Brief Personal History: Prof. Subhendu Sekhar Bag, FRSC, joined the Department of Chemistry at Indian Institute of Technology Guwhati, Guwahati-781 039, Assam, INDIA in the year of 2008. Dr. Bag was born December 1, 1975 and brought up at Tikarpara, Baricha in the district of Bankura of West Bengal by his parents Guiram Bag and Gangarani Bag. His family, wife - Aditi Bag, kids-Saswata and Shreyasi are the major source of  his Inspiration. He is now working as a Full Professor since 2017.

Research Interests: Chemical Genomics, Chemical Biology, and Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry.

Current Research: The Bag Group is a place where Chemistry meets Biology. We use multidisciplinary approach to meet challenges posted by Biomedical Science associated with human health.

Research in the interface of Chemistry and Biology  is  the only possible way to include real insights into the molecular mechanisms of complex biological and chemical systems. While this monumental research effort helped understanding the physico-chemical aspect of the natural bio-molecular recognition phenomena at molecular level, the aspiration to cure disease at the genetic level also acts as the major driving force behind the research between molecular biology and chemical synthesis. Unnatural Biomolecular Building Blocks within the Genetic Materials/Proteins and Synthetic Molecules that bind sequence specifically to DNA/RNA/Proteins are legitimate targets of molecular biology applications for enlarging the functional and informational potential of Genetic Materials/Proteins, as gene therapeutic agents and in anti-sense technology. The multidisciplinary approach is one of the best ways to understand the bio-molecular recognition phenomena at molecular level and can be regarded as an icon where Chemistry meets Biology.

Our major interfacial research focuses on the Expansion of the Genetic Alphabets, Genetic Codes, Genotyping Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms, b-Lactam and Enediyne Anticancer Antibiotics, Nano-biocomposites and Synthetic Methodologies. He has adopted novel Click Chemistry and/or Sonogashira Coupling as key synthetic methodologies for the generation of biomolecular building blocks necessary in all of his research activities.

Thus, we are mainly engaged in enlarging the functional and informational potentials of genetic materials and proteins such that a semisynthetic life form can be automated to perform a predefined task. We are also involved in probing the molecular mechanisms/biomolecular interactions in living organisms  and developing the methodologies  useable for biochemical investigations and biomedical applications. Furthermore, we are also involved in fluorimetric sensing of cleavage of β-lactam antibiotics and selective labeling/visualization of penicillin binding proteins (PBPs) for establishing a rapid test protocol for β-lactamase detection/prediction of antibiotic activity. We are also contributing to radical generating hybrid organics such as enediyne-nucleoside/enediyne-amino acids as a part of our anticancer drug development program. To contribute to the society during the recent COVID-19 pandemic, we took up the challenges for the development of Nucleoside/Peptidomimetic Inhibitor Drugs targeting RdRp enzyme and SARS-CoV-2 M^pro protease, respectively.

Career