Akanksha is from Uttar Pradesh, India, and she got her Master's degree in chemistry from IIT BHU, Varanasi, in 2022. During her master's project, she worked with Dr Indrajit Sinha on "Synthesis of core-shell nanoparticles Ni@Ag." She got a gold medal for her M.Sc. from IIT BHU in 2022. She joined Dr Soumen De's group in the Varsha 2022 as an institute fellow. She likes to cook, read books, and watch the news in her free time.

Email: akanksha22@iisertvm.ac.in

Publications:

1. "(Supra)Molecular Switches Controlled by Artificial Signaling Cascades" Jayashree Venkatesh, Akanksha Sharma, Soumen De,* Susnata Pramanik,* and Michael Schmittel* Synlett., 2025, 36, 1868-1888.

2. "Molecular Tuning Nanoarchitectonics of Azobenzene-Based Pliers Directs Chiral Preference and Reversible Helicity Inversion in Coordinated Molecular Rotors"  Diptiprava Sahoo, Akanksha Sharma,  Anshuman Bera, Sivaranjana Reddy Vennapusa and Soumen De* Inorg. Chem. 2026, 65, 6722–6734.

3. "Multi-colour and red emissions from a small donor-acceptor molecule by breaching Kasha's rule" Prathaban G, Akanksha Sharma, Soumen De, and Susnata Pramanik* Chem. Commun., 2026, 62, 12361-12365.

Mrinmoy is from West Bengal. He has done his B.Sc. from Acharya Jagadish Chandra Bose College, University Of Calcutta, Kolkata and Graduated Master's degree in Chemical Sciences from Central University Of Gujarat, Gujarat in 2023. He worked with Dr Dhananjoy Mondal on 'Asymmetric Synthesis' during his master's project. He joined Dr Soumen De's group in the Varsha 2023 as a GATE- 2023 institute fellow. He likes to Cook, Teach and Play outdoor indoor games. 

Email: mrinmoymaity23@iisertvm.ac.in

Yamuna is from Tamil Nadu, India and received her Master's degree from National College, Trichy. She joined Dr Soumen De's group at IISER Thiruvananthapuram in May 2025 as an Institute fellow. She likes to cook, read books, play chess and listen to music in her free time. She is working chiral supramolecular cages and their applications.

Email: yamuna24@iisertvm.ac.in 

Namitha is from Kerala. She completed a Master's in Chemistry from St. George's College, Aruvithura, affiliated to Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam. She joined the group in Varsha 2025 as an Institute Fellow. She will working on chiral foldamers and their applications.

Email: namithamariajose25@iisertvm.ac.in

Uthara, from Palakkad, Kerala, received her Master's degree from the Govt. Victoria college Palakkad. She joined the group in the 2026 Vasanth semester as a PhD student through CSIR JRF. She is working on chiral molecular switches.

Email: uthara26@iisertvm.ac.in

Nithish is from Chennai. He received his bachelors degree from Madras Christian College, Chennai in 2019. He likes reading books and enjoy playing volleyball, Kabaddi during his spare time.

Email: nithish19@iisertvm.ac.in

Publications:

1. "Stimuli-Responsive Chiroptical Switching" Diptiprava Sahoo, Renitta Benny, Nithish Kumar KS, and Soumen De*ChemPlusChem. 2022, 87,e202100322.

2. "Biomimetic supramolecular coordination chemistry and molecular machines" Renitta Benny, Diptiprava Sahoo, Nithish Kumar KS, and Soumen De* Book Chapter, Elsevier, 2022, ISBN: 610995.

3. "Controlling the Chiroptical Properties of Pyrene-Based Tweezers by Conformation Locking" Renitta Benny, Nithish Kumar K S, Anshuman Bera, Rakshantha Srithar, Susnata Pramanik, Sivaranjana Reddy Vennapusa,  and Soumen De* ChemPhotoChem, 2025, e202400396.

4.  "Helicity Amplification in a Stereodynamic Oxahelicene–Bisporphyrin Tweezer Enables Quantitative Chiral Sensing" Nithish Kumar, Ritisha Srimany, Alex P. Andrews, and Soumen De,* submitted

 I am Dona Goswami from Kolkata, West Bengal, currently pursuing my second year of the Integrated PhD program at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. I completed my Bachelor’s degree from the University of Calcutta and joined the lab at IISER TVM in January 2026. I am working on "Synthesis and application of metal ion-triggered chiral switches" and am deeply passionate about organophysical chemistry. Beyond academics, I enjoy classical dance and painting.   

Email: donagoswami25@iisertvm.ac.in

I am Baditya Poojitha from Andhra Pradesh, currently pursuing my Integrated PhD in Chemistry at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram. I completed my B.Sc. in Chemistry from Government Degree College, Ichchapuram, affiliated with Dr. B. R. Ambedkar University, Srikakulam. I joined the lab at IISER Thiruvananthapuram in 2026 and am currently working on “Visible-light-triggered chiral photo switches.” I am interested in chemistry research and passionate about gaining practical laboratory experience and developing my experimental and technical skills. 

Beyond academics, I enjoy reading books, drawing and sketching, listening to music, and playing games.

Email: badityapoojitha25@iisertvm.ac.in 

I am Anju V S, from Palakkad, Kerala. I have completed my Bachelor’s degree from Sree Narayana College Alathur, which is affiliated with the University of Calicut. I joined the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER), Thiruvananthapuram, as an Integrated PhD (IPHD) student in Varsha 2024. My interests include photography, particularly capturing meaningful moments, and dance. I joined the Vasanth 2026 group and will be working on foldamers.

Email: anjuvs124@iisertvm.ac.in 

I am Anjana Sreenivas from Kannur, Kerala, currently pursuing my fifth year of the BS-MS program at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. I joined the lab in July 2026 to conduct my major thesis, in which I am working on "Chiral Signal Transmission in a Ternary Complex." I am passionate about organic synthesis and enjoy learning and exploring new synthetic techniques.

Outside the lab, I am an avid admirer of literature and poetry. I enjoy writing poems, journaling, and expressing my thoughts through creative writing.

Email: sreenivas22@iisertvm.ac.in

I am Vaishnavi Gopal Shinkar from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, Maharashtra. I am currently pursuing the fifth year of the BS-MS program at the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research (IISER) Thiruvananthapuram.

I joined the lab in  2023, and I am currently working on my major project titled "Out-of-Equilibrium Systems Controlling Chiroptical Properties."Beyond academics, I enjoy playing the harmonium, singing, and listening to music. In my free time, I also like playing outdoor sports such as kho-kho and kabaddi.

Email: gopal22@iisertvm.ac.in

Sakeena is from Sonipat, Haryana. She completed a bachelor's in chemistry from Maharishi Dayanand University, Rohtak. She is an MSc second-year student at IISER Thiruvananthapuram. She joined the group in July 2025. Her work focuses on chiral sensing and host-guest binding studies. She likes to read books and enjoys yoga in her leisure time. 

Email: sakeena24@iisertvm.ac.in