Saurabh Rai

   DOB: July 20, 1998

   Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Bhopal, India

   saurabh18@iiserb.ac.in |+91-7470694059

   ‪SAURABH RAI‬ - ‪Google Scholar‬ 

EDUCATION

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India                                      [2021- ]

PhD in Chemistry, Prime Minister’s Research Fellow (PMRF)

Research areas: Biophysical Studies of biomolecular condensates formed through liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), Fluorescence Spectroscopy, Single-Molecule Spectroscopy (FCS, smFRET, FLIM), Drug-delivery, Cell imaging, Biophysical Chemistry

Thesis Advisor: Prof. Saptarshi Mukherjee (Professor of Chemistry)

Dissertation Title: Spectroscopic and Microscopic Investigations of Self-assembled Systems

Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Bhopal, India                                   [2018-2021]

Integrated MS in Chemistry                                                                                                           CGPA: 9.29/10.0

Thesis Advisor: Prof. Saptarshi Mukherjee (Professor of Chemistry)

Thesis Title: Luminescent Metal Nanoclusters (MNCs) -Synthesis & Spectroscopic Characterization

Banaras Hindu University (BHU) Varanasi, India                                                                                                           [2015-2018]

BSc (Hons.) in Chemistry                                                                                                         CGPA: 8.23/10.0

Minor: Physics and Mathematics                                                                                                         

INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCE

Functional Materials Laboratory                                                                                                            [Jun 2019-Aug 2019]

“Synthesis & characterization of Solution Processable Porous Organic Polymers for Singlet Oxygen”

Research Advisor: Abhijit Patra (Professor of Material Chemistry, IISER Bhopal)

Laboratory of Molecular and Macromolecular Materials                                                                                                           [Nov 2018-Jan2019]

“Stimuli Responsive Prodrug (H-DAC inhibitors) synthesis for selectively targeting Cancer Cells”

Research Advisor: Aasheesh Srivastava (Professor of Organic Chemistry, IISER Bhopal)

ab Initio Theory Group                                                                                                           [Mar 2018-Apr 2018]

“Basics of Molecular Dynamic Simulation and Molecular Docking”

Research Advisor: V Srinivasan (Professor of Theoretical Chemistry, IISER Bhopal)

AWARDS, RECOGNITIONS, AND ACCOMPLISHMENTS

1.        SERB ITS Grant, 2024 by Science and Engineering Research Board, Govt. of India

2.       Best Poster Presentation Award at InTeRaCTiONS 2023, IISER Bhopal

3.       Prime Ministers’ Research Fellowship (PMRF) 2021- May Cycle

4.       GATE-2020 & 2021 with (percentile: 99.52)

5.       IIT-JAM-2018 with (percentile 97.74)

6.       BHU-PET with AIR 09 (among top 0.1%)

7.       DST Fellowship (I PhD) IISER Bhopal (2018)

8.       DST Fellowship (I PhD) IISER Mohali (2018)

9.       Research trainee, R&D, Dr. Reddy's Laboratory 2021 (by Campus Placement Drive)

10.    Facilitator awards: SALTER's CHEMISTRY CAMP by RSC & Salter's Institute (2019)

PUBLICATIONS

>12 Publications, incl. 8 papers in published in ACS, RSC, & Wiley; H-index: 3, i10-index: 1, Citations: 39 as of 20 Sep 2024

Research articles

1.        Rai, S; Pramanik, S; Mukherjee, S. Role of Structural Polymorphism in Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation of Nucleic Acids. 2024 (Under Preparation)

2.   Rai, S; Mukherjee, M; Paul, B. K; Mukherjee, S. Behavior of an Intrinsically disordered protein β-Casein in Water-DMSO Binary Solvent Mixture from Single Molecule Resolution. 2024 (To be submitted)

3.   Rai, S; Mukherjee, S. Thermoresponsive Silver Nanocluster for Precise Luminescence Thermometry and Live Cell Imaging of Lysosomes. 2024 (To be submitted)

4.   Rai, S; Mukherjee, M; Paul, B K; Mukherjee, M; Mukherjee, S.* Cyclodextrin Derivatives as Modulators for Enhanced Drug Delivery from Niosome Membrane: A Fluorescence Correlation Spectroscopy and Isothermal Titration Calorimetry Approach. 2024 (Under Review: la-2024-010459)

5.   Rai, S; Pramanik, S; Mukherjee, S.* Deciphering the liquid–liquid phase separation induced modulation in the structure, dynamics, and enzymatic activity of an ordered protein β-lactoglobulin. Chem. Sci., 2024, 15, 3936.

6.   Agrawal, S; Rai, S; Mahato, P; Ali, A; Mukherjee, S.* Assemble-Disassemble-Reassemble Dynamics in Copper Nanocluster-Based Superstructures. J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 2024, 15, 4880.

7.   Gupta, R; Agrawal, S.; Rai, S; Sarkar, J; Kumari, S; Shil, D; Mukherjee, S.* Photoinduced Formation and Intercluster Conversion of a Thiol-Templated Copper Nanocluster. ACS Appl. Opt. Mater. 2024.

8.   Mahato, P; Thomas, A S; Yadav, R; Rai, S; Shekhar, S; Mukherjee, S.* Solvent-Induced Modulation in the Optical Properties of Copper Nanoclusters and Revealing the Isomeric Effect of Templates. Chem. Asian J. 2023, 18, e202300442.

9.   Pramanik, S; Chithra, S; Rai, S; Agrawal, S; Shil, D; Mukherjee, S.* Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer in a Supramolecular Assembly of Luminescent Silver Nanoclusters and Cucurbit[8]uril Based Host-Guest System. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2023, 30, 6608.

10. Chakraborty, S; Sagarika, P; Rai, S; Sahi, C; Mukherjee, S.* Tyrosine Templated Dual-Component Silver Nanomaterials Exhibit Photoluminescence and Versatile Anti-Microbial Properties Through ROS Generation. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2021, 13, 36938. 

11. Pramanik, U; Khamari, L; Rai, S; Mahato, P; Nandy, A; Yadav, R; Agrawal, S; Mukherjee, S.* Macrocyclic Cavitand β-Cyclodextrin Inhibits the Alcohol-induced Trypsin Aggregation. ChemPhysChem 2022, 23, e202200155.

12. Pramanik, S; Mahato, P; Pramanik, U; Nandy, A; Khamari, L; Shrivastava, S; Rai, S; Mukherjee, S.* DNA-Templated Modulation in the Photophysical Properties of a Fluorescent Molecular Rotor Auramine O by Varying the DNA Composition. J. Phys. Chem. B 2022, 126, 2658.

EXPERIMENTAL AND TECHNICAL SKILLS

Spectroscopy: Steady-state and time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy

UV-Vis Spectrophotometer, Fluorimeter, TCSPC, CD, NMR and Mass Spectrometry

Single Molecule Spectroscopic techniques: viz. smFRET, FCS, FLIM

Optical Microscopy: Confocal Live Cell imaging, Spinning-disc Microscopy, FLIM, FRAP

Electron Microscopy: SEM, TEM, SAED; AFM

Microbiology: Cell culture, incubation and extraction

DLS for Hydrodynamic-radius and Zeta-potential

Molecular docking, MD-Simulation (basic)

MS Office, Adobe Illustrator, ChemDraw, ImageJ, Origin

TALKS AND PRESENTATIONS

Oral Presentations (Conference and Science Congress)

1.        “FRET in a Supramolecular Assembly of Luminescent Silver Nanoclusters and CB[8]-based Host-Guest System” at FRET Satellite workshop (September 11-12, 2024) of the FRET community at the Universidad de Valencia, Spain.

2.       “Liquid-liquid Phase Separation Induced Modulation in the Structure, Dynamics, and Enzymatic Activity of an Ordered Protein β-Lactoglobulin” at MP Young Science Congress, February 21-23, 2024, at MITS Gwalior, India.

Poster Presentations (Conference and Symposium)

1.        “Liquid-liquid Phase Separation Induced Modulation in the Structure, Dynamics, and Enzymatic Activity of β-lactoglobulin” MAF 2024, Valencia, Spain

2.       “Tyrosine Templated Dual Component Silver Nanomaterials: Photophysics and Anti-Microbial Properties” at NSRP-2023, BITS-Pilani Goa, India

3.       “Modulation in Structure, Dynamics, and Enzymatic Activity of an Ordered Protein β-Lactoglobulin Inside Liquid Condensates formed via Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation” FCS-2023 by Fluorescence Correlation Society of India, at IISER Mohali

4.       SoPhyC 2023, by Society of Physical Chemistry of India, at IIT Kanpur

5.       InTeRaCTiONS 2023 at IISER Bhopal

6.       “Mimicking Functional Membranelles Organelles through in vitro Liquid-liquid Phase Separation of β-Lactoglobulin” at InTeRaCTiONS 2024, IISER Bhopal

7.       ACES-2019 at IISER Bhopal

8.       “Modulation in Structure, Dynamics, and Enzymatic Activity of an Ordered Protein β-Lactoglobulin Inside Liquid Condensates formed via Liquid-Liquid Phase Separation” at IINCM 2024, IISER Kolkata

9.       “Fluorescence Resonance Energy Transfer in a Supramolecular Assembly of Luminescent Silver Nanoclusters and Cucurbit[8]uril Based Host-Guest System” at Molecularly Designed Functional materials (MDFM) 2023, IISER Pune

GRANTS AND PROPOSALS

1.        Prime Minister’s Research Fellowship (PMRF) – Accepted and Granted for the year 2021-2024

2.       SERB-ITS by ANRF – (to travel abroad for Scientific Communication) Accepted & Granted -2024

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

1.        Statistical Mechanics (CHM421N/CHM621O)                               (IISER Bhopal, Jul 2021-Dec 2021)

2.       Classical Thermodynamics (CHM222N)                                       (IISER Bhopal, Jan 2022-June 20222)

3.       Practical Physical Chemistry                                          (S.V. Autonomous College, Bhopal, April 2022)

4.       Chemical Kinetics and Ionic Equilibria                          (S.V. Autonomous College, Bhopal, 2022-2023)

5.       Basic Inorganic Chemistry (CHM204)                                            (IISER Bhopal, Jan 2023-June 2023)

6.       Basic Chemistry                                              (Govt. S.S. School Bhauri, Bhopal, Sem1, AY 2023-2024)

7.       Science                                                          (Govt. S.S. School Bhauri, Bhopal, Sem2, AY 2023-2024)

8.       As Research Mentor: Sree Chitra- graduate student                                              (IISER Bhopal, 2021-2022)

9.       Mentor for workshops for Outreach program in Chemistry at IISER Bhopal                    (August 2023)

OTHER PROFESSIONAL ACTIVITIES

·   Student representative and member of representative council at IISER Bhopal

·   Soft-skill based Guidance to the Graduate students of the batch BSMS-2018 for the industrial job

PROFESSIONAL TRAINING AND COURSES

1.        Grant Writing & Management Workshop- by Max-Planck-Gesellschaft & University of Cologne-2024

2.       Author Workshop on scholarly publication- by Springer Nature at IISER Bhopal-2018

3.       Placement and Soft Skills Development Workshop at IISER Bhopal

4.       Quantum Mechanics and Spectroscopy (A grade)

5.       Chemistry and Physics of Materials (A grade)

6.       Advanced Molecular Spectroscopy (A grade)

7.       Physical Chemistry of Polymers (A grade)

8.       Physical Organic Chemistry (A grade)

9.       Biophysical Chemistry (A grade)

LEADERSHIP AND ORGANIZATION

·   Student representative and Co-Ordinator of Students Cooperative Mess Management Committee (SCMMC) at IISER Bhopal

·    Mentor Teacher for Salter’s Chemistry Camp by Royal Society of Chemistry & Salter’s Chemistry at IISER