31 October 2023

Five outstanding scientists and engineers have been selected to receive the Distinguished Alumni Awards of the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) for the year 2023.

The annual awards recognise exceptional contributions made by IISc alumni/ae to their profession, society and the Institute. The nominations received are evaluated by a committee chaired by the Director, IISc.

This year’s awardees are Mr DN Prahlad, Prof KK Ramakrishnan, Prof Mrinalini Chatta Rao, Mr S Somanath and Dr Dheepa Srinivasan. The awardees will be honoured at a ceremony to be held in December 2023.

Mr DN Prahlad is the founder of Surya Software Systems Private Limited, Bengaluru. Prior to founding Surya, he played a key role in the growth of Infosys Technologies. He is currently the Non-Executive Chairman of Surya Software Systems Private Limited, Surya Financial Technologies Private Limited and Surya Digitech Private Limited. He pioneered the development of indigenous hardware and software products for global markets in the pre-liberalisation era of the country.

Prof KK Ramakrishnan is currently Distinguished Professor at the Department of Computer Science and Engineering, University of California, Riverside, USA. He has published over 250 papers and has 173 patents in his name. He has made immense contributions to solving fundamental problems in building the internet, specifically in network interface design, congestion control, network virtualisation, and operating system support, impacting nearly all network adapters and operating system designs in the world today.

Prof Mrinalini Chatta Rao is Professor Emerita at the Department of Physiology and Biophysics, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA. She has pioneered research on elucidating the molecular basis of cell signalling, specifically on intestinal epithelial ion transport in health and diseases such as cystic fibrosis. She has also contributed to the most definitive textbook in the field of gastroenterology.

Mr S Somanath is the Chairman of the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Secretary of the Department of Space. Under his leadership, ISRO carried out the third Indian lunar exploration mission named Chandrayaan-3, making India the first country to successfully land a spacecraft near the lunar south pole and the fourth country to demonstrate a soft landing on the moon. He previously served as the Director of the Vikram Sarabhai Space Centre, Thiruvananthapuram and the Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre, Thiruvananthapuram.

Dr Dheepa Srinivasan is Chief Engineer at the Pratt & Whitney R&D Center on the IISc campus. She has over 35 patents in her name, and has developed more than 50 technologies and process applications that are now running in several gas turbines and steam turbines. She is a pioneer in the area of metal 3D printing or additive manufacturing, and has developed several applications for metal laser additive manufacturing.

“We are extremely proud of the exemplary and meaningful contributions that these distinguished alumni have made to science and technology, as well as society,” says Prof G Rangarajan, Director, IISc. “We hope that the stories of these alumni resonate as a source of inspiration for the entire IISc community.”

CONTACT:

Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in

Office of Development and Alumni Affairs | alumniaffairs.odaa@iisc.ac.in

25 October 2023

– Sukriti Kapoor

An interdisciplinary team of researchers from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) has uncovered how the stiffness of a cell’s microenvironment influences its form and function. The team was led by Namrata Gundiah, Professor at the Department of Mechanical Engineering and Paturu Kondaiah, Professor at the Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics. The findings provide a better understanding of what happens to tissues during wound healing.

Inefficient wound healing results in tissue fibrosis, a process that can cause scar formation, and may even lead to conditions like cardiac arrest. Changes in the mechanical properties of tissues – like stiffness – also happen in diseases like cancer.

In the study, published in Bioengineering, the team cultured fibroblast cells – the building blocks of our body’s connective tissue – on a polymer substrate called PDMS with varying degrees of stiffness. They found that a change in the stiffness altered cell structure and function. Fibroblast cells are involved in extensive remodelling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) surrounding biological cells. The ECM, in turn, provides the mechanical tension that cells feel inside the body. The team found that fibroblasts cultured on substrates that had lower stiffness were rounder and showed accompanying changes in the levels of cytoskeleton proteins such as actin and tubulin. Moreover, fibroblasts grown on such substrates showed cell cycle arrest, lower rates of cell growth and cell death.

To pinpoint the “master regulator” that drives changes in the cell when substrate stiffness changes, the team focused their attention on an important signalling protein called Transforming Growth Factor-β (TGF-β). Previous work has shown that the activity of fibroblasts and the downstream ECM architecture is regulated by TGF-β. “The thing is, people talk about the chemical changes … but not about biomechanical,” says Brijesh Kumar Verma, former PhD student at the Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, IISc, and first author of the study. For example, while the TGF-β signalling cascade has been studied extensively in cancer, the influence of mechanical forces – such as substrate stiffness – has not been studied so far, Verma adds.

The ECM surrounding different tissues has different levels of stiffness – from being soft around the muscle, to very hard around bone. To mimic this diversity, the team fabricated PDMS substrates of varying stiffness on which fibroblasts were grown. “You can use PDMS to create biocompatible materials with substrate stiffness over large orders of magnitude, from 40 kilopascals to more than 1.5 megapascals,” explains Aritra Chatterjee, former PhD student at the Department of Bioengineering, IISc, and another author.

Image: Brijesh Kumar Verma and Aritra Chatterjee

At first, the researchers did not observe any changes in the total TGF-β levels. “[Interestingly], when we did the activity-based assay for TGF-β, we were quite surprised,” says Verma. They found that when substrate stiffness increased, TGF-β activity also increased – in other words, the levels of the active form of the protein started rising. Verma adds that this could explain why wound healing occurs at different rates in different tissues. This means that bone tissue, which grows on a stiffer ECM, may be less prone to scarring upon injury when compared to muscle tissues, which reside in a softer biomechanical environment.

The team also found that there was an uptick in the production of several ECM components when the substrate stiffness increased – fibroblasts growing on an already stiff substrate also start secreting more ECM components, in a positive feedback loop. “The most novel finding was the fact that the signalling [between the fibroblast and ECM] was actually sensitive to a mechanical stimulus, which is substrate stiffness,” Chatterjee explains.

In the future, the researchers seek to understand how other mechanical factors, such as surface properties and cell stretch, can also influence TGF-β activity.

“The microenvironment of the cell is very complicated as it is experiencing a lot of different forces,” says Chatterjee. Understanding their influences and tracking the biophysical parameters of the cell can also provide a useful tool to distinguish between healthy and cancer cells. A tumour mass can be targeted more efficiently if we understand how stiffness changes in diseased cells, Verma explains. “I’m very optimistic about this.”

REFERENCE:

Verma BK, Chatterjee A, Kondaiah P, Gundiah N, Substrate Stiffness Modulates TGF-β Activation and ECM-Associated Gene Expression in Fibroblasts, Bioengineering (2023)

CONTACT:

Brijesh Kumar Verma
Postdoctoral Research Scholar
University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia
Former PhD student, Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics, Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: brijeshkumar.verma@pennmed.upenn.edu

Aritra Chatterjee
Assistant Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Birla Institute of Technology & Science, Pilani, Hyderabad
Former PhD student, Department of Bioengineering, Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: aritra.chatterjee@hyderabad.bits-pilani.ac.in

Namrata Gundiah
Professor
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: namrata@iisc.ac.in
Phone: +91-80-22932860

Paturu Kondaiah
Former Professor and Chair
Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: paturu@iisc.ac.in
Phone: +91-80-22933259

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:

a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.

b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

19 October 2023

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) has collaborated with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) to help set up a unique Quantum Technology Lab. This is an effort towards SSIR’s CSR commitment and aims to provide research and training support opportunities to dozens of faculty members and hundreds of students pursuing higher education – both in IISc and in other educational institutions – particularly in the fields of physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics every year. Led by Mayank Shrivastava, Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic Systems Engineering (DESE), the lab aims to be a pioneering facility dedicated to advanced quantum technologies.

The MoU was exchanged between Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP & MD at SSIR, and Govindan Rangarajan, Director of IISc. The lab will serve as a center for technological innovation, manpower training, and collaboration with national and international quantum research institutions. With a focus on building indigenous quantum technologies, it will significantly contribute to build local development and putting India’s research innovations on the international map.

“Our partnership with IISc for the establishment of the Quantum Technology Lab is to spearhead breakthroughs in quantum technologies, by empowering skilled workforce, fostering a collaborative innovation, strengthening national competitiveness, and transforming industries with significant societal impact. The technology scale-up will propel India’s focus on quantum innovation and excellence in the global technology landscape,” said Balajee Sowrirajan, CVP & MD of SSIR.

The lab will provide students pursuing higher education, particularly in the field of physics, engineering, computer science, and mathematics, unparalleled opportunities for hands-on training, research experience, and skill development in quantum technologies, thereby enhancing their employability and career prospects. Researchers and scientists engaged in quantum research will benefit from the advanced infrastructure, collaborative environment, and access to cutting-edge resources, enabling them to push the boundaries of knowledge and make significant contributions to the field. Additionally, it will also support and provide resources for faculty members from other colleges and institutions who are unable to indulge in capital-intensive research.

Prof Govindan Rangarajan from IISc shared his thoughts on this partnership, stating, “IISc has emerged as a leading hub for quantum technologies research. This new Quantum Technology Lab at IISc highlights our commitment to emerging and futuristic research threads. This collaboration with SSIR will strengthen the Institute’s cutting-edge infrastructure and expertise, providing our students and researchers with a unique opportunity to explore the limitless possibilities of quantum technologies.”

The Quantum Technology Lab will integrate cryogenic control chip with qubits, single photon sources, and detectors, and address reliability challenges in quantum technologies. The lab will provide a platform for interdisciplinary research, industry collaborations, and the exchange of knowledge, which will cultivate a dynamic ecosystem for innovation. Its significance will extend beyond the advancement of scientific understanding, and will empower India to compete globally and harness the power of quantum technologies for socio-economic growth.

About Samsung Semiconductor India Research:

Samsung Semiconductor India Research (SSIR) is a part of the global network of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. for providing component solutions, featuring industry-leading technologies in the areas of System LSI, Memory, and Foundry. At SSIR, we offer our engineers a foundation to work on cutting edge technologies such as Foundation IP Design, Serial Interfaces, Multimedia IPs, Mobile SoCs, Storage Solutions, 4G/5G solutions, Neural processors, AI/ML and much more. For more details, please visit: https://semiconductor.samsung.com/ssir/

13 October 2023

The Centre for infrastructure, Sustainable Transportation and Urban Planning (CiSTUP) at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) conducted a joint workshop on 11 October 2023 to discuss research conducted by CiSTUP faculty and their partners to improve BMTC planning and operations.

BMTC was strongly represented by the leadership team, including the MD, Director IT, and Director S&V, and also senior officials such as Mr KR Vishwanath, CTM, Mr AN Gajendra Kumar, CME, along with deputy chief engineers, and divisional heads. IISc faculty, staff, and students along with their project partners rounded off the workshop participants.

CiSTUP faculty presented 10 different BMTC-centric research projects that covered the following topics:

Bus operations optimisation such as bus bunching control
Ridership and revenue forecasting
Bus priority lane evaluation
Electric bus fleet planning
First- and last-mile service improvement
Heavy vehicle simulator-based safety research
After the presentations and the release of CiSTUP’s BMTC-centric research booklet, a lively discussion followed with an active involvement of BMTC officials, which resulted in identification of action points for future collaboration.

Ms Sathyavathi, BMTC MD, said, “It is heartening to see CiSTUP’s cutting edge research on topics of relevance to bus transit systems in general, and BMTC in particular. We are eager to collaborate with CiSTUP faculty to translate their research into implementable solutions.” She also emphasised, “Academic institutions and public transit agencies should work closely with each other to find innovative solutions to today’s and emerging mobility problems.” Ms Snehal, IT Director, added, “Quarterly interactions between BMTC and IISc will help build on the momentum created in the workshop.”

Abdul Pinjari, Chair of CiSTUP, thanked all the BMTC officials for actively participating in the workshop, and said, “Research and impact reinforce each other, and CiSTUP faculty take this as a guiding principle. Their projects have resulted in important findings and decision-support tools that can potentially be used to aid BMTC’s planning and operations. Our faculty are looking forward to taking their research to the field in collaboration with BMTC.”

Release of CiSTUP Research for Improving BMTC Planning and Operations – A Booklet of Abstracts (from left: Tarun Rambha, Assistant Professor at CiSTUP, IISc; Snehal R, IAS, Director IT, BMTC; Abdul Pinjari, Chair of CiSTUP, IISc; Sathyavathi, IAS, Managing Director, BMTC; Kala Krishnaswamy, IPS, Director Security & Vigilance, BMTC; Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean, Division of EECS, IISc)

The research booklet is available for download on the official websites of both CiSTUP, IISc and BMTC and will also be distributed to relevant stakeholders.

Link: https://cistup.iisc.ac.in/CiSTUP_Website/files/CiSTUP_BMTC%20Research%20Booklet_10Oct2023.pdf

Website: https://cistup.iisc.ac.in/CiSTUP_Website/pages/events/ev_workshop/bmtc_workshop_oct_2023.php

CONTACT:

Monika HV, Project Assistant, CiSTUP, IISc: Office.cistup@iisc.ac.in, https://cistup.iisc.ac.in/

CA Ajay, PA to MD, BMTC:
md@mybmtc.com, https://mybmtc.karnataka.gov.in/

10 October 2023

–Narmada Khare

Single atom ‘O’ to ‘S’ substitution in cyclic peptides improves their membrane permeability and bioavailability. This study paves the way for developing next-generation peptide-based therapeutics. (Image courtesy: Nishant Raj)

The effectiveness of any drug molecule depends on how well it interacts with the internal environment inside our body. Its pharmacokinetic (PK) properties determine how successfully it escapes degrading enzymes as it travels through the digestive system or the bloodstream, crosses biological barriers like the cell membrane, and reaches the desired target.

In a study published in Nature Communications, researchers at the Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), Indian Institute of Science (IISc), describe a novel method for improving the pharmacokinetic properties of “macrocyclic peptides” – drug molecules that are pursued heavily by pharmaceutical industries worldwide. The IISc team, in collaboration with Anthem Biosciences, has demonstrated that substituting just a single atom – oxygen with sulphur – in the backbone of a macrocyclic peptide can make it more resistant to digestive enzymes, and can increase its permeability through cell membranes, boosting its bioavailability.

A vast majority of today’s medicines are made up of small molecules taken orally in the form of pills. Larger molecules like monoclonal antibodies are much more specific and effective, but they must be injected. Scientists have, therefore, turned to macrocyclic peptides – chains of amino acid residues attached to each other via amide bonds, which are engineered to form circular structures. These compounds combine the best of both small and large pharmaceutical molecules.

However, like any protein, macrocyclic peptides are highly susceptible to digestive enzymes. They also find it hard to cross cell membranes which are made up of lipids, because they are water-loving molecules. The amide (CO-NH) bonds in these peptides interact with surrounding water molecules via relatively weaker bonds called hydrogen bonds. “For peptides to pass through a lipid membrane, they must reduce their hydrogen bonding with water. They must become a little more oil-loving (lipophilic),” explains Jayanta Chatterjee, Professor at MBU and corresponding author of the study. “Currently there are no concrete methods available apart from N-methylation to improve the pharmacokinetic properties of macrocyclic peptides,” he says.

Pritha Ghosh, former PhD student at MBU and first author, explains that the current N-methylation strategy requires exchanging a hydrogen atom from the amide bond with a methyl group. This prevents hydrogen bond formation between the nitrogen atom from the amide bond and the surrounding water, making it easier for the peptide to pass through the lipid membrane. However, such a modification has been shown to affect the binding of the peptide to its target, by making it too flexible and less specific. To overcome this drawback, Chatterjee and his team decided instead to focus on the oxygen atom in the amide bond, which is known to interact with two water molecules via hydrogen bonds. Using chemically synthesised cyclic peptides, they show that replacing this oxygen atom with sulphur makes the peptide much more lipophilic, increasing its permeability through the lipid membrane. They also found that this modification made the peptide less susceptible to digestive enzymes, since these enzymes are known to target the oxygen atom in the amide bond – which has now been swapped with sulphur.

To test whether such a modified compound can retain its biological function, the team used a shorter version of somatostatin – a hormone secreted by the pancreas that inhibits the growth hormone in our body – in which they substituted the oxygen atom of an amide/peptide bond with sulphur. The team found that when injected under the skin of model animals, the modified somatostatin not only lasted longer in the bloodstream than the unmodified one, but also effectively inhibited the growth hormone.

Ghosh says, “[After somatostatin], our lab continues to work with other biologically active molecules. Oxygen-to-sulphur modifications may be used in combination with other strategies … more than one substitution may give better results. We can use this technology to make peptides with better pharmacological properties.”

REFERENCE:

Ghosh P, Raj N, Verma H, Patel M, Chakraborti S, Khatri B, Doreswamy CM, Anandakumar SR, Seekallu S, Dinesh MB, Jadhav G, Yadav PN, Chatterjee J, An amide to thioamide substitution improves the permeability and bioavailability of macrocyclic peptides, Nature Communications (2023).

CONTACT:

Jayanta Chatterjee
Associate Professor
Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU)
Indian Institute of Science (IISc)
Email: jayanta@iisc.ac.in
Phone: 080-2293 2053
Lab website: https://sites.google.com/view/pe-lab/home

Pritha Ghosh
Postdoctoral Fellow
Research School of Chemistry
Australian National University
Email: prithaghosh@iisc.ac.in

NOTE TO JOURNALISTS:
a) If any of the text in this release is reproduced verbatim, please credit the IISc press release.
b) For any queries about IISc press releases, please write to news@iisc.ac.in or pro@iisc.ac.in.

05 October 2023

Tata Elxsi, among the world’s leading design and technology service providers across industries, today announced the joint development of an Automotive Cyber Security Solution together with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) under the framework of an existing Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

This joint development will leverage Tata Elxsi’s well-established, industry-acknowledged artificial intelligence and machine learning skill set and the business foray towards software-defined vehicles (SDV) & EV solutions, coupled with the strength of advanced research at IISc.

The partnership aims to address the challenges in cybersecurity presented by complex in-vehicle networks of sensors and numerous advancements in software that define the modern driving experience. Advances in vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-anything (V2X) connectivity have presented more opportunities for theft, remote control, tampering, and siphoning of personal information. Meanwhile, IISc researchers are focusing separately on developing automotive vehicle technologies and network security, smart grids, and other critical systems.

This collaboration will also focus on security and threat detection in connected automotive vehicles, using AI & ML-based intrusion detection. The partnership will also work to prevent and detect potential security threats and anomalies with preventive insights on future and potentially more advanced threats in the system.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Manoj Raghavan, CEO & MD of Tata Elxsi, said, “Tata Elxsi recognises that the automotive industry’s future depends on secure vehicles and trust. In the Connected vehicles space, we have made substantial investments to improve our solution stacks for Autonomous vehicles via our ADAS programme, SDV architecture, and the like. As vehicles increasingly rely on digital technologies, ensuring cybersecurity is paramount. With IISc’s partnership focusing on Cybersecurity solutions and products, we are sure our clients and automakers can build safer, more resilient vehicles while providing peace of mind to end customers.”

Tata Elxsi has been actively developing its service and product portfolio for connected vehicles with an unwavering commitment to safety. Tata Elxsi’s innovative solutions aim to transform the landscape of automotive cybersecurity with a cutting-edge product created out of this joint development with IISc’s Department of Electrical Communication Engineering (ECE), under whose aegis this collaborative development work will be executed.

“In today’s digital and interconnected world, cybersecurity threats are growing in pace with technological advances. At IISc, we are always keen on academia-industry partnerships that can help address such challenges. We are excited to join hands with Tata Elxsi to foster innovations in this important domain of security of connected automotive vehicles,” said Prof G Rangarajan, Director, IISc.

Regarding the association, Prof Rajesh Sundaresan, Dean of the Division of Electrical, Electronics and Computer Sciences (EECS), IISc, said, “A modern car easily has upwards of 3,000 chips sensing and controlling the car’s operation. The design complexity associated with enabling safe in-vehicle networking is enormous. This partnership brings together IISc’s strengths in cyber-physical systems security and Tata Elxsi’s strengths in design and technology to enable safe, secure, and connected mobility.” He emphasised the CSR grant provided earlier by Tata Elxsi for setting up an AI lab at IISc that has dramatically helped students of the Institute’s MTech (Artificial Intelligence) programme.

Tata Elxsi has already spearheaded some of the best-in-class features for threat detection, threat prevention, and secure updates addressing privacy concerns, consistent with the latest regulatory and compliance requirements driving the security solutions landscape in the domain of the connected vehicle. This partnership will substantially add to their product portfolio.

About Tata Elxsi:
Tata Elxsi is amongst the world’s leading providers of design and technology services across industries, including Automotive, Broadcast, Communications, Healthcare and Transportation. Tata Elxsi is helping customers reimagine their products and services through design thinking and application of digital technologies such as IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud, Mobility, Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. To know more about our SDV & EV offerings, please visit www.tataelxsi.com or contact our sales team at sales@tataelxsi.co.in.

CONTACT:
Tata Elxsi: Hari Balan, Corporate Communications | media@tataelxsi.com
IISc: Office of Communications | news@iisc.ac.in