Resume

• Polymer Scientist (Duration : Jan 2024 - Mar 2024, Company: Biomr LLC, Location: Newark, NJ, USA) 

- Supervised product development team providing SOP, method development and synthetic strategies to reach project goals.

- Provided expertise on synthetic organic chemistry, polymer chemistry, biomaterials chemistry, and green chemistry for textiles.

• Intern (Duration : Sept 2023 - Nov 2023, Company: Avanz Bio Training and Research Institute Location: India) 

- Underwent training in Microbiology and Molecular Biology Wet Lab Skills (BSL-2) for contract research.

- Record keeping, Statistical data analysis for biological studies using Excel, Graphpad PRISM, Python, R

• Doctorate (Ph.D.) Scholar (Duration: Sept 2016 - May 2023 Company: Pondicherry University Location: India) 

- Developed new antimicrobial chitosan biopolymers. 200x safer than market antifungals. Used Synthetic Organic Chemistry, Medicinal Chemistry, Multi-step organic synthesis, nucleic acid chemistry, Drug Discovery, Drug Design, and Polymer chemistry.

- Conducted scientific studies using NMR, HPLC, LCMS, GC, KF, UV/Vis, FT-IR, particle size analysis, dissolution testing, DSC, TGA, and XRPD.

- Computational studies for drug-discovery against disease proteins. Published article with 140+ citations.

- Taught/Mentored 7 graduate students in lab practices and oversaw their capstone projects.

- Written reports/Deliverables: Published 10 peer-reviewed articles and 1 book chapter.

- Responsibilities: Day-to-day lab operation, inventory management, teaching students, instrument maintenance, and research method development. Design, synthesis, and characterization of small molecules, novel polymeric materials, failure analysis, and novel biopolymer chemistry.

• Master of Science Project (Duration: Aug 2009 - Aug 2014, Company: University of Hyderabad Location India)

- Developed polyurethane-clay composite emulsion cast films, tested and characterized with 100% increase in Young’s modulus and 10% increase in thermal stability for only 1-5% additive content.

- Conducted scientific studies using LCMS, UV/Vis, IR, dissolution testing, DSC, TGA, and XRPD

• 5 Year BS+MS, Dissertation: Emulsion cast Polyurethane clay-composites   

• Supervisor: Prof. Tushar Jana

• Synthetic organic chemistry:  Drug design, drug discovery, multi-step organic synthesis, synthetic chemistry, antibacterial, antibiotic, small-molecule inhibitor design and synthesis, and reaction optimization.

• Instruments/techniques: Nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR),  Fourier transform-infrared (FTIR), Ultraviolet-Vis (UV-Vis) spectroscopy, Gel permeation chromatography (GPC), Liquid Chromatography Mass spectrometry (LC-MS),  X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), X-ray diffraction (powder and single crystal XRD), Thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), Differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), Karl-Fischer Titration (KF), Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM), Energy Dispersive X-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), High Resolution-Transmission Electron Microscope (HR-TEM),  Tensile strength analysis, Electrospinning,  and Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).

• Polymer synthesis, chemistry and analysis:  Polymer synthesis, polyelectrolyte membrane synthesis, solvent casting, emulsion polymerization, polymer-inorganic composites, carbohydrate polymers/biopolymers, and failure analysis of polymers.

• Computational skills: Excel, Power BI, Graphpad PRISM, BigQuery, SQL, Kaggle. RCSB and Uniprot. Data analytics. Preliminary experience with molecular dynamics through GROMACS. Strong understanding of C and C++. Basic experience with MATLAB, Python, FORTRAN, R, Linux, bash scripting, and Windows Powershell. Strong experience: Molecular docking and analysis using Schrodinger, SeeSAR, Autodock Vina, and Autodock 4, Pymol, Data Warrior, Ligplot+, Biovia Discovery studio, and PyRX. Use of BLAST studies, homology studies, and protein modelling via Swiss-model.

• Microbiology and molecular biology techniques:   Hands-on training in aseptic techniques (BSL-2), bacterial isolation, animal cell culture, microbial cell culture, cell preservation techniques, determining minimum inhibitory and bactericidal concentrations (MIC and MBC), MTT assay, DNA isolation, plasmid isolation, gel electrophoresis (PAGE), primer design, Polymerase chain reaction (PCR), gel-based purification of DNA, wound healing assay, and DNA fragmentation.

• Led a study on SARS-CoV-2 with medicinal chemistry colleagues. Computational experimentation in-charge.

• Provided data analysis and interpretation relevant to computational drug discovery teams.

• Generated publication-quality writeups and imaging as per the needs of the team. Co-authored a book chapter and several publications on infectious diseases.

• Taught wet lab chemistry to graduate students and oversaw “Master’s dissertation” of 7 graduate students.

Researcher with strong experience in organic synthesis, small molecules drug discovery, antimicrobial biopolymer (polysaccharide) films, polymer synthesis and characterizations, carbohydrate polymers, data analysis, and computational drug discovery. Experience in microbiology and molecular biology techniques such as animal cell culture. Enjoys learning new skills, techniques, and problem-solving. Helpful, highly motivated, adaptable, creative, result-oriented team player with exceptional communication skills. Diligent, capable of meeting deadlines for multiple tasks, ensuring successful completion of project goals.