PMO Report Inputs
Prof. Venkata Ramana Kandala Chary of TIFR, Hyderabad elected as
a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS)
At the 25th General Meeting of TWAS held in Muscat, Sultanate of Oman, on 26
October 2014, the Members attending the meeting have elected Prof Kandala
Venkata Ramana Chary of TIFR, Hyderabad as a Fellow of The World Academy of
Sciences (TWAS) for the advancement of science in developing countries.
His election is a clear recognition of his outstanding contribution to
science and its promotion in the developing world.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: A multiply functionalized base-coordinated Ge(II)
compound and its reversible dimerization to the digermene
Name & Citation of the Publication: Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 2014, 53, DOI:
10.1002/anie.201407751
Authors: Anukul Jana, Volker Huch, Henry S. Rzepa, and David Scheschkewitz
Abstract: Stable compounds with Ge=Ge bond are usually prepared under
relatively harsh reaction conditions that are incompatible with many
functional groups. In particular, unsaturated functionalities are not
tolerated due to their facile reaction with low-coordinate germanium
compounds. We now report the synthesis of an imino-functionalized
germanium(II) species, stabilized by coordination of an N-heterocyclic
carbene (NHC), by reaction of an isonitrile with a heavier NHC-coordinated
vinylidene. Removal of the NHC by a Lewis-acid results in dimerization to
the corresponding digermene with Ge=Ge double bond. The reversibility of
this process is demonstrated by addition of two equivalents of NHC to the
isolated digermene.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Title: The Binding of Apolipoprotein E to Oligomers and Fibrils
of Amyloid-β Alters the Kinetics of Amyloid Aggregation.
Biochemistry. 2014;53:6323-31.
Authors : Garai K, Verghese PB, Baban B, Holtzman DM, Frieden C.
Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of neurodegenerative disease
affecting the elderly population across the globe. A pathological hallmark of
AD is the aggregation and deposition of amyloid-beta (Aβ) peptide in the
brain. Genetic studies have shown that Apolipoprotein E4 is the strongest
risk factor for AD. Using multiple biophysical techniques we have studied the
role of apolipoprotein E on the aggregation properties of Aβ. Results from
our experiments suggest that apoE binds to both soluble and insoluble
aggregated forms including the fibrils of Aβ. The binding of apoE enhances
the stability of the Aβ aggregates. We propose that increased risk of AD by
apolipoprotein E4 arises due to enhanced stability of
the toxic aggregates
of Aβ. This work has recently been accepted for publication in Biochemistry.
The same has been chosen by the editors to be highlighted in the website of
Biochemistry.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Outreach activities at TIFR, Hyderabad:
1. October 11, 2014
11th and 12th standard students from Glendale Academy, Hyderabad,
visited TCIS along with three teachers. They spent an entire morning at
TCIS, during which they heard short talks from Profs. Sriram Ramaswamy
and Rama Govindarajan and Dr. M. Anand, and then visited the laboratory
of Dr. Anukul Jana where they saw an experiment on IR spectroscopy. The
rest of the time was spent with Dr. Shubha Tewari and TCIS students on
demonstrations and experiments illustrating the unusual properties of
soft matter.
2. October 26, 2014
Prof. R. Rajaraman, emeritus Professor of Theoretical Physics at
Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, spoke as part of the TCIS
series for the general public, “Sawaal-Jawaab: Conversations on
Science”. The topic of the well-attended discussion was “Protecting
civilians against nuclear attack: feasible or not?”
3. July – Oct , 2014
Faculty members Shubha Tewari, Surajit Sengupta, Subodh R. Shenoy, and
M. Krishnamurthy taught a course titled "Introduction to the Physical
and Chemical Sciences" to students of the integrated BA/MA program at
the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, Hyderabad. As part of the
assessment for this course, groups of 1 – 3 students undertook to
build/carry out small-scale experimental projects which they
demonstrated to Shubha Tewari.