IITB Project Topics

8/10/2019 IITB Project Topics

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Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Bombay TAP and FA Ph.D Topics for Autumn 2014

No. Faculty Name Project Details: PhD Positions for May 2014

1 Rochi sh

Thaokar

Numerical simulation of charged electrosprays for nanoparticle synthesis: Electrohydrodynamic atomization has

e me rge d a s a po we rful to ol to p ro du ce n ano -s i ze d a e ro so ls wh ich a re u se d i n a pp li ca ti on s s uch a s d ru g

del ivery, aerosol ge ne ra ti on fo r fu nd ame nta l s tu di es , n an op arti cl e s yn th es i s, e tc. Th e q ua nti ta ti ve

founda ti on of EH D s ys tems i s s ti l l l a rge l yba s ed on empi ri ca l s ca l i ng l a ws a nd there i s cons i dera b le ga p i n

providing predictive models for the particle s ize and charge distribution craracteris i tcs . More speci f ica l ly,

the chal lenge is to understand the mechanism of formation of nano-s ized particles from micron s ized l iquid

droplets . The project a ims as theoretica l estimation (us ing analytica l theory and in-house BEM simulations

as wel l as BEM based commercia l softwares such as the Integrated Engineering Software) of drop s ize after

s i ngl e a nd mul ti pl e Ra yl ei gh fi s si on o f a cha rge d d ro p a nd me ch an is ms to p re di ct n an o-s i ze d d ro pl e ts

produced in electrospray processes as wel l as predict droplet tra jectories in a Electro-spray chamber. Who

should apply: Physics, Mechanical or Chemical Engineering, with incl ination towards numerical simulations of

f luids and electrostatics . The ca ndi da te i s e xpe cte d to be ve rs ati le i n numeri ca l me thods a nd fl ui d

dynamics. (1 position, TAP/FA)

2 Rochi sh

Thaokar

Experimental investigation of electrospray systems: Electrohydrodynamic atomization has emerged as a powerful

tool to produce na no-s ize d a eros ol s whi ch a re us ed i n a ppl ica ti ons s uch a s drug de li ve ry, a eros ol

generation for fundamental studies , nanoparticle synthes is , etc. One of the chal lenges in the process is to

u nde rs ta nd th e b re ak up o f a s i ngl e dro p, a nd i ts d ep en de nce o n s ys te m pa ra me te rs . Th e p ro je ct wou ld

involve fabricating an experimental setup for investigation of Rayleigh instabi l i ty of a s ingle charged drop,

a nd i ts de pe nde nce on prope rti es s uch a s conducti vi ty of the drop, humi di ty a nd non-Ne wtoni an a nd

Vi s co el a sti c ch ara cte r of the d rop p ha s e. Spe ci fi ca l ly, the s e tu p wi l l i nvol ve d es i gn in g a nd fa bri ca ti ngquadrupole field electrodes for stabi l izing the drops, particle injection system etc. Who should apply: Physics,

Me cha ni ca l or Che mi ca l Engi ne eri ng, wi th i ncl ina ti on towa rds nume ri ca l s imul ati ons of fl ui ds a nd

electrostatics. (1 position, TAP/FA)

3 Rochi sh

Thaokar and

Sameer

Jadhav

(coguide)

Electroporation of liposomes decorated with nanoparticles and membrane modulating molecules for drug delivery:

El e ctrop ora ti on ha s e me rge d a s a ve ry e ffe cti ve wa y o f ge ne a nd d ru g d el i ve ry. On e o f the ch al l en ge s i n

el ectroporation i s to reduce the app li ed voltage (currently few kV DC pul se s). Another important

technologi ca l i s s ue i s to have penetra ti on of e l ectri c fi e l d i nsi de a ce l l /ves i cl e . Th is experi menta l pro ject

a i ms a t unders ta nd i ng the i ntera cti on of e l ectri c fi e l d wi th l i pi d b i la yers decora ted wi th h i gh d ie l ectri c

constant nanoparticles and membrane modulating molecules . The idea is to increase the effectiveness of

e lectroporation by external ly inducing an increase in the effective electric permittivi ty of the bi layer. The

project would involve video and fluorescence microscopy of l iposomes, decorated with nanoparticles and

membrane modulating molecules subjected to various kinds of electric s ignals . Who should apply: Students

with Bio-Technology background with fel lowships, should preferably have experimental ski l ls in microscopy,lipids, membranes (1 position, FA only)

4 Rochi sh

Thaokar and

Sameer

Jadhav

(coguide)

Electrofusion of liposomes for drug delivery and nanoparticle synthesis: Liposomes based drug delivery, especial ly

for cancer treatment has gained s igni ficance in recent times due to their bio-compatibi l i ty and control led

re l ea s e . A contro ll ed wa y of del i very i s through a ppl ica ti on of e l ectri c fi e l d to i nduce e l ectrofus ion of the

l i po so me s wi th ce ll me mbra ne . An othe r a re a wh ere e l ectro fu si on i s e mp loye d i s the s yn the s is o f n ich e

chemi ca l s a nd bio-compati bl e na nopa rti cl es . I t i s known tha t s ynthes i s i n confi ned envi ronment hel ps i n

reduci ng the vo l ume ha ndled, conta mi na ti on etc. Th i s experi menta l pro ject a i ms a t unders ta ndi ng the

fa ctors tha t contro l the e l ectrofusi on of l i pos omes wi th ce l l s or GUVs , wi th s peci fi c a ttenti on to the drug

de li very a spe cts . I t woul d a ls o a im a t control le d s ynthes is of bi ocompa ti bl e na nopa rti cl es us ing

electrofusion. The project would involve video and fluorescence microscopyof l iposomes and microfluidics

Who should apply: Students with Bi o-Technol ogy background with fe l l ows h ips , s hou l d prefera bl y have

experimental s kill s i n microscopy, lipids , membranes (1 position, FA only)

5 Sup re et Sa i ni Community decisions in bacteria: Th is p ro je ct d ea l s wi th a na l ys i s o f pa th wa ys whi ch e na bl e th e s i ngl e-ce l l

organisms (bacteria) to communicate with each other and take community decis ions. This process is cal led

Quorum sensing, and is dictated bya regulatory networks ins ide the cel l . In addition, many bacteria l species

ha ve more tha n one s ys te m for quorum s ens ing whi ch e na bl es the m to (a ) i nte gra te mul ti pl e s igna ls

combi na tori al ly, (b) ke ep tra ck of ri va l s pe ci e popul ati on, a nd (c) ga uge l oca l a nd di sta l popul ati on

e sti ma te s. De ve lopme nt of a n a na lyti ca l a nd computa ti ona l fra mework to unde rs ta nd how the se

i nfo rma ti on i s p ro ce s se d i s th e fo cu s o f th is re s ea rch . The work wi l l i nvo lve a na l ys i s a nd s i mu la ti ons i n

Matlab. This work is in col laboration with Dr. Sandeep Krishna at NCBS, Bangalore

(http://www.ncbs.res.in/sandeep). Relevant background: Cours es i n Di fferenti a l Equa ti ons , Li nea r Al gebra ,

Introductory Probabi l i ty & Statistics , and a strong interest in biology [Bachelors/Masters in Mathematics ,

Physics, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and other related

fields.] (1 position, TAP/FA)

6 Sup re et Sa i ni Optimality of the Genetic Code: The genetic code can be thought of as an al location problem where you have toa l lo ca te 64 co don s a mo ng 21 b oxe s (on e b ox fo r e a ch a mi no a ci d, a nd a no th er fo r tra ns l ati on s to p s i te s )

ma ki ng s ure that ea ch box gets a t l ea st one codon. Wi th more tha n 1080 ways to solve this counting problem,
http://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbs.res.in%2Fsandeep&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEl8IjHSpnfOrtdUpFh7zCTMSJOLghttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbs.res.in%2Fsandeep&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEl8IjHSpnfOrtdUpFh7zCTMSJOLghttp://www.google.com/url?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbs.res.in%2Fsandeep&sa=D&sntz=1&usg=AFQjCNEl8IjHSpnfOrtdUpFh7zCTMSJOLg


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why is i t that nature has chosen the standard genetic code for this purpose? This project a ims to explore the

o pti ma l ity, i f a ny, o f the s ta nd ard ge ne ti c co de co mp are d to o th er p os s ib le cod es . Th e wo rk wi l l i nvo lve

a na lys is a nd s imul ati ons i n Pe rl . Relevant background: Courses in Di fferentia l Equations, Linear Algebra,

Introductory Probabi l i ty & Statistics , and a strong interest in biology [Bachelors/Masters in Mathematics ,

Physics, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, Biochemical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, and other related

fields.] (1 position, TAP/FA)

7 K. V.

Venkatesh

Connecting genetic network response to metabolic network to characterize phenotypic response: The project deals

with characterizing the genetic network ofE. colifor growth on various substrates and l inks the steadystate

response to the metabolic network to quantify the phenotypic response. The project deals with experimentsa nd theoreti ca l a nal ys i s of the s ys tem l eve l beha vi or of growth of E. co li on va ri ous s ubs tra tes both under

aerobic and anaerobic conditions. The project wi l l a lso deal with characterizing metabol ism of E. coliunder

nutri ti ona l s h ifts a nd under cha ngi ng envi ronmenta l cond iti ons s uch a s tempera ture a nd pH. The pro ject

involves both wet lab and model ing genetic and metabol ic networks . The issue of optimal phenotypic shi ft

under different conditions wil l be characterized. Who should apply: Students with Biotechnology background

and chemical engineering students with interest in B iochemical engineering are bestsui ted. (1 position, FA

only)

8 K. V.

Venkatesh

Analyzing whole body metabolism in Humans for characterizing disease states: Whole body metabolism in various

ti ss ue s i s ti ghtl y re gul ate d through s eve ra l s igna li ng ne tworks . The proje ct de al s wi th a na lyzi ng the

i nte rconnecti ons be twee n the s igna li ng pa thwa y a nd the me ta bol is m. Structura l a nd pa ra me tri c

perturbati ons for va ri ous l i fes tyl e condi ti ons s uch a s d iet, exerci s e , i n fecti on wi l l be s tudi es to l i nk the

ca us e a nd effect for va ri ous l i fes tyl e re l a ted d is ea s es . I t i s a theoreti ca l pro ject. Who should apply: Students

wi th model i ng experi ence a re wel l s u ited, chemi ca l engi neeri ng background wi th i nteres t i n Bi o logy a ndBiotechnology students are suited. (1 position, FA only)

9 Santos h

Noronha

Production of chiral drugs in modified microbial systems: The objecti ve of th i s pro ject i s to overproduce a key

ch ira l pha rma i ntermedi a te , currentl y extra cted from pla nts . The s tra tegi es we propos e to us e i ncl ude

tra ns fe rri ng p ath wa ys to mi cro bi a l s ys te ms fro m p la nts a nd o th er mi cro bi a l s ys te ms , ma ni pu la ti on o f

pathway f luxes in these systems, and engineering relevant enzymes to have improved catalytic activi ties .

This is a col laborative project between I ITB and a regional ICMR lab. Who should apply: Candidates with M.Sc.,

or M.Tech Bi ochemi s try or Bi otechnol ogy or equ iva l ent. Pro ject-re l a ted experi ence wi th b iochemi s try,

microbiology and molecular biology techniques would be an advantage. Chemical engineering background

candidates with project experience related to microbial biotechnology wil l also be considered. (1 position, FA

only)

10 S antos h

Noronha

Real-time surgical evaluation of tumors using Raman spectroscopy. Bra i n tu mo rs a cco unt fo r 85% to 90% o f a l l

primary central nervous system (CNS) tumors. Brain tumors may be primary or secondary tumors. The primarytumors a re na med ba sed on the ce l l type from whi ch they ori gi nate - a s trocytoma a ri s i ng from gl i a l ce l l s ,

meni ngi oma from meni nges a nd oli godendrogl i oma a ri s i ng from protecti ve coveri ng of the bra i n a nd a re

col l ecti ve ly re fe rre d to a s gl i oma s . Gl i oma s re pre se nt 30% o f a l l b ra i n tu mors a nd 80% o f a l l ma l igna nt

tumors. These tumors are notoriously infi ltrative and result in poor prognosis; an important reason for this i s

the inabi l i ty to adequately determine the posi tion and extentof spread for these tumor cel l s an important

determi na nt for outcome of a ra di ca l res ecti on . Vi s ua l cues a re often i nadequa te pri ma ri l y beca us e the

mi cros cope i s una b le to vi s ua l i ze beyond the expos ed s urfa ce . Deeper i nfi l tra ti ng tumor ce l l s ma y not be

e vi de nt a s th e e xpo se d s urfa ce o f th e re s ecti on ca vi ty ma y a pp ea r n orma l . To e nh an ce vi s ua l iza ti on ,

various techniques of intraoperative imaging are employed; these require costly equipment to implement.

Arti fa cts i n the regi on of the tumor ca vi ty s i gn i fi ca ntl y l i mi t i nterpreta ti on of the i ma ges . Further, thes e

mo da l iti e s a re n ot tru ly re al -ti me b ut n ece s si ta te i nte rru pti on o f th e s urgi ca l p roce du re fo r a cq ui ri ng

images. The more recently introduced fluorescence guided resection approach requires the administration of

a n e xte rna l a ge nt (a mi nol evul ini c a ci d) to i nduce di ffe re nti al ti ss ue fl uore sce nce whi ch ca n the n be

vi sua li ze d. A s urgi ca l mi cros cope ne eds to be s ui ta bl y modi fi ed for de te cti ng fl uore sce nce . The re i stherefore a need for a rapid, objective technique conducive to real -time appl ication that requires l i ttle orno

s ampl e pre pa ra ti on. Ra ma n s pe ctros copy i s s uch a te chni que a nd ca n be a da pte d for re al ti me , in vivo

a ppl i ca ti ons . In recent work , the cl a s s i fi ca ti on of norma l a nd ca ncerous bra i n ti s s ues has been reported

using Raman microspectroscopic and resonance Raman studies; necrotic tissue has also been differentiated

from vita l tumors. The abi l i ty of fiber-optic Raman spectroscopy to distinguish normal brain samples from

gl i oma s has recentl y been eva l ua ted i n the Ind ia n popul a ti on , i n a l i mi ted p i lot s tudy. Thes e s tudi es have

been carried out at the Tata Memoria l Center. The proposed project is a col laborative study with TMC where

we further deve l op thes e i dea s by bui l di ng i n hous e Ra ma n s pectros copes , tes t thes e on a n ima l ti s s ues ,

a nd s ubs eque ntl y de ve lop re al ti me s urgi ca l ma rgi n e va lua ti ons i n a ni ma l mode ls . Who should apply:

Ca nd id ate s wi th M.Te ch . or B.Te ch . i n a n e ngi ne eri ng di s ci pl i ne wi th p ro je ct-re l ate d e xp eri e nce wi th

el ectroni cs and ha rdware (preferabl y involving optics and s pectroscopy). (1 position, TAP/FA)

11 Sa me er

Jadhav,Rochish

Thaokar

Molecular dynamics studies of phospholipid bilayers: Molecular dynamics has evolved into a cri tica l tool for drug

di scove ry, de si gn a nd s cre eni ng. Wi th more tha n s ixty pe rce nt mol ecul ar ta rge ts for di se as es be inga s so ci a te d wi th me mb ra ne s , a b ette r un de rs ta ndi ng o f th e ph os ph ol i pi d me mb ra ne i nte ra cti on s wi th

relevant proteins and their l igands is warranted.The objective of the work is to carry out moleculardynamics


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(cogui de ) s imul ati ons us ing GROMACS to unde rs ta nd how the bi ol ogi ca l me mbra ne prope rti es a re modul ate d by

various smal l molecules including s iRNA and peptides. The joint project in col laboration with ICT, Mumbai

a nd NIRRH, Mumbai i s funded by Na nomi s s i on , D epa rtment of Sci ence a nd Technology. Who should apply:

Masters or Bachelors degree in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering or Masters

degree in Physics . Some computer programming experience is desirable. (1 position, TAP/FA)

12 Sa me er

Jadhav,

Ganesh

Viswanathan

(coguide)

Modeling and simulation of molecular signaling during cell polarization: Division, orientation and migration of cel ls

requ i re thei r pol a ri za ti on. We wi s h to s i mul ate ce l l ul a r res pons e to chemi ca l a nd mechani ca l s i gna ls by

kinetic model ing of the relevant molecular mechanisms. Of particular interest is s ignal

attenuation/ampl i fication due to interactions between various pathways involved in cel l polarization. The

project wi l l require extens ive coding in C language / MATLAB. Who should apply: Masters or Bachelors degreei n Bi otechnology, Chemi ca l Engi neeri ng, Mecha ni ca l Engi neeri ng or Ma s ters degree i n Phys i cs . Some

computer programming experience is desirable (1 position, TAP/FA)

13 Sa me er

Jadhav

Development of liposomal systems for targeted delivery and controlled release of siRNA The s iRNA ba se d

th era pe uti c i nte rve nti ons h ave ge ne ra te d mu ch i nte re s te d i n the tre a tme nt o f ge ne ti c di s orde rs . Th e

objective of the project is to develop l iposome-based s iRNA del ivery systems and test their efficacy in vi tro

a nd i n vi vo . Thes e s ma l l mol ecu les a re known to a l ter the mechan i ca l properti es of b io l ogi ca l membra nes

a s wel l a s modula te membra ne i ntera cti ons wi th other s urfa ces . We pl an to us e mi cropi pette a s pi ra ti on

wh ich h as be en u se d to s tud y bi ome mb ra ne p rop erti e s s uch a s a re a co mp re s si bi l ity mo du lu s, b end in g

modulus , b il a yer permea bi l i ty a nd membra ne l ys i s tens i on . The jo int pro ject i n co ll a bora ti on wi th ICT,

Mumbai and NIRRH, Mumbai is funded by Nanomiss ion, Department of Science and Technology. Who should

apply: Masters or Bachelors degree in Biotechnology, Chemical Engineering, or Masters degree in Pharmacy

(1 position, TAP/FA)

14 Mu kta

Tripathy

Miscibility and percolation in polymer - carbon nanotube composites Polymer-nanoparticle mixtures have a wide

variety of appl ications in industry due to their improved thermal , mechanical , rheologica l , e lectrica l , and

cata lytic properties over pure polymer melts . They are used to make better structural materia ls , as wel l as

for several emerging high-end uti l i ties such as solar cel l s , fuel cel l s , b iosensors , and tissue engineering. In

p arti cu la r, p ol yme r-ca rb on n an otu be co mpo si te s di s pl a y re ma rka bl e i mp ro ve me nts i n s tre ngth a nd

conductivi ty wi th onl y a s ma ll a mout of nanotube pres ent i n the mi xture. To get thes e property

i mpro ve me nts , th e ca rbo n n an otu be s h ave to b e bo th mi s ci bl e i n , a nd pe rco la ti ng th ro ugh th e po lyme r

ma tri x. Howe ve r, s ol ub il i si ng ca rb on n an otu be s i n p ol yme r h as b ee n a ma jo r cha l le nge . Thi s s tud y wi l l

determine the thermodynamic miscibi l i ty and percolation co-conditions for polymer-nanotube composites.

Theory and molecular s imulations wi l l be used for the study. Who should apply: Strong programming skills are

a ke y re qui re me nt. I n a dd iti on th e ca ndi da te s ho ul d h ave the re qu is i te b ackgro un d i n l i ne a r a l ge bra ,

d iffe re nti a l e qu ati on s, a nd s ta ti s ti cs . An i ntrod ucto ry l eve l u nd ers ta nd in g o f s ta ti s ti ca l me ch an ics i s

preferred. Candidates with Physics / Physical Chemistry / Chemical Engineering backgrounds are encouraged

to appl y. (1 position, TAP/FA)

15 Mu kta

Tripathy

Thermodynamic Stability of Pickering Emulsions: Pickering emuls ions are oi l -in-water emuls ions stabi l i zed by

col loidal particles (rather than surfactant molecules) at the interface. The formation of these emuls ions is

u su al l y n ot s po nta ne ou s, i nd ica ti ng th at the y a re n ot th ermo dyn ami ca l ly s ta bl e . Th ey o fte n re qui re

mechanical energy to be appl ied (through sti rring, jetting, etc.) to make them temporal ly stable. However,

recent experiments report the spontaneous formation of Pickering emulsions (*J. Phys. Chem. B* *114*, 12257

(2010)). I t i s clear that thermodynamic stabi l i ty is rather rare for these particle-stabi l i zed emuls ions. The

object of our study is to theoretica l ly determine the stabi l i ty conditions for Pickering emuls ions. Who should

apply: Strong programming ski l l s are a keyrequirement. In addition the candidate should have the requis i te

background in l inear algebra, di fferentia l equations, and statistics . An introductory level understanding of

s ta ti s ti ca l mechan i cs i s preferred. Ca ndi dates wi th Phys i cs / Phys i ca l Chemi s try / Chemi ca l Engi neeri ng

backgrounds are en couraged to app ly. (1 position, TAP/FA)

16 Mu ktaTripathy

The role of surface roughness in colloidal f luid structure: Col loi da l pa rti cl e s ys te ms a re ubi qui tous i nma nufa cturi ng products , b i ol ogi ca l s ys tems , a nd na ture i n genera l . Whil e mos t s tudi es model co ll o ida l

pa rti cl es a s s mooth hard s pheres , they do have s urfa ce roughnes s . The a i m of th is pro ject i s to determi ne

the effect of roughness on col loidal flu id structure, as wel l as i ts propensi ty to form condensed phases. Who

should apply: Strong progra mmi ng s ki l l s a re a key requ irement. In a dd i ti on the ca ndi da te s houl d ha ve the

re qu is i te ba ckgro un d i n l i ne a r a l ge bra , d iffe re nti a l e qua ti on s, a nd s ta ti s ti cs . An i ntro du ctory l e ve l

understanding of statistical mechanics is preferred. Candidates with Physics / Physical Chemistry / Chemical

Enginee ring backgrounds are encouraged to appl y. (1 position, TAP/FA)

17 Mu kta

Tripathy

Phase behavior of penetrable particles: Course-grained models of matter often involve representing matter as

l a rger penetra bl e s pheres , ra ther than connected hard s pheres . Th i s pro ject i nvo l ves unders ta ndi ng the

structure and properties of these penetrable sphere systems, as a function of their dens i ty, penetrabi l i ty,

and sti ffness . In i tia l ca lculations have revealed very interesting clustering behavior. The aim of this project

i s to bui ld on a fe w i ni ti al ca lcul ati ons , to ma p-out a compl ete pha se di agra m for pe ne tra bl e pa rti cl e

s ys tems . The s tudy wi l l us e s ta ti s ti ca l mechan i ca l tool s a nd woul d i nvo l ve computer progra mmi ng. Whoshould apply: Strong progra mmi ng s ki l l s a re a key requ irement. In a dd i ti on the ca ndi da te s houl d ha ve the

re qu is i te ba ckgro un d i n l i ne a r a l ge bra , d iffe re nti a l e qua ti on s, a nd s ta ti s ti cs . An i ntro du ctory l e ve l


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understanding of statistical mechanics is preferred. Candidates with Physics / Physical Chemistry / Chemical

Enginee ring backgrounds are encouraged to appl y. (1 position, TAP/FA)

18 Abhi ji t

Majumder

To study the Combinatorial Effect of Bio-Chemical and Mechanical gradient on Cell Migration and Differentiation: A

micro-fluidic approach: Res ea rch i n recent yea rs ha s es ta b li s hed tha t both chemi ca l a nd mechani ca l s i gna ls

a re cru ci a l i n d ete rmi ni ng a l mo st e ve ry a s pe ct o f ce l l fa te : ce l l d ivi s io n, ma i nte na nce , di ffe re nti a ti on ,

qui es cence a nd di se as e. Ofte n, the gra di ent of a s igna l pl ays a more cri ti ca l rol e tha n the a bs ol ute

concentration of that particular s ignal . This proposal a ims to explore the combinatoria l effect of chemical

a nd mechan i ca l gra di ent on ce l l mi gra ti on a nd differenti a ti on by deve l op i ng a nove l mi cro-fl ui d ic bas ed

device. At present, avai labi l ity of experimental assays to study simultaneous gradients/attractants is poor.

Even to s tudy s i ngl e chemi ca l gra d ient, the choi ce of a devi ce i s l i mi ted a nd ea ch devi ce comes wi th i ts owncons tra i nts s uch a s a dd i ti ona l s hea r s tres s on ce l l s for fl ow-ba sed devi ces or i nsta b il i ty of the gra di ent for

s ta ti c de vi ce s. I n thi s propos al , I a im to de si gn a mi cro-fl ui di c de vi ce whi ch woul d be a bl e to cre ate a

s he ar-fre e, s ta bl e a nd robus t che mi ca l gra di ent. I n a ddi ti on, the de vi ce woul d be compa ti bl e wi th a

s ubs tra te of gra di ent s ti ffnes s . The chemi ca l a nd mecha ni ca l gra d ient ca n be a rra nged i n s ynch or a t a ny

othe r a ngl e to s tudy the e ffe ct of ge ome try. The de vi ce wi ll be i ni ti al ly te ste d wi th ce ll l ine s for the ir

short-term and long-term migration. After the functional ity of the device is establ ished, I envision using it to

study the effect of chemical and mechanical gradient on differentiation of embryonic and mesenchymal stem

ce ll s a nd mi gra ti on o f ma l ign ant ce ll s to a ddre s s qu es ti on s re l ate d to re ge ne ra ti on a nd me ta s ta s is . I n

particular, I would l ike to ask how multiple gradients influence patterning in a cel l mass . Who should apply: 1.

Experience of cel l cul ture, stem cel l preferred. 2. Experience of molecular biology techniques 3. Interest in

inter-disciplinary research and drive to learn new techniques. (1 position, TAP/FA)

19 Jyoti Seth Flow and Rheology of Suspensions of Aggregated Lipids: Lip ids often serve as structurants in foods, cosmetics ,

pha rma ceuti cs a nd bi ol ogi ca l ma teri a l s . They form a network of a ggrega ted nano-crys ta l s tha t contro l smateria l rheology and its functional efficacy. For example, flow behavior of fat-rich foods under conf ined

s hea r a ffects thei r perce i ved qua l i ty a nd ta s te . In th i s pro ject, s us pens ions of model l i pi ds wi l l be s tudi ed

under varying composition and growth conditions. Experiments are being designed with the aim to decouple

af fects of nano-crysta l growth and aggregation on resul tant microstructure, which wi l l be correlated with

material rheology. Interested students are encouraged to referthe fol lowing paper. The PI maybe contacted

at jyoti@che .i itb.a c.in for any clari f ications: Marangoni , A. G., Acevedo, N., Maleky, F ., Co, E., Peyronel , F .,

Mazzanti , G., Pink, D. (2012). Structure and functional i ty of edible fats . Soft Matter, 8(5), 12751300. Who

should apply: Chemical Engineering, Phys ics , Chemistry or Materia l Science. The student wi l l ga in working

knowl edge of a na l yti ca l techni ques for chara cteri za ti on of mi crostructure a nd rheology of s uspens ions .

Und ers ta nd in g o f tra ns po rt p he no me na , co ll oi ds i s d es i re d a l on g wi th goo d co mmu ni ca ti on s ki l ls . (1

position, TAP/FA)

20 Jyoti Seth Dynamic Simulations of Colloidal Glasses: Dense suspensions of particles are commonlypresent in cosmetic and

pharmaceutical products, biological systems, ceramics, etc. These materials have interesting flow propertiesa nd fi nd us e a s rhe ol ogy modi fi ers , s us pe ns ion s ta bi li ze rs a nd drug de li ve ry a ge nts . I n thi s proje ct,

s i mu la ti on s wi l l b e s e tup to p re di ct fl ow a nd rh eo lo gi ca l be ha vi or o f s us pe ns i on s of s oft p arti cl e s a s a

function of the particle-particle and particle-surface interactions. Interested students may read further in

the fol lowi ng pa pers . The PI ma y be conta cte d a t jyoti @che .i i tb.a c.in for cl a ri fi ca ti ons . (1) Seth , J. R.,

Locatel l i -Champagne, C., Monti , F ., Bonnecaze, R . T., & Cloi tre, M. (2012) . How do soft particle glasses yield

a nd fl ow ne ar s ol id s urfa ce s? Soft Matter, 8(1), 140. doi :10.1039/c1sm06074k (2) Seth, J. R ., Mohan, L.,

Locatel l i -Champagne, C., Cloitre, M., & Bonnecaze, R. T. (2011). A micromechanical model to predict the flow of

s oft pa rti cl e gl a s s es . Nature Materials, 10(11), 83843. doi:10.1038/nmat3119. Who should apply: Chemical

Engineering, Physics, Material Science or Mechanical Engineering. The project requires prior experience with

cod in g u si ng l e as t o ne o f th e pro gra mmi ng l a ngu age s - C, C++, Fo rtra n, MATLAB. Pa s t e xp eri en ce wi th

model ing , s imulation orexperimental experience with complexf lu ids wi ll be a plus . The studentwi l l get an

opportunity to learn and apply s imulation techniques such as MolecularDynamics and Brownian Dynamics .


21 Jyoti Seth Fatty acid-Soap Complexes: Phase Behavior and Rheology: Fatty Acids (R-COOH) form molecular complexes with

corres ponding s oaps (viz., R-COONa ), wh ich s e rve a s ke y i ngre di en ts i n cl ea ni ng pro ducts (s oa ps , fa ci a l

cleaners, shaving creams), topical-delivery agents, etc. Stoichiometric complexes of fatty acid and soap result

f rom hydrogen bonds formed between carboxyl and carbonyl groups of the two molecules . These materia ls

a re a ls o of funda me nta l i nte res t a s the y e xhi bi t thermotropi c pha se tra ns iti ons , whi ch a re ofte n

accompanied by abrupt change in bulk behavior. For example, the materia l may switch from behaving l ike a

free fl owi ng fl u id to a s ol i d-l i ke ma teri a l due to hea ti ng or cool i ng a cros s a pha s e bounda ry. Th i s pro ject i s

bei ng p l anned wi th a n i ndus tri a l pa rtner a nd wi l l exp l ore fundamenta l a s pects of a ci d -s oap compl exes

when modified with surfactants . Interested students mayread further in the fol lowing papers . The PI maybe

contacted atjyoti @che .i i tb.a c.in for clarif ications. (1) Cistola, D. P., Atkinson, D., Hamilton, J. A., & Small , D. M.,

(1986). Ph as e b eh avi or a nd Bi l aye r Pro pe rti es o f Fa tty Aci ds : Hyd ra te d 1:1 Aci d-Soa ps , Biochemistry, 25

2804-2812. (2) Pudney, P. D. A., Mutch, K. J., & Zhu, S. (2009). Characterising the phase behavior of stearic acid

a nd i ts tri e tha nola mi ne s oap a nd a ci d-s oap by i nfra red s pectrs copy. Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics, 11,

50105018. doi:10.1039/b819582j Who should apply: Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or MaterialScience. The pro je ct i s e xp eri me nta l i n n ature a nd a h an ds -o n a pp ro ach i s d es i re d. Th e s tu de nt wi l l ga i n

working knowledge of several analytical techniques for characterization of microstructure and rheological
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behavior. Understanding of phase behavior and col loidal suspensions is des i red and good communication

skill s will be a plus. (1 position, TAP/FA)

22 Jyoti Seth Multi-scale Simulations for Understanding Rheological Behavior of Lipid Suspensions:

Mu lti -s ca l e s i mu la ti on s h ave b ee n p la nn ed to u nde rs ta nd crys ta l gro wth a nd a ggre ga ti on p roce s se s

occurring during preparation of suspensions of l ipids. Lipids often serve as structurants in foods, cosmetics,

pha rma ceuti cs a nd bi ol ogi ca l ma teri a l s . They form a network of a ggrega ted nano-crys ta l s tha t contro l s

materia l rheology and its functional efficacy. For example, flow behavior of fat-rich foods under conf ined

shear affects their perceived qual i ty and taste. The aim is to understand kinetics of nano-crysta l growth and

aggregation processes that occur over different length and time scales. It is therefore chal lenging to combine

both contri buti ons a nd predi ct the mi cros tructure of the ma teri a l . Our a i m i s to corre l a te the proces s of

pre pa ra ti on wi th the mi cros tructure s o tha t ma te ri al rhe ol ogy ma y be control le d. Pre di cti ons from

s imulations wi l l be compared and veri f ied against experimental measurements .Interested students may

re ad fu rthe r i n th e fo ll owi ng p ap ers . Th e PI ma y b e con ta cte d a t jyoti@che .i i tb.a c.in for clarif ications. (1)

An wa r, J., & Za hn , D. (2011). Un co ve ri ng mol e cu la r p roce s se s i n crys ta l n ucl e ati on a nd growth b y u si ng

molecular simulation.Angewandte Chemie - International Edition, 50(9), 19962013. (2) Marangoni, A. G., Acevedo,

N., Maleky, F., Co, E., Peyronel, F., Mazzanti , G., Pink, D. (2012). Structure and functional ity of edible fats. Soft

Matter, 8(5), 12751300. Who should apply: Chemical Engineering, Physics, Chemistry or Material Science. Abili ty

to wri te a nd modi fy progra ms i n C, C++ or Fortra n i s a mus t. Pa s t experi ence wi th model i ng a nd s i mul ati on

a nd e xp eri me nta l e xp eri e nce wi th co mp le x fl ui ds wi l l b e a p lu s. The s tu de nt wi l l ge t th e o pp ortu ni ty to

develop and contribute routines for techniques such as Molecular Dynamics and Monte Carlo s imulations.

Overa l l the s tudent wi l l l ea rn a bout complex fl ui ds, parti cu la rl y a bout s uspens ions tha t a re of i nteres t to

many industries .(1 position, TAP/FA)

23 Ga ne sh

Viswanathan

Inter-linked feedback loop dynamics during Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha signaling in mammalian systems: Interlinked

feedback loops (IFL) are ubiquitous ly found in mammal ian cytokine s ignal ing networks and are emerging as

nove l s tructures that d icta te the ce l l ul a r deci s i on ma ki ng proces s . The goa l of th is pro ject i s to cons truct

s ingle-cel l and population level predictive mathematica l models of an IFL that is activated during TNF alpha

cytokine s ignal ing. The model developed wi l l be constra ined by the experimental data generated in-house.

Th is p ro je ct wi l l i nvo lve u se o f b ifurca ti on to ol s a nd p ro ba bi l ity th eo ry. Nu me ri ca l s i mu la ti on s wi l l b e

conducted on high-performa nce computi ng fa ci l i ty. Codes wi l l be wri tten i n Ma tl a b a nd/or C. Who should

apply: Bachelors/Masters in Chemical/Biotechnology/Mechanical Engineering or Masters in Physics. Some

programmin g experie nce preferred. (1 position, FA only)

24 Ve nka t

Gundabala

Droplet microfluidics for high-throughput studies on C. elegans: Caenorhabditi s elegans (C. elegans) is a nematode

commonly used as a model organismfor molecularand developmental biology studies . With about 60% of i ts

genes ha vi ng huma n homologs , coup l ed wi th i ts tra nsparent body, a nd ea s e of cu l turi ng, C. e l ega ns i s a n

a ttra cti ve choi ce for b i ol ogi s ts . Dropl et mi crofl u id ics i s currentl y emergi ng a s a n i dea l tool i n ce l l b i ol ogy(s i ngl e ce l l enca psu la ti on for ce l l -bas ed s tudi es , etc.), b io -medi ci ne (mi croenca psu l ati on of ce l l s onto

pa rti cl es , etc.), a mongs t other fi e l ds . In th is pro ject we wi l l us e dropl et-ba sed mi crofl ui d ics to s tudy the

behavioural aspects of C. elegans. The project involves developing microfluidic devices that generate double

emuls i on dropl ets i nto whi ch worm enca ps u la ti on ca n be done. The doubl e emuls i on dropl et wil l be us ed

fo r che mo ta xi s s tu di e s o n th e e nca ps ul a te d wo rm. Who should apply: Past experience in experimental

res earch on ce l l /mi croorga n is m ba sed s tudi es i s requ i red; Keen i nteres t on doi ng experi ments i s a mus t;

engineering background or prior exposure to the a rea of microfluidi cs would be a plus.(1 position, TAP/FA)

25 Ra tul

Dasgupta

Interfacial flows: Have you ever wondered why a jet of water breaks up into tinydroplets . Do you know how tiny

drops of ra in spread, after hi tting our windows. Do al l droplets spread in the same way? What would happen

i f we made the droplets large, or the surface very rough? What i f, the droplets fel l one after the other? What

d ete rmi ne s th e s ha pe of a p udd le o f wa te r l yi ng on o ur flo or? Wha t i s tha t i ntri ca te pa tte rn of wa ve s th at

appear around a stone lying in a moving stream? If you enjoythinking about fluid mechanics problems, read

on! Th i s i s a n opportuni ty to purs ue a PhD on i nterfa ci a l flows (s ee Fi gs . 1(a ) & 1(b) for s ome fun pictures .).We wi l l s tu dy i mp inge me nt of a tra i n o f d ro pl ets o n ri gi d s urfa ce s & u nd ers ta nd the co mp le xi ti es o f th e

spreading process, theoretical ly & computational ly. The candidate wil l participate in code development and

use numerica l tools in combination with theoretica l techniques. There could be an opportunity to also work

on experiments later.

Who should apply: Basic knowledge of fluid mechanics at an undergraduate or graduate level i s necessary. I f

you enjoy learning computational techniques and writing codes, that wi ll be a big advantage. Good abi l i ties

in mathematics & physics, while not absolutely necessary, wil l definitely help. Most importantly, you should
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enjoy doing and being in research. If interested, please apply. You can also write to me at

[email protected](1 position, TAP/FA)

26 Partha S .

Goswami

Dynamics of inertial suspension in confined geometry: experiments and modeling: The proje ct de al s wi th the

theoretica l and experimental investigation of the dynamics of inertia l suspension in micro/mi ll i channels .

In general small sca le ( like microfluidic) devices operate at very low flow rates , which lead the common idea

th at i n ca s e o f fl ow i n mi cro ch ann el , fl ui d i ne rti a d oe s n ot p la y s i gn ifi ca nt ro le . Bu t d uri ng the moti on i n

con fi ne d ch ann el th e con sti tu en t p arti cl e of s us pe ns i on e xp eri en ce s i ne rti a l l i ft fo rce , wh ich i n tu rn

produces particle migration. External parameters which control the magnitude and the direction of the l i ft

forces include the channel dimensions, particle diameter, shape of the particles , and f luid f low rates . Such

mi gra ti on behavi or of the pa rti cl e ca n be uti l i zed to deve l op fi l ter-l es s s epa ra ti on technol ogy bas ed onparticle shape and size. Investigation in this area also provide ins ight in des igning the micro-reactors which

de al s wi th pa rti cl e l ade n fl ows . He re we pl an to a ppl y ful ly re sol ve d l atti ce Bol tzma nn me thod (LBM)

(advanced CFD technique) to numerical ly s imul ate the dyna mics of pa rti cl e a nd fl ui d fl ow beha vi or,

cons i deri ng i nterpa rti cl e i ntera cti ons a s wel l . Furthermore the s tudy wi l l be extended to i nves ti ga te the

migration be havior of non-spherical particles .

Experi ments wi l l be conducted us ing i n-hous e-deve l oped micro-PIV technique to va li da te the

theoreti ca l res ul ts a nd to demons tra te the conditi ons requ i red for parti cl e s epa ra ti on i n fl u id -pa rti cl e

s us pe ns i on s. Th e re s ul ts a nd th e i ns i gh t ga i ne d fro m the p ro po se d s tu dy wo ul d h el p i n mo re s ci e nti fi c

de si gn a nd de ve lopme nt of fi lte r-l es s s epa ra ti on te chnol ogy whi ch ca n be a ppl ie d to che mi ca l a nd

biotechnological processes . (Ref: Physical Review Letters(2009), 102(9), 094503).

Who should apply: Ba ckground-Chemi ca l /Mecha ni ca l /Phys i cs ; s hou ld ha ve a b il i ty to wri te progra m i n

C/C++/Fortran e tc. Should be motivated enou gh to take up chal le nges o f experimental di fficulties .

For clarifi cations write me [email protected](1 position, TAP/FA)

27 Partha S .

Goswami

Dynamics of Particle Laden Turbulent Suspensions- Direct numerical simulation (DNS): Particle laden turbulent flows

f ind appl ications in many industria l processes such as energy convers ion, a i r pol lution control , pneumatic

conveying of sol ids , f luidized bed reactors etc. In these types of f lows, there are strong coupl ing between the

turbul ent fl uctua ti ons i n the fl ui d pha se a nd the fl uctua ti ng ve loci ti es of the pa rti cl es . Owi ng to thi s

s imultaneous analys is of both the phases g ive ins ight to the model ing of transport processes in large scale

e ngi ne eri ng s ys te ms . Due to the comp le xi ty of th e ph ys i cs b eh in d de ns e pa rti cu la te fl ows , th e cu rre nt

mo de li ng p ara di gm ma i nl y d ep en ds o n e mp iri ca l corre la ti on s th at re qu ire fi ne -tu ni ng wi th th e a i d o f

experi menta l data . As a cons equence , thes e over-s i mpl ifi ed model s l a ck the ca pab i li ty of qua nti ta ti ve

prediction of the dynamical behavior and also require frequent experimental val idations. Such l imitations

are the main hurdles in a dvanced computational modeling of these reactors.

The goal of the research is to carry out direct numerica l s imulations (DNS) and also to develop models based

on the physi cal ins ight obtaine d from direct numerical s imula tions (DNS). The s pecific steps a re as follows.

1. Development of advanced methods for two way coupled direct numerica l s imulation (DNS) of moderately

dense particle laden turbulent flows, enabling highly accurate simulations which are applicable forflui dize d bed rea ctors and numerous energy conversi on devices .

2. Inves ti ga ti on of the fl u id pha s e a nd pa rti cl e pha s e behavi our usi ng fu l ly parti cl e res ol ved s i mul ati ons ,

which is appli cable when the particle s ize i s l arger the the s ize of the smal les t scale of the turbulence.

3. Developing the models based on the physical insight obtained from ful ly resolved direct numerical

si mulations. Such a model will address both the is sues of like effect of turbulence on pa rticle dynamics

a nd the turbul ence modul ati on due to the pres ence of parti cl e pha s e . Ref: J. Fl ui d Mech. 687, 1-40 (2011).

Working on this project the student will gain knowledge in advanced CFD techniques.

Who should apply: Background: Chemical/Mechanical/Physics; should have abi l ity to write program in

C/C++/Fortran etc. For clarifications mail me at [email protected]. (1 position, TAP/FA)

28 Partha S .

Goswami

Dynamics of particle-laden flows in complex geometries: Experiments (PIV) and Large Eddy Simulations (LES):

Particle-laden turbulent f lows f ind appl ications in many industria l processes l ike pneumatic transport of

powders , coal combustion, flu idised bad reactors etc. Proper des ign of such equipments depends on detai l

understanding of interaction between particle and turbulent fluid phase. Turbulence plays important role inboth the di stri buti on a nd de -mi xi ng/s egre ga ti on of the pa rti cl es . De pe ndi ng on the i nte ns ity of the

turbulence and particle inertia , higher particle concentration may happen near the wal l region of the f low

ge ome try whi ch ma y ca us e hi ghe r ra te of pa rti cl e de pos iti on a t the wa ll . Si mi la rl y pa rti cl e a ls o pl ays

important role on modulation of turbulence. Therefore the interaction is two-way. A proper understanding

wi l l l ea d to the a s s es s ment of depos i ti on behavi or a nd the tra ns port coeffi ci ents i n the a bove menti oned

proces s es . The i ntera cti on i s complex i n na ture due to the pres ence of mul ti pl e l ength a nd ti me- s ca l es for

both the particle a nd fluid phas e.

In the propos ed pro ject we pl an to conduct experi ments a nd s i mula ti ons to predi ct dyna mi cs of both the

phases s imultaneously starting from simple to complexgeometries . S imulation wi l l be performed based on

f luid-particle coupled model ( two way coupl ing) to investigate the dynamics of both the phases. we plan to

couple large eddy s imulation (LES) for f luid phase with discrete element model (DEM) for particle phase to

unde rs ta nd the dyna mi cs of turbul ent s us pe ns ions wi th hi ghe r s ol id l oa di ng. Effe ct of s ubgri d s ca le

model i ng on the two pha s e s ta ti s ti cs for d i fferent Reynol ds number, parti cl e i nerti a , a nd parti cl e l oad i ng

wi l l be i nve s ti ga te d. Exp eri me nts wi l l be con du cte d i n a ve rti ca l fl ow ge ome tri e s u si ng pa rti cl e i ma gevelocimetry (PIV) to valida te the theoretical results. Ref: J. Fluid Mech. 687, 41-71 (2011). Working on this project

the student will gai n knowledge i n advanced CFD and experimental techniques .
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Who should apply: Background-Chemical/Mechanical/Physics, Either should have ability to write program in

C/C++/Fortran etc. Or should be motivated enough to take up challenges of experimental difficulties.

For details mail [email protected] (1 position, TAP/FA)

29 Pra mod

Wangikar

Metabolic Engineering of Cyanobacteria for enhanced biofuel production. Al ga l b iofuel s provi de a n a ttra cti ve

alternative to other forms of biofuels such as those derived from terrestria l biomass. Importantly, a lgae can

grow on barren l a nd a nd wi th wa s tewa ter or s a l t wa ter a nd therefore , do not compete wi th food or a n i ma l

feed crops . Al ga e , pa rti cu l arl y b l ue-green a l ga e or cya noba cteri a , provi de much higher photosynthes i s

e ffi ci en ci e s co mp are d to p la nts a nd ha ve the p ote nti a l to ca ptu re a l a rge r fra cti on o f the i nci de nt s ol a r

energy. Cyanobacteria are a group of photosynthetic prokaryotes that are credited for their role in converting

the anoxic environment to the current oxic environment. Al though cyanobacteria do not produce l ip id in theform of storage molecules , theycan be engineered to produce othermore readi ly usable l iquid biofuels such

a s e th an ol a nd b uta nol . Wh il e cya no ba cte ri a l bi ofue l s h ol d p romi s e, a te chn ol ogi ca l b re akth ro ugh i s

needed for improvements in biofuel productivity before their commercial ization. Our group currently makes

extensive use of the metabolomics, f luxomics, transcriptomics and proteomics technologies to gain insights

at molecular level , to be able to develop detai led genome scale models and estimate the model parameters

i n a re li abl e ma nne r. Efforts a re a ls o on to de ve lop e ffe cti ve e xpre ss ion s ys te ms a nd ge ne knockout

strategies to implement the genetic modifications predicted by the model . We col laborate extens ively with

Re li ance Indus tri es Ltd. on thi s proje ct a nd the s tude nt wi ll ge t a n opportuni ty to i ntera ct wi th the

i ndus try.As pa rt of thi s proje ct, the s tude nt wi ll ca rry out mode l dri ve n me ta bol ic e ngi ne eri ng of a

cyanobacterial strain to improve fuel productivitylevels. The student wil l get an opportunity to construct and

val idate a metabol ic model and estimate the intracel lu lar reaction rates . Metabol ic model val idation wi l l

involve a detai led phys iologica l characterization, metabol ic profi les and 13C flux analys is . The studentwi l l

a l s o get a n opportuni ty to i mpl ement the predi cted geneti c cha nges vi a tool s of mol ecu la r b i ol ogy. Who

should apply: Ba ckground i n b iotechnol ogy or b iochemi s try with experi ence i n mi crobi a l phys i ol ogy a ndmolecular biology techniques. Abi l i ty to develop and simulate mathematica l models wi l l be an advantage.


30 Pra mod

Wangikar

Engineering ketoreductase enzymes for chiral synthesis: Chira l a l cohol s, us ua l l y s econdary a l cohol s, p l ay a n

important role as intermediates in high value products of pharmaceutica l importance. Among the various

e nzyma ti c route s a va il abl e for chi ra ll y s el ecti ve s ynthe si s of s econda ry a lcohol s, tha t i nvol vi ng

oxidoreductase catalyzed asymmetric reductions is a particularly powerful approach as it potential ly al lows

100% of the starting material to be transformed into the desired enantiomer. In this project jointly sponsored

DBT a nd a n i ndus try pa rtne r (Hi Te ch Bi os ci ence s Ltd., Pune ), we ha ve chos en to work on mi crobi al

oxidoreductases. Several proof of concept studies have been reported on this enzyme although the fol lowing

chal l enges rema i n to be a ddres s ed. (i ) Hi gh cos t of commerci a l enzymes , (i i ) Low s ubs tra te s peci fi ci ty a nd

s te re o-s e le cti vi ty o f th e wi l d-typ e e nzyme , (i i i) Su bs tra te i nh ib iti on , (i v) Re cycl i ng o f th e e nzyme a nd

co-factors . A successful commercia l appl ication therefore wil l require an enzyme that is highly active and

s te re os e le cti ve to wa rd s th e s ubs tra te of ch oi ce , tol e ra te s hi gh s ubs tra te co nce ntra ti on s, s ta bl e a ndamenable to recycl ing and is affordable. The student wil l work closely with industry partner. The student wil l

h ave a n o pp ortu ni ty to wo rk o n th e fo ll owi ng ob je cti ve s :1. I mpro ve me nt o f th e de s ire d p ro pe rti es o f

oxidoreductase enzymes via directed evolution including techniques such as error prone PCR, gene shuffl ing

a nd control le d ra ndomi za ti on. The s tude nt wi ll a ls o a tte mpt mode l ba sed a nd pre di cti ve gene ti c

engineering to improve the enzyme properties . 2. Development of cofactor recycl ing system with formate

de hydroga na se a nd by us ing a me mbra ne re actor. Who should apply: Background in Biochemistry with

experience in protein chemistry and molecular biologytechniques. Knowledge of molecular modeling wil l be

an advantage. (1 position, TAP/FA)

31 Sarika Mehra

and Rajdip

Bandyopadyay (coguide )

Therapeutic nanoparticles to counter drug resistance: Anti b ioti cs ha ve been cri ti ca l for the dra ma ti c ri s e of l i fe

expectancy and the f ight against many diseases and infections in the past f i fty years . However, over the past

decade, antimicrobia l res istance has emerged as a major publ ic-heal th cris i s Many common gram-posi tiveand gram-negative bacteria l pathogens such as Streptococcus pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa and

Sta phyl ococcu s a ure us ha ve b eco me pro gre ss i ve ly mo re re s is ta nt to tra di ti on al a nti bi oti cs . Wi th th e

emergence of multi drug-resistant and extreme drug-resistant Mycobacterium tuberculosis strains, there is

an urgent need to f ind novel solutions to counter this res istance. We have used a combination of magneti te

na nopa rti cl e wi th fi rs t l i ne a nti -TB drug ri fa mpi ci n to a ch i eve a s ynergi s ti c e ffect a ga i ns t i ntri nsi c drug

res istance of M. smegmatis . We have also demonstrated that the nanoparticles al ter the uptake kinetics of

d rugs i nto ce l ls . I n th is p ro je ct we wi l l fu rth er u nd ers ta nd th e me ch an is ms o f u pta ke a nd a cti on of th e

nanoparticles on M. smegmatis cel l s us ing experiments and model ing. Who should apply: B.Tech/M.Tech in

Biotechnology/Chemical engineering/Molecular Biology (1 position, FA only)

32 Sarika Mehra Systems biology of antibiotic resistance: Mechanisms and Evolution through genomics: Antibiotics have been critical

for the dra ma ti c ri s e of l i fe expecta ncy a nd the fi ght a ga i ns t ma ny d is ea s es a nd i nfecti ons i n the pa st fi fty

years . However, over the past decade, antimicrobia l res istance has emerged as a major publ ic-heal th cris i s .

We are us ing Streptomyces coel icolor as a model to decipher the various mechanisms employed bybacteriato counter antibiotics . A transcriptomic study us ing whole-genome microarrays revealed a combination of

mechanisms that Streptomyces uses to counter fluoroquinolones. Many genes were identif ied to potential ly
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aid the cel l s in res isting high drug concentrations. In this project, we wi ll s tudy the role of these genes us ing

knock-out muta nts a nd tra ns cri ptomi cs . Further, we wi l l s tudy the evol uti on of res i s ta nce by genera ti ng

hyper-resistant mutants and employing next-generation sequencing methods to identifymutations resulting

in the obs erved phenotype. Who should apply: B.Tech/M.Tech/M.Sc in Biotechnology/Chemical

engineering/Molecular Biology/Biochemistry Knowledge of molecular biology techniques including cloning

will be beneficial for the project. (1 position, FA only)

33 Ateeque

Malani

Study of Interfacial Properties of Nanoparticles: Me ta l li c a nd no n-me ta l li c n an op arti cl e s (NP) h ave be en

synthesized with excel lent mechanical , electrical and thermal properties, which has potential appl ication in

variety of areas. For many applications (e.g., pickering emulsion, catalysis and theraputic applications), their

s urfa ce prope rti es , s uch a s we tti ng a nd di spe rs ion, ne ed to modi fi ed to me et the re qui re me nt of thedevices . The aim of this project is to understand the interfacia l behaviour of nanoparticles (contact angle,

i n terfa ci a l rheo logy etc.) us ing mol ecu l ar s i mul ati ons a nd obta i n gu i de l i nes for i ts potenti a l us age . Who

should apply: BE (Chemical Engineering), MTech (all branches), MSc(Phys ics or Chemistry) , b) Should be

fami l iar with molecular model l ing methodology, should have done numerica l methods at undergraduate or

pos tgra dua te l eve l , s i gn i fi ca nt progra mmi ng experi ence i n C/C++/Fortra n/Ma tl a b or a ny progra mmi ng

language and should be conversant with l inux/unix, abi l i ty to independently analyze resul ts and simulation

da ta , e xpe ri ence i n the fi el d of mol ecul ar mode ll ing i s de si ra bl e, e xce ll ent communi ca ti on s ki ll s. (2

positions, FA only)

34 He ma nt

Nanavati

Molecular Modeling of Elasticity of Spider Silk and Related Biopolymers:

Who should apply: Chemi cal Engg, Polymeric Materia ls Science, Physi cs (1 position, FA only)

35 He ma nt

Nanavati

Multiscale Modeling of Melt Polymer and Copolymer Systems

Who should apply: Chemi cal Engg, Polymeric Materia ls Science, Physi cs (1 position, FA only)


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