A. Guliyani, (2003) First Report of Zn2+ Sensing Exclusively at Mesoscopic Interfaces Chem. Commun., 1158.
  11. Y.K. Ghosh, S.S. Visweswariah and S. Bhattacharya (2002) Advantage of the Ether Linkage between the positive charge and the Cholesteryl Skeleton in Cholesterol-based Amphiphiles as Vectors for Gene Delivery, Bioconjugate Chem., 13, 378.
  12. J. Haldar, V.K. Aswal, P.S. Goyal and S. Bhattacharya (2001) Molecular Modulation of Surfactant Aggregation in Water: Effect of the Incorporation of Multiple Headgroups on Micellar Properties Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 40, 1228.
  13. S. Bhattacharya and Y.K. Ghosh (2001) First Report of Phase Selective Gelation of Oil from Oil/Water Mixtures. Possible Implications toward containing Oil Spills Chem. Commun. 185.
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