IFCPAR AR (ENGLISH) for CD - CEFIPRA

IFCPAR 

INDO-FRENCH CENTRE 

FOR THE PROMOTION OF ADVANCED RESEARCH 

CEFIPRA 

CENTRE FRANCO-INDIEN 

POUR LA PROMOTION DE LA RECHERCHE AVANCEE 

Research Activities2010-11


Indo-French Centre 

for the Promotion of Advanced Research 

R e s e a r c h A c t i v i t i e s 

2010-11 


Centre Franco-Indien 

pour la Promotion de la Recherche Avancée

2 

About IFCPAR/CEFIPRA 


Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research 

Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR) or Centre Franco-Indien pour la 

Promotion de la Recherche Avancée (CEFIPRA) is a model for international collaborative research in 

advanced areas of science and technology. The Centre was established in 1987 with matching grant from 

the Department of Science & Technology, Government of India and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 

Government of France. Collaborative research projects between Indian and French scientists in areas of 

cutting edge science and technology, has led to a strong and vibrant partnership between the two 

countries. 

IFCPAR offers a single window for enabling and enhancing bilateral cooperation in India and France 

through its office in New Delhi. The activities of IFCPAR include 

¡Promotion of cooperation in advanced areas of basic and applied scientific research between India 

and France 

¡Development of cooperation through identification of scientists and scientific institutions of the two 

countries for collaboration 

¡Support to the research scientists for engaging doctoral and post-doctoral students 

¡Assistance in the form of grants for consumables and small equipments necessary for achieving the 

objectives of the project, exchange visits for Indian and French scientists & industries 

¡Organisation of workshops/seminars and other fora for scientists of both countries to interact on 

topics of mutual interest in advanced areas of S&T 

¡Promotion of applied/industrial research projects through collaboration between educational & 

research institutions and industry 

The project proposals undergo a system of closed peer review by experts in India and France, before 

being considered by the Scientific Council and the Industrial Research Committee. All projects go through 

a process of clearance from both Governments before the projects are implemented. 

The management structure of IFCPAR is aimed at fostering, promoting and enhancing bilateral 

cooperation in science and technology, between India & France. 

IFCPAR has launched programme for industrial research aimed at linking research institutions and 

private firms/companies from both countries. The industrial research focuses on industry centric issues 

and needs with the objective of generation of process/product or translation of potential leads within a 

period of three to five years. 

Governing Body 

Scientific Council Director 

Administration of 


Scientists / Industries 

Industrial Research 

Committee


Centre Franco-Indien pour la Promotion de la Recherche Avancée 

Table of Contents 

From the Director's desk 4 

Completed Research Projects 6 

Ongoing Research Projects 29 

Organisation-wise distribution of projects - India & France 93 

Geographic distribution of the projects - India 98 

Geographic distribution of the projects - France 99 

Industrial Research Projects 100 

Workshops/Seminars 101 

Research Activities 2010-11 

3

4 

From the Director's Desk 



I consider it a great opportunity to be heading the Indo-French Centre. Over the past two years, I have 

witnessed for myself the passion for science shared by the Indian and French scientists, the 

professionalism and focus of the Scientific Council members to support excellence in Science, the 

proactive and tremendous measures taken by the Industrial Research Committee members for support to 

good industrial research projects focussed on innovation, the strong commitment of the Governing Body 

to strengthen the bilateral cooperation in S&T between India and France, the constant support, guidance 

and inspiration provided by Indian Embassy in Paris and French Embassy in India to leverage the 

strengths of the Centre. 

With this strong support, guidance, inspiration, motivation and commitment to bilateral cooperation in 

S&T by the Scientific Council, the Industrial Research Committee, the Governing Body, Indian and French 

scientists, Embassies, Research Institutions & Agencies in India and France, the Centre has catalysed 

unique initiatives to expand the stakeholder base and for enhancing the scope of activities within the 

mandated objectives of IFCPAR. 

Alliances with agencies in France and India for programme based activities have been initiated. A 

programme on “Water management in Agriculture” is likely to be supported by Institut National de la 

Recherche Agronomique (INRA)/Department of Science and Technology (DST) through multi-institutional 

partnerships. Similar alliances with Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale (INSERM) 

and Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) are being envisaged in 

areas of mutual interest. The Centre is also likely to play a facilitating role in the Indo-French Centre for 

Applied Mathematics supported by Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and DST. 

The major focus of the Centre has been the basic research activities. During the period under report, 

66 research proposals were received, of which 16 have been approved. Core competence development 

continued in specialized areas through doctoral and postdoctoral students working with Indian and 

French scientists in the research laboratories of India and France.



Mobility of students and scientists has been one of the methods adopted for forging and strengthening the 

collaborative research. During the year, 9 students and 154 scientists have benefitted through the 

exchange visit programmes of IFCPAR, under various projects. 

The Industrial Research Committee has made special efforts and developed innovative mechanisms to 

reach out to industry for identification of potential partners who could be linked to research institutions 

and supported by the Centre for industrial research activities. It is with great pleasure that I report that 5 

proposals have been initiated during the year. It has also been possible for us to develop the concept of 

"Cluster Seminars" in specific sectors of mutual interest to France and India. The first such seminar is likely 

to be held in Bangalore in IT Sector between the system@tic cluster in Paris region and Bangalore IT 

cluster. The other cluster seminars being envisaged are Automotive R&D, Technical Textiles and 

Aerospace Applications. 

During the year, the Centre has conducted eight Seminars in the areas of Indoor air quality, Soft 

interfaces, Secure electronic communications and transactions, Host Pathogen interactions, Deep earth 

processes, Matrix information geometries, Self-assembled hybrid systems and Biomarkers for cancer 

diagnosis and management. 

A bibliometric analysis of research output from the projects during 1990-2009 was carried out by the 

National Institute of Science Communications and Information Resources (NISCAIR), New Delhi. The 

study reveals that the publications increased from 12 research papers in 1990 to 91 in 2009; 27 of the 

research publications received more than 100 citations and contribution of IFCPAR to India-France 

collaborative research is 30-35%. 

The Centre celebrates 25 years of its existence in 2012, a landmark event in the history of the 

organisation. As one of the good models for bilateral cooperation in Science & Technology, between two 

countries, the Centre has been able to foster, nurture and promote collaborative excellence in Science 

and Technology. This would not have been possible without the support from the scientific community, the 

members of the Committees, the Governing Body and all the stakeholders. 

I would like to thank all those associated with IFCPAR at the individual, firm and organisational level for 

the strong support & commitment and the inspiration & encouragement in the implementation of the 

activities and the motivation for the development initiatives of the Centre. 


Dr. A. Amudeswari 

Director 

5

6 



Area-Wise Distribution of Completed Projects 

(2010 - 2011) 

Pure & 

Applied Physics 

4 

Computer Science 

1 

Material Sciences 

3 

Earth and 

Planetary Sciences 

2 

Chart No. 1 

Pure & 

Applied Maths 

1 

Others 

2 

Total no. of projects : 21 

Life & 

Health Sciences 

2 

Pure and 

Applied Chemistry 

5 

Environmental 

Science 

1



Projects Completed 

AS ON 31-3-2011 

Table - 1 

Distribution Series-Wise 

Series No. No. of Projects Project Nos. 

32 1 3207-2 

34 4 3403-3, 3404-3, 3405-1, 3407-1 

35 2 3504-2, 3505-2 

36 5 3602-1, 3603-2, 3605-1, 3608-1, 3608-3 

37 7 3701-2, 3704-1, 3705-1, 3705-2, 3708-2, 

3709-1, 3700-B1 

38 2 3804-1, 3800-W1 

Total 21 


7

8 

Pure and Applied Mathematics 

Dr. Eknath Ghate 

Tata Institute of Fundamental 

Research 

Mumbai 

Prof. Pierre Colmez 

Institut de Mathématiques de Jussieu 

Paris 

Project 3701-2 

ARITHMETIC OF AUTOMORPHIC FORMS 



Duration: Three years (September, 2007 to August, 2010) 

Objectives 

The goal of this project was to further the understanding of the 

increasingly important interplay between automorphic forms, 

arithmetic and algebraic geometry. Some themes to be focused 

included the special values of L-functions, Galois 

representations, motives, Shimura varieties, Iwasawa theory, 

p-adic families, and p-adic Hodge theory. The topics to be 

investigated were related to some of the central outstanding 

questions in number theory such as the Langlands Program, 

the Iwasawa Main Conjecture, and the Birch and Swinnerton- 

Dyer Conjecture. 

Over the last many years exchange of ideas has occurred 

between the two countries which has proved mutually 

beneficial. The current project, the first of its kind between 

number theorists in Bombay and Allahabad, and in Paris, 

aimed to further this exchange. 

Accomplishments 

i) The collaborators prove that the ramification of the 

endomorphism algebra of the Grothendieck motive 

attached to a non-CM cuspform of weight two or more is 

completely determined by the slopes of the adjoint lift of this 

form, when the slopes are finite. All places of good and bad 

reduction were treated, answering completely a question of 

Ribet about the Brauer class of the endomorphism algebra 

in the finite slope case 

ii) Let L be a finite extension of Qp. The collaborators 

constructed a correspondence (p-adic local Langlands) 

associating to any L-representation V of G_Qp, irreducible 

of dimension 2, a representation âˆ (V) of GL_2 (Qp), 

unitary, admissible, and irreducible. The collaborators 

identify the locally analytical and algebraic vectors of âˆ (V), 

which shows that this correspondence encodes the classical 

local Langlands correspondence [for GL_2(Qp)]. 

Research papers published: Six



Duration: Four years (January 2007 to December 2010) 

Objectives 

The control of mechanical systems subject to constraints - 

broadly classified as holonomic or nonholonomic constraints - 

has been a focus of intense research for more than a decade. 

This effort has exhaustively addressed the control of systems 

described by rigid body dynamics - like spacecrafts and 

motors, interconnected rigid bodies - like robots and satellites 

with appendages, rigid bodies with rolling constraints - like 

wheeled mobile robots, interconnected rigid bodies with 

acceleration constraints - like serial link manipulators with 

fewer actuators than degrees of freedom. A few significant 

design methodologies resulting from these efforts are - the 

passivity based (PB) approaches, the controlled Lagrangian 

(CL) framework and the interconnection and damping 

assignment (IDA) technique in the port-Hamiltonian 

framework. The work attempted to extend the IDA 

methodology to mechanical sysems containing fluid elements 

and elements with structural flexibility. 


i) Control synthesis for power system networks (these 

represent a challenging class of nonlinear 

electromechanical systems) 

ii) Stabilizing 

1. a flexible beam on a cart 

2. a tank filled with fluid 

Both these systems represent systems that contain a 

distributed parameter system (PDE) connected to a 

lumped parameter system (ODE) 

iii) Control synthesis for cable suspended mechanisms using 

both - Hamiltonian based (IDA-PBC) and flatness based 

techniques 

iv) Development of control laws for nonlinear systems with 

algebraic constraints 

v) Investigation of properties of passivity-based controllers 

Research papers published: Nine 

Papers presented in conferences : 14 


MODELLING AND CONTROLLER SYNTHESIS FOR 

MECHANICAL SYSTEMS WITH FLUIDS AND FLEXIBLE 

ELEMENTS 


Computer Sciences 

Prof. Ravi N. Banavar 

Systems and Control Engineering 

Indian Institute of Technology 

Mumbai 

Dr. Romeo Ortega 

Laboratoire des Signaux & Systémes 

UMR 8506, Supélec 

Gif-sur-Yvette 

9

10 

Life and Health Sciences 

Dr. R.S. Gokhale 

National Institute of Immunology 

New Delhi 

Dr. Jean-Marc Reyrat (late) 

Faculté de Médecine necker-Enfants 

Malade de Pathogénie des Infections, 

Systémiques, INSERM UMR570 

Faculté de Médicine, 

Paris 


ANALYSIS OF GPLs BIOSYNTHESIS IN MYCOBACTERIA 



Duration: Three years and six months (November, 2006 to 

April, 2010) 

Objectives 

The collaborators proposed to undertake a systematic gene 

knock out strategy in order to unravel the biosynthetic steps and 

the mechanisms of transport and localisation of the GPLs, a 

small peptidoglycolipid, produced by a range of various 

mycobacterial species. 

Mutants of M.smegmatis were to be constructed in the 

laboratory of French Collaborator using the standard 

molecular genetic methods and GPLs derivatives were to be 

structurally characterized in the laboratory of Indian 

Collaborator. The function of proteins were to be 

unambiguously characterized by the isolation of protein with 

demonstrable activities. This collaboration allowed a precise 

molecular understanding of the biosynthetic pathway and the 

mechanism of transport of GPLs molecules and shed light on 

the metabolism of small molecules in mycobacteria. 

Moreover, a number of other mycobacterial GPLs producing 

species are currently under sequence. Comparative genomics 

between this various species should enable the 

characterisation of the genomic region responsible for the 

subtle biochemical modifications of the GPLs core. 


i) Fine structure mapping of chemical features of GPL 

ii) Identification of the biosynthetic machinery for GPLs in 

mycobacteria 

iii) Retrobiosynthetic validation of fatty acyl chain component 

of GPL 

iv) Characterization of the position of hydroxyl group in the 

structure of GPL 

v) Genetic validation of the biochemical pathway using knock 

out and complementation analysis 

Research papers published: Nil 

Papers presented in conferences : 4




JUXTACRINE AND/OR PARACRINE CONTROL OF BRAIN 

PLASTICITY 

Duration: Three years and six months (September, 2007 to 

February, 2011) 

Objectives 

i) Expression of PSA-NCAM on GnRH neuron terminals and 

astrocytes in the median eminence region of hypothalamus 

before the surge release of GnRH in proestrous phase 

ii) Study whether Polysialyltransferase (PST) enzyme regulates the 

addition of PSA to NCAM on GnRH neurons, astrocytes and 

tanycytes 

iii) To study the effect of Endo-N-treatment on matrix 

metalloproteinases (MMP) activity in median eminence by 

using both gel and in situ zymography in vivo and in vitro mixed 

neuronal-glial cultures. Also to determine the effect of Endo-Ntreatment 

on EGF receptor activation within the median 

eminence in vivo and in vitro 


i) The enhanced expression of PSA-NCAM on GnRH neuron 

terminals and astrocytes in the median eminence region of 

hypothalamus before the surge release of GnRH observed in 

proestrous phase suggests that PSA-NCAM plays a permissive 

role to reduce glial coverage of GnRH terminals 

ii) GnRH neuron in vivo shows changes in PST expression during 

the proestrous and diestrous phases by ISH and northern 

blotting techniques. To further confirm that PSA-NCAM plays 

permissive role in GnRH neuron plasticity, the effect of 

endoneuraminidase (Endo-N which specifically cleaves PSA 

from NCAM) treatment was studied on estrous cyclicity and the 

expression of GnRH and GFAP (astrocytic marker) in median 

eminence by dual immunohistofluorescence labeling 

iii) In vitro mixed neuronal-glial cultures were established using 

GFP-GnRH mice but the number of GnRH cells in these cultures 

were seen to be very low. Subsequently, GnV (conditionally 

immortalized GnRH cell line) and astrocytes co-cultures were 

established to achieve the proposed objective. The functional 

contribution of PSA-NCAM in neuronal-glial plasticity were 

assessed using both in vitro and in vivo systems. Using in vitro 

model, structural remodeling of GnV-3 cells was studied after 

treating the cells with Endo N enzyme, which specifically cleaves 

PSA residues on NCAM 

iv) Further in vivo study was carried out by stereotaxic injection of 

endo N in lateral ventricle and immunostaining of GnRH, PSA- 

NCAM and GFAP in the ME-ARC region of hypothalamus 

v) The study results identify both MMP-2 and MMP-9 as 

metalloproteinases involved in the control of the accessibility of 

GnRH to the portal vasculature on the base or their expression 

pattern in the ME of the hypothalamus and their enzymatic 

activity in vivo and in vitro 

Research papers published: Seven 

Papers presented in Conferences : 15 



Prof. Gurcharan Kaur 

Department of Biotechnology 

Guru Nanak Dev University 

Amritsar 

Prof. Vincent Prevot 

Institut National de la Recherche 

Médicale, U837 Lille 

GnRH-GFP neuron (green) + GFAPimmunoreactive 

astrocytes (red) and MAP-2immunoreactive 

neurons in a primary culture 

from P0 GnRH-GFP mice. 

11

12 

Pure and Applied Physics 




RIGOROUS RESULTS IN QUANTUM INFORMATION THEORY, 

POTENTIAL SCATTERING AND SUPERSYMMETRIC QUANTUM MECHANICS 

Prof. Avinash Vasant Khare 

Institute of Physics 

Bhubaneswar 

Prof. Jean Marc Richard 

Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et 

de Cosmologie, CNRS-IN2P3 

Grenoble 

Duration: Four years (May, 2006 to April, 2010) 

Objectives 

¡The high-energy behaviour of scattering amplitudes and the 

role of elastic unitarity 

¡The complementarity principle for quantum joint 

probabilities and maximally realistic quantum theory 

¡Phase-space Bell inequalities and quantum tomographic 

loop-hole free tests of local reality 

¡Tests of quantum entanglement and separability for multiqubit 

states and multi-mode photons 

¡Rigorous results on the spectral properties of N-body 

Hamiltonians 

¡Supersymmetric quantum mechanics 

¡Semi-classical theories 

The main purpose was progress in foundational problems of 

quantum theory and their applications to particle physics and 

quantum information science with special focus on "Quantum 

Entanglement". 

The main purpose of N-body problems and supersymmetric 

quantum mechanics is their applications to many areas including 

Random matrix theory, Integrable models, chaotic system and 

quantum optics. 


i) Two space dimensions have been studied which is notoriously 

more difficult than the cases of one or three dimensions 

ii) Several developments are foreseen for this problem of level 

rearrangement: maximum number of crossing of energy 

levels of different angular momentum, role of absorption, 

transition from three-dimension to effective two dimensional 

world for systems squeezed between layers, etc. 

iii) New approach to the problem of bounds to total, elastic and 

inelastic cross-sections at very high energy has been studied. 

The bound has been generalized, so as to include now a 

bound on the inelastic cross section, and new developments 

have been obtained 

iv) Bounds on the differential cross-section near the forward peak 

at very high energy : This is the continuation of a study made 

several years ago by two members of the collaboration. But 

the more recent data, and the perspective to get shortly results 

at much higher energy indicate that this approach deserves to 

be revisited 

v) One-dimensional problems and S-states (l=0) problems in 

three dimensions have been studied. The first P-state (2P) has 

been studied and it has sharper variations than the 1S and 2S 

levels and crosses the 2S level when the strength of the shortrange 

attraction increases 

Research papers published: One




Objectives 

i) Active gel suspensions: Detailed comparison of the 

formalisms already developed by the two sides for 

understanding active gels or suspensions 

ii) Axonal instability: Earlier data on the pearling instability 

in axons subjected to osmotic stress suggest an important 

role for active processes. The general theory developed will 

prove valuable in interpreting these measurements 

iii) Active membranes: Important work on membranes with 

active force centres have been done. The models were to be 

extended to include the ions and their electrostatic 

interaction, an aspect of great physical relevance but 

currently missing from the analysis 

iv) Coupling an active gel to a fluid membrane produced an 

active membrane in which the nonequilibrium noise and 

shape dynamics was a direct result of the forces exerted by 

the gel on the membrane. A complete, controlled theory of 

this system was one of the aims 

v) Continuum models for structure formation in motormicrotubule 

extracts 

vi) Forces from active polymerisation 


i) Elucidated relation between French and Indian active 

hydrodynamics; through close interactions, Indo-French 

Active Matter framework established as paradigm for 

mechanics of living matter 

ii) Understood active self-assembly of actin 

iii) Active membranes: induced-charge electro-osmosis and 

cell biology; dynamics of a membrane in contact with an 

active fluid 

iv) Active wetting: new scaling laws for drop spreading; a 

theory of the thickness of a cell's cortical actin layer 

Research papers published: Thirty six 


THE MECHANICS OF ACTIVE MATTER 



Prof. Sriram Ramaswamy 

Centre for Condensed Matter Theory 

Indian Institute of Science 

Bangalore 

Prof. Jacques Prost 

Ecole Superieure de Physique et de 

Chimie Industrielles de la Ville de 

Paris, Institut Curie 

Paris 

13

14 


Prof. P. Venkatakrishnan 

Udaipur Solar Observatory 

Physical Research Laboratory 

Udaipur 

Dr. Guillaume Molodij 

Observatoire de Paris, LESIA 

Meudon 


TRANSIENT PHENOMENA IN THE SUN-EARTH SYSTEM 



Duration: Three years (February, 2008 to January, 2011) 

Objectives 

The main driver of solar activity is the magnetic field that produces structures 

in the solar atmosphere like sunspots and coronal loops. The relationship 

between active regions, filament regions and the coronal mass ejections 

(CMEs), large active regions, tiny regions and CMEs is still not clear. Important 

task was to determine a method to predict the sign, the magnitude, and the 

time duration of the large episodes of interplanetary magnetic field, and to 

determine the free magnetic energy of the active region using maps of the 

vector magnetic field. The original objectives of the project were to 

understand the chain of phenomena occurring from the Sun to the Earth as a 

global system that are: 

¡The emergence of large complex active regions 

¡The numerous flares and CME occurring in these complex active regions 

¡The geo-effectiveness of the CMEs 


i) An ensemble of synthetic spectro-polarimetric data sets for a given 

sunspot was generated. This ensemble of data is then inverted to give an 

ensemble of vector maps. These maps are then used to estimate 

uncertainties in the field parameters as well as in the non-potentiality 

parameters, α and Signed Shear Angle (SSA), of the sunspot. The effect 

g 

of polarimetric noise on these parameters suggests that SSA is more 

robust than α g 

ii) A tomographic method to analyse a filament eruption observed on 26 

September 2009 by the twin satellites STEREO was developed. According 

to the rise phase of the acceleration it can be concluded that it was due to 

"torus" instability 

iii) Multi-wavelength observations were used, which include different 

instruments: the MSDP operating in the Meudon solar tower, RHESSI, 

TRACE, SOhO/EIT and SOhO/MDI. The M1.6 flare of May 27, 2003, 

occurring in the magnetically complex active region NOAA 10365 was 

studied. The computation of magnetic helicity could be treated routinely 

and added to the other parameters to forecast large magnetic clouds and 

their disturbances 

iv) During the campaign organized around the observations of THEMIS in 

the frame of IFCPAR program with Indian telescopes and space 

instruments, a filament disappearance in the images of Udaipur was 

followed and its evolution in 3D with STEREO was observed. The 

disappearance can be explained by magnetic changes in the 

photosphere detected by the THEMIS vector magnetograph and the 

GONG magnetograph of Udaipur. The THEMIS vector magnetograms 

provide an answer showing cancelling flux at one footpoint of the 

filament 

v) Solar active events associated with NOAA AR 10501 have been selected 

to study the relation between the most geo-effective magnetic cloud (MC) 

th th 

of November 20 2003 and its solar source, which was November 18 

2003. This study is directed to analyze the relation between the helicity of 

active region and the magnetic cloud, which effect a lot on earth's 

environment. This active region produced another large solar event 

occurring on November 20 leading to some shock in the magnetosphere 

but definitively not a geo-effective event. The emergence of the new flux 

with a large twist injected magnetic helicity in the complex active region to 

produce the large geo-effective event 

Research papers published: Fourteen 

Papers presented in conferences: 16



Duration: Three years (April, 2008 to March, 2011) 

Objectives 

The objective of the project was to fabricate single molecule 

transistors to 

¡probe spin dependent transport across single molecule 

magnets like the Mn-12 and Fe-8 clusters to probe effect of 

magnetic field and electron number on the conductance 

across the molecule 

¡spectroscopically probe the excitation spectrum of the 

molecules through single electron transport measured at 

low temperature 

¡vary the electrode material to modify the coupling of the 

molecule to the electrodes to modify type of the electrons (s 

or d band) tunnelling through the molecule 


i) Rate equation calculations to study spin polarized tunneling 

in molecular transistors 

ii) Fabrication of a low temperature insert that allows lowtemperature 

measurements and in-situ evaporation of 

molecules at low-temperature 

iii) Fabrication of graphene based NEMS devices 


Papers presented in conference: 2 


SPIN TRANSPORT IN SINGLE MOLECULE TRANSISTORS 

a) and b) show the view of the flange that has the heater and mounted to the bottom of the 

insert using an indium seal. c) Image of a home-made insert with DC and RF lines that is 

mounted inside VTI. 



Dr. Mandar Deshmukh 


Research 

Mumbai 

Dr. Vincent Bouchiat 

Intitut Neel, CNRS 

Grenoble 

15

16 

Pure and Applied Chemistry 

Prof. Tanmaya Pathak 

Department of Chemistry 


Kharagpur 

Prof. Jean-Luc Décout 

Département de Pharmacochimie 

Moléculaire 

Université Joseph Fourier-Grenoble 

Grenoble 


SYNTHESIS AND BIOLOGICAL STUDIES OF AZIDO AND 

AMINOHEXOPYRANOSYL NUCLEOSIDES 




Objectives 

In the search for new antibiotic or antiviral agents, it was 

planned to develop new efficient routes for synthesising azido 

a n d a m i n o p y r a n o s y l n u c l e o s i d e s a n d r e l a t e d 

aminohexopyranoside oligomers. These derivatives that 

possessed nuclease like activities were to be conjugated to 

different RNA targeting agents like intercalating drugs and 

peptide nucleic acids for obtaining more efficient antiviral 

agents. 


i) The strategy for the synthesis of aminodeoxysugars at a 

monosaccharide level has been standardized 

ii) The strategy for the synthesis of epoxypyrimidines and 

tosylated nucleosides has been standardized 

iii) It is now possible to incorporate azido/amino group at the 

C-3 position of the nucleosides to obtain two different types 

of hexopyranosyl nucleosides from epoxypyrimidines and 

tosylated nucleosides 

iv) Synthesis of a glucosamine derivative having strong 

antimicrobial effects against Staphylococcus aureus strains 

(unpublished results. patent application in preparation) 

v) Synthesis of a 6-aminoglucosaminepeptide nucleic acid 

conjugate showing a strong anti-HIV-1 effect 

Research papers published: Three




Objectives 

i) Designing mutations of amino acids at the substrate 

binding site of cytochrome P450cam cloned in E. coli and 

screening the mutants for binding of Gammexane 

( γ-hexachlorocyclohexane) 

and its analogues 

ii) Crystallisation of the mutant enzymes screened for binding 

of the halogenated pesticide and determination of the 

crystal structures of the enzyme in presence and in absence 

of these unnatural substrates 

iii) Crystallisation of the mutant enzymes with oxygen bound 

to the heme active site in presence and in absence of the 

pesticide to determine spatial factors for the oxygen 

binding in presence of the unnatural substrates 


i) The mutants, that are expected to have high affinity for the 

pesticides like Lindane, etc., have been designed by 

molecular modeling and Docking calculations 

ii) The First set of mutations have already been completed and 

assay of the mutant enzyme showed almost ten fold 

increase in binding affinity for lindane compared to the WT 

iii) The mutant enzyme has been crystallized in the camphor 

bound form. The results are presently being analysed 

iv) Several structures have been obtained with some 

unexpected results. Two papers, one reporting the solutions 

studies and the other dealing with the crystallographic 

results, are under preparation 



CRYSTALLOGRAPHIC STUDIES ON INTERACTION OF 

UNNATURAL SUBSTRATES WITH CYTOCHROME P450CAM 


Pure & Applied Chemistry 

Prof. Shyamalava Mazumdar 

Department of Chemical Sciences 

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research 

Mumbai 

Prof. Juan C. Fontecilla-Camps 

Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean- 

Pierre Ebel 

Grenoble 

17

18 


Prof. Goverdhan Mehta 

Department of Organic Chemistry 


Bangalore 

Prof. Yannick Landais 

Laboratoire de Chimie Organique et 

Organométallique 

UMR 5802-Université Bordeaux-1 

Talence 


TOTAL SYNTHESIS OF NEW SUGAR MIMICS FROM 

CYCLIC POLYENES 



Duration: Three years and ten months (February, 2007 to 

November, 2010) 

Objectives 

The aim of the project proposal was two-fold: (I) first a study of 

the fundamental aspects of the reactivity of polyene cations and 

anions 6-8 in order to understand their mode of substitution 

and their stability (i.e tetraenes 8 and 11 are prone to 

electrocyclization into12, vide infra) then based on these 

preliminary results; (ii) to perform asymmetric electrophilic 

transformations (epoxidation, dihydroxylation,…) on their 

derivatives 9-12 to gain an access to natural products 

possessing glycosidase inhibitory activities and to new 

polyhydroxyl architectures having specific conformations and 

polarity that may be useful for enhanced protein-carbohydrate 

interactions. 


i) Formation of seven-membered ring systems with up to five 

stereogenic centres generated in a regio- and 

diastereocontrolled manner in no more than 5 steps from 

silyl- and silylmethylcycloheptatrienes 

ii) Development of an unprecedented cascade involving 

silylmethylcycloheptatrienes and nitroso reagents, leading 

to highly functionalized 6-membered ring amino 

carbasugars 

iii) A concise strategy to the stereoselective synthesis of 

cyclononane - carbasugars and cyclononane - 

aminocarbasugars analogues has been developed 

iv) Several other cyclononane based polyhydroxy compounds 

including azido-carbasugar analogues, and carboxamides 

have been successfully synthesized from the above 

strategies 

v) 7- and 9-membered ring compounds synthesized from the 

above strategies are ready for (a) biological testing to 

determine their glycosidase inhibitory activity, and 

1 

(b) H NMR study to know their conformational behavior 

Research papers published: Five 




SYNTHESIS AND APPLICATIONS OF 

MESOPOROUS MATERIALS 

Duration: Three years (October, 2007 to September, 2010) 

Objectives 

The objective of the project was to access recoverable catalysts 

and to optimise their potential in various media. For this 

purpose, the collaborators proposed: 

¡Synthesis of novel materials derived from MCM-41 and - 

48 modified by metal complexes (nanostructured 

transition metals/metal oxides) ,and synthesis of hybrid 

materials with fluoroalcohols and optically pure praline 

derivatives covalently bound to MCMs 

¡Characterisation of these materials 

¡Application of these new materials as promoters/catalysts 

in various types of organic reactions: oxidation, C-C bond 

forming reactions like direct aldol reaction, Henry & 

Mannich reaction and measure the turnover efficiency. The 

collaborators improved the efficiency of already existing 

MCM materials by using new conditions (e.g. in 

fluorinated solvents) 


i) Delivery of organic molecules 

ii) Synthesis and characterisation of MCMs 

iii) Preparation of MetalNPs supported onto MCMs 

iv) Synthesis and characterization of hybrid materials 

v) Straightforward synthesis of phenanthrolines 

Research papers published: Four 

Papers presented in conferences: 6 




Prof. S. Chandrasekaran 


Bangalore 

Dr. Danièle Bonnet-Delpon 

BioCIS-CNRS 

Faculté de Pharmacie-Paris Sud 

Châtenay-Malabry 

19

20 


Prof. Sandeep Verma 



Kanpur 

Dr. Alberto Bianco 

UPR 9021, CNRS 

Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et 

Cellulaire 

Strasbourg 

(A) Cell viability of A549 cells assessed by the 

modified LDH assay for f-SWCNTs 1b, 3b and 

5b, and f-MWCNTs 2b, 4b and 6b after 24 h 

exposure (1-100 μg/mL); 

(B) Electrophoretic 

motility of siRNA complexed with polyamine- 

CNTs 1b and 2b (reconstituted at 1 mg/mL in 

5% dextrose). Various N/P ratios of the two 

conjugates were complexed to a fixed 0.5 μg 

of siRNA. 


DEVELOPMENT OF FUNCTIONALIZED CARBON NANOTUBES 



Duration: Three years and six months ( September, 2007 to February, 

2011) 

Objectives 

1. Development and characterization of CNT/polymer conjugates 

¡Complexation of pristine CNT with nucleobase polymers by non 

covalent wrapping 

¡Complex formation between functionalized CNT and nucleopolymers 

based on charge interaction 

2. Catalytic reactions using CNT/polymer complexes 

¡Biomimetic catalysis in presence of metal ions 

¡Catalysis of chemical and biochemical reactions of fundamental 

interest such as oxygen insertion, C-H bond activation, 

phosphate ester hydrolysis, etc. 

3. CNT assemblies based on biomolecular interactions 

¡Functionalization of CNT with nucleobases 

¡Assemblies based on base-pairing and quadruplex formation 

¡Interaction of nucleobase functionalized CNT and nucleic acids 


i) Nucleobase-CNT nanohybrid materials have been synthesized 

and characterized. For the first time nucleobases are covalently 

attached to the exohedral surface of CNTs 

ii) Atomic force microscopy characterization of adenine-SWCNT 

conjugates showed interesting feature of horizontal aligned 

nanotubes along the surface when deposited on highly oriented 

pyrolytic graphite (HOPG) surface, whereas CNTs functionalized 

with uracil trigger the formation of nanorings. These nanorings 

aligned like a helix forming a chain through weak interactions 

iii) Covalent functionalization of MWCNTs with a modified adenine 

moiety was pursued to tailor the coordination of Ag nanoparticles 

(NPs) and uracil substituted ferrocene molecule onto the nanotube 

surface through metal-adenine and uracil-adenine base pair 

interaction, respectively 

iv) The new Ag-NPs coordinated to MWCNTs have been explored as 

an efficient heterogeneous catalyst for the oxidative reaction of 

hydroquinones to benzoquinones 

v) New series of cationic carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have been 

synthesized with short linear polyamine chains and the siRNA 

binding capacity of new conjugates studied using gel 

electrophoresis 





Duration: Four years (August, 2006 to July, 2010) 

Objectives 

The main objective of the project was to determine 

paleointensity of the Earth's magnetic field during the Late 

Mesozoic to early Paleogene (100-60 Ma) period to better 

constrain the Mesozoic low to Quaternary high field strength 

transition, the process of magnetic reversal and the outer coremantle 

interactions (or dynamics) and to ascertain the linkages 

and history of Reunion and Marion plume activity in the Indian 

subcontinent. 


i) Field and petrological evidences led us to question the 

Proterozoic age (678 Ma), based on Rb-Sr determination, 

of the Ezhimala complex in Kerala. Palaeomagnetic 

directions of this granophyre-gabbro complex are coherent 

with a Late Cretaceous emplacement between 85 to 90 Ma. 

This was confirmed by an Ar/Ar age at 90.5 ± 1.8 Ma 

measured on biotite and amphiboles of the gabbro from 

this area 

ii) Geochemical and isotopic results (large ion and 

incompatible trace elements contents) show a clear 

chemical distinction between the 65-70 Ma and 85-90 Ma 

magmatic rocks of the southwest coast of India and 

therefore between the Marion and Reunion plumes 

iii) The palaeomagnetic sampling carried out in a south to 

north traverse in the Deccan Volcanic Province from 

Belgaum to Rajpipla, could bring out the complete 

Normal/Reverse/Normal polarity sequence. The lower 

normal polarity flow was sampled well south of the 

Narmada River 

iv) The samples collected from the baked contacts of the red 

beds within the Deccan sequences and a few Deccan flows 

have yielded reliable low paleointensity values 

v) New palaeomagnetic direction was reported from three 

dolerite dykes of central Kerala during the present work. 

These directions are similar to the Precambrian direction, 

but geochemically these dykes are similar to the late 

Cretaceous dykes of Kerala and may indicate an 

emplacement during a magnetic polarity transition 

Research papers published: One 



PALEOINTENSITY AND REUNION/MARION PLUME ACTIVITY 

IN INDIA 


Earth and Planetary Sciences 

Dr. T. Radhakrishna 

Geosciences Division 

Centre for Earth Science Studies 

Thiruvananthapuram 

Prof. Mireille Perrin 

Laboratoire de Techtonophysique 

UMR CNRS/UM II 5243 

Université de Montpellier II 

Montpellier 

21

22 


Prof. Rajiv Sinha 

Department of Civil Engineering 


Kanpur 

Prof. Jacques Zlotnicki 

Observatoire de Physique du Globe 

de Clermont-Ferrand, CNRS- UMR 

6524-UMS833-UBP, Université Blaise 

Pascal 

Aubiere 

Digital Elevation map with 90 m resolution 


ELECTROMAGNETIC METHODS: A WAY TO 

FORECAST EARTHQUAKES 




Objectives 

The objective of the project was designed to develop an 

integrated approach of Electromagnetic (EM) methodologies 

applied to active faults, by emphasizing ground-based 

monitoring systems, covering the EM spectrum, in order to 

evaluate pre-seismic signals, constrain the source mechanism 

and validate signals recorded on board of EM Demeter satellite 

launched. 


i) New complex electromagnetic equipments recording the 

EM and the seismicity have been deployed in Corinth Gulf. 

Real time data transfer from one station is effective and 

daily visualisation is automatically performed on new built 

web site VEML (http://virtual-electromagneticlaboratory.com/) 

ii) New software for signal recognition have been developed 

which allows finding electric signals associated with seismic 

events. This part of the work focuses on co-seismic events 

iii) The frame of an expert system has been elaborated 

including detection of anomalous signals 

iv) A Geographical Information System (GIS) has been set up, 

and analysis based on queries of characteristics of 

earthquakes and EM phenomena is in progress. The 

progress systematic study of induced electric signals by 

earthquakes allows a better understanding of the 

generation of EM signals 

v) Based on this project an International Virtual Electro 

Magnetic Laboratory (VEML) was set up, with the objective 

to implement complementary expertise in Natural Hazards 

Research papers published: Eight



Duration: Four years (February, 2007 to January, 2011) 

Objectives 

The aim of the proposal was to undertake the formulation, 

implementation and experimental validation of a comprehensive 

numerical methodology to simulate crack initiation and 

propagation in solid, amorphous glassy polymers over a wide range 

of loading rates and thermal conditions. As a final deliverable, a 

Finite Element code was to be developed that can model 

i) The development of shear banding 

ii) The Initiation, widening and breakdown of crazes 

iii) The Propagation of cracks as a result of the competition 

between these two processes in glassy amorphous polymeric 

materials 

The code was to be supplemented by extensive controlled 

experiments on commercial glassy amorphous polymers like poly 

methyl metacrylate (PMMA) and polycarbonate (PC) to ascertain the 

parameters involved in the modeling. This endeavour was expected 

to provide the practicing engineer a comprehensive predictive 

capability over fracture parameters like the critical fracture 

toughness Kc over a wide range of loading rates (ranging from 

static/slow to dynamic/impact-like loading) and temperatures (upto 

the glass transition temperature) and enable a fracture-based 

design procedure for these materials 


i) Basic constitutive model for glassy amorphous polymers 

developed 

ii) Cohesive zone model developed for crazing 

iii) Computational model developed are as follows: 

a) Study on the importance of thermo-elastic cooling in crazing 

at high strain rates 

b) Determination of appropriate sample preparation and 

simulation techniques for MD simulations of mechanical 

behavior of glassy polymers 

c) Applicability of rubber elastic theories to describe large strain 

plastic deformation in glassy polymers 

d) Study of the very early stages of cavitation in polymers 

e) MD analysis of cavitation in glassy polymers: Probing and 

characterizing the early stages of cavitation in glassy 

polymers in molecular dynamics simulations 

f) A multiscale study of age induced brittleness and 

rejuvenation in polymers 

g) Simulation of fracture in polymers under high strain rates 

h) Experimental and numerical analysis of glassy polymer 

fracture at high loading rate; Three dimensional effects on 

the crack tip fields in polycarbonate 



DEVELOPMENT OF AN EXPERIMENTALLY VALIDATED 

SIMULATION SCHEME FOR FRACTURE OF GLASSY, 

AMORPHOUS POLYMERS 



Dr. Sumit Basu 

Department of Mechanical 

Engineering 


Kanpur 

Prof. Rafael Estevez 

Laboratoire GEMPPM 

INSA de Lyon 

Villeurbanne 

23

24 


Dr. Shrikant V Joshi 

International Advanced Research 

Centre for Powder Metallurgy and 

New Materials 

Hyderabad 

Dr. Christophe. I. Martin 

Laboratoire SIMAP-GPM2, INPG 

CNRS 

Damaine Universitaire 

St. Martin d' Heres 


INVESTIGATION OF COMPACTION AND SINTERING OF 

NANO POWDERS USING DISCRETE ELEMENT METHOD (DEM) 

SIMULATIONS 



Duration: Three years and six months(April, 2007 to 

September, 2010) 

Objectives 

¡Code development for DEM simulations of uniaxial and 

isostatic compaction of nano sized ceramic as well as 

metallic powders and composites 

¡Assessment of the role of surface energy of nano particles 

in forming agglomerates during compaction 

¡Assessment, through dynamic dislocation simulations, of 

contact laws for submicron particles 

¡Using the results of DEM simulations on compaction as 

initial conditions, code development for DEM simulations 

of sintering of nano powders 

¡Experimental validation of DEM models developed for 

compaction and sintering of nano powders 


i) Adhesion and non contact Van der Waals interaction force 

implementation 

ii) Crushing test simulations on agglomerates and aggregates 

of various particle size 

iii) Close die compaction simulations of powders and particle 

size effect demonstration 

iv) Extension of close die compaction simulations to unloading 

process stages and experimental verification 

v) Simulated the effect of binder, bond strength and particle 

size during tensile and compression tests, partial 

experimental validation of the simulation results 

Research papers published: Three 






Objectives 

The objective of the project was to design functional 

nanomaterials obtained either through hybrid interpenetrated 

fibrillar networks between thermoreversible polymer gels and 

an organogel or through the encapsulation of supramolecular 

polymers within the fibrils of covalent polymers. Both aspects 

were achieved by using simple physical processes such as 

thermoreversible gelation, liquid-liquid or liquid-solid phase 

separation, heterogeneous nucleation, self-assembling and 

the like. 

The following routes were taken up: 

i) Hybrid interpenetrated fibrillar network 

ii) Encapsulation of supramolecular polymers within the 

fibrils of covalent polymers 


i) Design of composite gels of polystyrene and oligo(pphenylenevinylene) 

(OPV) with improved physical 

properties 

ii) Insights on the morphological and physical properties of 

the hybrid gel using small angle X-ray scattering and AFM 

studies 

iii) Design of composite gels of OPVs and carbon nanotubes 

(CNTs) 

iv) Preparation of superhydrophobic and self-cleaning 

coatings of OPV-CNT composites 

v) Design of various organogel morphology by toying with 

end groups and solvent type 




FUNCTIONAL HYBRID NANOMATERIALS OF POLYMERIC GELS AND p - 

CONJUGATED SELF-ASSEMBLIES 

a) b) 

a) Photographs of solutions of OPVOH, immiscible CNTs, and a dispersion of the 

-4 

OPV–CNT composite in chloroform. b) OPVOH gels in toluene (5x10 m) with 0, 

0.22, 0.45, 0.9, and 1.3 wt% of MWNTs with respect to toluene (left to right). 



Prof. Ayyappanpillai 

Ajayaghosh 

National Institute for Interdisciplinery 

Science & Technology 

Thiruvananthapuram 

Prof. Jean-Michel Guenet 

Institut Charles Sadron 

CNRS UPR 22 

Strasbourg 

25

26 

Environmental Sciences 

Prof. Surya S. Singh 

Department of Biochemistry 

Osmania University 

Hyderabad 




CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL RESPONSIVE GENES FROM BACTERIA 

Dr Agnès Rodrigue 

Microbiologie, Adaptation et 

Pathogénie UMR5240 CNRS-INSA- 

UCB 

Villeurbanne 



Objectives 

i) In Silico approach for screening, identification and 

selection of metal responsive genes in Pseudomonas 

putida and P.aeruginosa 

ii) A proteomic approach for the identification of nickel and 

cobalt responsive genes in Pseudomonas aeruginosa and 

P. putida 

iii) Cloning and expression of genes selected from 

Pseudomonas putida and P.aeruginosa, following 

bioinformatics or comparative proteomics 

iv) Generation of knockout mutants for Ni and Co transporter 

gene(s) in P.putida and P. aeruginosa 

v) Applications in metal removal (Ni/Co) using recombinant 

bacteria 


i) A complete genomic analysis of metal transportomes has 

been accomplished from the four divergent Pseudomonas 

(Ppu, Pae, Pfl, Psy) which aided in identifying two novel 

heavy metal resistance determinants in Ppu and Psy (mrdH 

and rcnAPsy) 

ii) A new metal efflux transporter, mrdH, displaying chimeric 

domain organization, broad substrate spectrum has been 

identified in P. putida KT2440 

iii) Recombinant E. coli ARY023 and Deinococus radiodurans 

expressing NiCoT genes were explored to decontaminate 

60 Co from spent decontamination solutions of nuclear 

power reactors 

iv) The proteomics approach led to the identification of 182 

proteins regulated by Ni or Co. Among them, 9 are proteins 

of unknown function that constitute of wide reservoir of 

novel genes for further studies 

v) The biological component for the designing of Ni and Co 

biosensor for Ni and Co environmental monitoring is 

achieved 



Posters: 3



Duration: Three years (January, 2008 to December, 2010) 

Objectives 

The objective of this project was to selectively reduce nitrate in water 

into nitrogen by totally avoiding the formation of ammonium ion, an 

undesirable product. Two routes were to be compared: the catalytic 

and the electrocatalytic ones. The specific objectives were: 

i) Preparation of Palladium/tin catalysts and characterization by 

various surface analytical techniques ii) Determination of activity 

and selectivity for nitrate removal by catalysis and electrocatalysis. 

iii) Evaluation of the catalytic reduction of nitrate in water by varying 

different parameters such as the pH, the hydrogen partial pressure, 

and the temperature. iv) Examination of the electrocatalytic 

reduction of nitrate in water by fast sweep cyclic voltammetry, square 

wave voltammetry, amperometry, rotating ring disc electrode and 

steady state polarisation technique. v) Comparison of the two 

techniques (catalytic and electrocatalytic) in the same conditions and 

on the same catalysts to gain a better understanding of the reaction 

mechanism. 


i) Highest active and selective catalysts PdSn/Al O and PdSn/TiO 

2 3 2 

were prepared 

ii) Superior nano-electrocatalysts PdSn/Ti and PdAg/Ti were 

– 

developed for the direct electrochemical reduction of NO to N 

3 2 

iii. Developed a 25A (1.5L/hr) capacity electrochemical nitrate 

removal unit to treat 1000ppm of nitrate contaminated water 

iv. Additionally, an electrocoagulation process (0.5L/hr) was 

developed for nitrate removal without intermediates 

v. Filed a joint patent in India and PCT 

Research papers published: Two 

Patent filed : One 

Experimental setup 


Other Priority Areas - Water 

Project 3800-W1 

ENHANCED PROCESSES FOR THE REMOVAL OF NITRATE FROM WATER 

Dr. S. Vasudevan 

Electro Inorganic Chemicals Division 

Central Electrochemical Research 

Institute (CSIR) 

Karaikudi 

Dr. Florence Epron 

Laboratoire de Catalyse en Chimie 

Organique, UMR6503 CNRS 

Université de Poitiers 

Poitiers 

27

28 

Other Priority Areas - Biotechnology 

Dr. Rita Mulherkar 

Advanced Centre for Treatment, 

Research and Education in Cancer 

Tata Memorial Centre 

Navi Mumbai 

Dr. Guy Zuber 

Equipe de Pharmacie Biogalénique 

Faculté de Pharmacie 

Illkirch 

Project 3700-B1 

TARGETED DELIVERY OF RNAi USING SYNTHETIC VECTORS 

FOR GENE THERAPY OF HEAD AND NECK SQUAMOUS CELL 

CARCINOMAS 





Objectives 

i) Construction, cloning and characterization of RNAi 

molecules to ATM and Cyclin D1 genes 

ii) Development of novel delivery vectors compatible for in 

vivo administration 

iii) Packaging the plasmid encoding RNAi molecules into 

novel delivery vectors 

iv) In vitro and in vivo testing the ability of this approach to 

sensitize tumour cells to chemotherapy / radiotherapy in 

pre-clinical studies using xenograft nude mouse model 


i) shRNA to Cyclin D1 and ATM have been successfully 

constructed in plasmid vectors and tested in vitro 

ii) Cyclin D1 knock down sensitizes cells to the drug cisplatin 

as measured by cell viability assay as well as colony 

formation assay 

iii) Cyclin D1 knock down cells are sensitive to cisplatin when 

injected in vivo in nude mice 

iv) ATM knock down cells become sensitive to radiation 

compared to wild type cells 

v) PEIY could efficiently deliver oligonucleotide in 293 cells 

and other siRNA in cells 



HeLa cells transfected with PEI-500



Environmental 

Sciences 

4 

Material 

Sciences 

12 

Area-Wise Distribution of Ongoing Projects 

(2010 - 2011) 

Chart No. 2 

Others 

8 

Earth and 

planetary Sciences 

3 

Instrumentation 

1 

Pure & 

Applied Mathematics 

3 

Pure & Applied 

Chemistry 

9 

Total no. of projects : 61 


Life & 

Health Sciences 

12 

Pure & 

Applied Physics 

9 

29

30 

Projects Ongoing 

AS ON 31-3-2011 

Table - 2 

Distribution Series-Wise 

Series No. No. of Projects Project Nos. 

30 1 3009-1 

36 2 3607-1, 3608-2 



37 5 3701-1, 3703-1, 3703-2, 3706-1, 3708-1 

38 11 3803-1, 3803-2, 3803-3, 3804-2, 3805-1, 

3805-2, 3808-1, 3808-2, 3808-3, 3809-1, 

3800-B1 

39 7 3903-1, 3904-1, 3905-1, 3907-1, 3908-1, 

3900-W1, 3900-IT-1 

40 9 4003-1,4003-2,4003-3, 4004-1, 4005-1, 

4008-1, 4008-2, 4000-W1, 4000-IT-1 

41 11 4101-1, 4103-1, 4103-2, 4104-1, 4104-2, 

4105-1, 4105-2, 4107-1, 4108-1, 4109-1, 

4100-IT-1 

42 6 4204-1, 4204-2, 4205-1, 4208-1, 4208-2, 

4200-IT-1 

43 5 4301-1, 4303-1, 4304-2, 4305-1, 4300-IT-1 

44 4 4404-2, 4405-1, 4408-1, 4409-1 

Total 61



Duration: Three years and six months (February, 2008 to July, 

2011) 

Objectives 

i) Giving a precise mathematical framework 

ii) Exploring the controllability question (this means to 

investigate the possibility to steer the system to any final 

state by choosing an appropriate control) 

iii) Study the related question of stabilizability 

iv) Analyse stabilizability of feedback control, search for local 

feedback stabilization results in the cases of complete and 

partial observation of the state 

v) Explore related optimal control problems 

vi) Numerical analysis and computation 

vii) Understand the limiting behaviour of the control 

problems, for example, under homogenization process 


i) Different models for fluid-solid interaction have been 

studied in appropriate mathematical framework for 

controllability questions : a) Coupled system with Stokes 

equation for the fluid in 2 dimensional domain and an 

ordinary differential equation (o.d.e) for the structure, 

modeling the deformations of an elastic body b) Helmholtz 

equation to model the vibrations of a coupled fluid-solid 

system 

ii) The study of meta-materials which are electromagnetic 

materials having negative permittivities and/or 

permeabilities has been initiated by setting up a 

mathematical model and is ready for further study of 

control and homogenization 

iii) A numerical implementation of feedback control for the 

important problem of fluid control modeled by Navier- 

Stokes equation has been intiated and is to be investigated 

further in the coming year 

iv) The practical problem of Data assimilation has been tried 

numerically for the Burgers' equation model using optimal 

control techniques. Further applications with models used 

in atmospheric sciences is now possible 

v) Compressible Navier-Stokes system has been taken up for 

the study of controllability and stabilizability and optimal 

control 



CONTROL OF SYSTEMS OF PARTIAL 

DIFFERENTIAL EQUATIONS 



Prof. Mythily Ramaswamy 

T.I.F.R Centre for Applicable 

Mathematics 

Bangalore 

Prof. Jean-Pierre Raymond 

Institut de Mathématiques 

Université Paul Sabatier 

Toulouse 

31

32 


Prof. Rekha P. Kulkarni 

Department of Mathematics, 


Bombay 

Mumbai 

Professor Mario Ahues 

Laboratoire de Mathématiques de 

l’Université de Saint-Etienne 

(LaMUSE EA 3989) 

Université de Lyon 

Saint Etienne 


NUMERICAL TREATMENT OF INTEGRAL OPERATORS WITH 

NON-SMOOTH KERNELS 




Objectives 

The focus of this project is numerical solution of single variable 

and multi-variable Fredholm integral equations of the second 

kind and of the associated eigenvalue problems. The 

collaborators would like to extend the available results for 

integral operators with smooth kernels to the case of integral 

operators with non-smooth kernels of the following two types: 

(i) continuous kernels which are non-differentiable across the 

diagonal, (ii) weakly singular kernels having 

algebraic/logarithmic singularities. The main idea for treating 

the continuous kernels is a careful choice of the subintervals in 

the composite numerical quadrature so as to restore the order 

of convergence in spite of the nonsmoothness of the kernel 

across the diagonal. For weakly singular kernels, a 

comparative study of singularity subtraction and product 

integration techniques is envisaged. Also, a two-grid method 

based on a new approximating operator introduced and 

studied by one of the investigators will be proposed. Iterative 

refinement schemes will be considered for the eigenvalue 

problems. For multivariable integral equations, the 

collaborators would like to study collocation and other 

projection methods as well as global approximation methods. 

It is intended to develop software packages for the algorithms 

developed during the project. 


i) Study of rates of convergence and asymptotic series 

expansion in the case of a smooth kernel 

i) Study of appropriate modification in a quadrature rule so 

as to take into consideration the lack of smoothness along 

the diagonal of the kernel of the type of Green's function 

ii) Asymptotic expansions for solutions of second kind 

Fredholm integral equations with kernel of the type of 

Green's function 

iii) Convolution-truncation for weakly singular kernels 

iv) Comparative analysis "discretization followed by 

linearization" against "linearization followed by 

discretization" 

Papers presented in conferences: Five 





Objectives 

The collaborators will describe the Cannon-Thurston map in 

terms of the ending laminations. When (M,P) is the product of a 

surface S with boundary by an interval, the set of the closed 

geodesics for an hyperbolic on (M,P) which are shorter than the 

Margulis constant form a link in M. It is planned to study this link 

and try to relate it to the end invariants. 

Study the lines of minima of Steven Kerckhoff which are defined 

as the set of points s(t) in the Teichmuller space T(S) where the 

lamination l+tl' has shortest length when t varies over the 

positive reals. In particular, how this line extends to the Quasi- 

Fuchsian space (viewed as the complexication of Teichmuller 

space) 

Extend the Theorem of Bonahon on the Quasi-Fuchsian space 

to the space of metrics on an acylindrical hyperbolic manifold 

M necessary and sufficient conditions for a sequence of convex 

cocompact Kleinian groups to converge to a point in the 

boundary of their deformation space. Such conditions can be 

expressed either in terms of the behaviour of the bending 

measured geodesic laminations or in terms of the behaviour of 

the conformal structures at infinity. 


i) Description of Cannon-Thurston maps completed 

ii) Negative answer obtained to good analytical properties of 

Cannon-Thurston maps in general 

iii) Negative answer obtained to existence of Cannon-Thurston 

maps for higher rank symmetric spaces in general 

iv) Pattern Rigidity project completed 




KLEINIAN GROUPS: GEOMETRICAL AND 

ANALYTICAL ASPECTS 



Dr. Mahan Mj 

School of Mathematical Sciences, 

RKM Vivekananda University 

West Bengal 

Prof. Jean-Pierre Otal 

Laboratoire Emile Picard 

Université Paul Sabatier 

Toulouse 

33

34 


Dr. Saumitra Das 

Department of Microbiology and 

Cell Biology 


Bangalore 

Dr. Robin Fahraeus 

Institut de Pharmacologie 

INSERM 940 

Paris 


STUDIES ON THE REGULATION OF p53 mRNA TRANSLATION 



Duration: Three years and nine months(August, 2007 to April, 

2011) 

Objectives 

The tumor suppressor protein p53 plays multiple integral 

functions in the cell via controlling expression of multitude of 

downstream genes involved in cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. 

Thus, the level of the protein and its isoforms should be tightly 

regulated under both normal physiological as well as stress 

conditions. The project aims to study the regulation of p53 

mRNA translation at the level of initiation. The specific 

objectives are: 

i) Characterization of the internal ribosome entry sites within 

p53 mRNA 

ii) Characterization of p53 mRNA translation control by the 

E3 ubiqutin ligase Mdm2 


i) The Mdm2 protein binds directly to the p53 mRNA to induce 

p53 synthesis. This is the first report on E3 ligase binding an 

mRNA and controlling translation 

ii) The Mdm2- p53 mRNA interaction requires Mdm2 to be 

phosphorylated on Ser395. This site is phosphorylated by 

ATM and links the DNA damage response with Mdm2, p53 

synthesis and activation 

iii) The p53/47 product is induced by PERK in response to the 

unfolded protein response (UPR) and is required for 

endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress-induced G2 arrest 

iv) Polypyramidine tract binding protein (PTB) acts as a 

transacting factor for p53 mRNA translation and relative 

abundance of PTB in the cytoplasm differentially regulates 

IRES-mediated translation of the p53 isoforms 

v) hnRNP C1/C2 differentially regulates synthesis of p53 and 

p53/47 isoforms 



Poster: 17



Duration: Three years and nine months (April, 2008 to 

December, 2011) 

Objectives 

This project aims to study various immune parameters in 

different categories of human population resident in Eastern 

(malaria endemic) and Western (urban malaria non-endemic) 

regions of India, and determine the possible relationship of 

immune and genetic markers with resistance/susceptibility to 

malaria. 

The objectives are: 

a) To analyse the self-antibody-mediated immune responses 

in these different groups of patients 

b) To monitor thymic T cell output T cell receptor excision 

circle (TREC) analysis 

c) To perform genetic analysis of certain host-genes involved 

in immunomodulation, for both the innate and adaptive 

immunity (TLR2, TLR4, TLR9, IFN γ, TNF α, 

IL-10, IL-4, and 

TGF β) 


i) Setting up of cohorts of more than 300 individuals from 

controls to P. falciparum (Pf) infected patients divided in 

several groups: Mild (MM), Severe Non Cerebral (SNCM), 

Multi Organs Dysfunction (MOD), Cerebral Malaria (CM) 

and Cerebral malaria with multi organs dysfunction (CM- 

MOD). Two controls groups with septicaemia and 

encephalitis have been added to the study 

ii) Definition of 26 plex cytokine profiles in severe and non 

severe Pf malaria 

iii) Analysis of repertoire of autoantibody produced against 

brain, liver, lung and kidney- definition of marker linked to 

malaria severity; 

iv) Analysis of parasite antigen-specific humoral response - 

Correlation of the spectrum of parasite specific antibody 

response with severe and non severe Pf malaria in Orissa 

v) Analysis of genetic factors using SNPs for TLR-4, TNF- α (- 

238 and -308, both G to A; iNOS (-954 G to C, -1173 C to 

T-1173 C to T); IL-10 (-819 C to T, -592 C to A; -1082 G 

to A); TGF β1 (+10 T to C, +25 G to C); IFNγR1 (-56 T to 

C) in Pf patients and in controls 



ROLE OF IMMUNE AND GENETIC FACTORS IN THE 

OUTCOME OF PLASMODIUM FALCIPARUM MALARIA 



Dr. Shobhona Sharma 

Department of Biological Sciences 


Research 

Mumbai 

Dr. Sylviane Pied 

Centre d’Immunologie et de Biologie 

Parasitaire 

Institut Pasteur de Lille, INSERM U 547 

Lille 

35

36 


Prof. Tapas K. Kundu 

Molecular Biology & Genetics Unit 

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for 

Advanced Scientific Research 

Bangalore 

Prof. Philippe Bouvet 

Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon 

Laboratoire Joliot Curie 

Lyon 

Characterization of the Nucleolin complex 


STRUCTURE-FUNCTION ANALYSIS OF HISTONE 

CHAPERONES: ROLE IN CHROMATIN DYNAMICS AND 

TRANSCRIPTIONAL REGULATION 



Duration: Three years and six months (May, 2008 to October, 

2011) 

Objectives 

Among a plethora of histone interacting proteins that carry out 

several functions, histone chaperones are a unique class of 

proteins regulating chromatin functions. Although the 

functions of histone chaperones are well studied in the events of 

chromatin replication, its functional involvement in regulating 

transcription is just being elucidated. Furthermore, histone 

variants are integral component of chromatin involved in 

distinct functional aspects. An endeavour to discover new 

histone chaperones and also investigate the molecular 

mechanisms in the physiological context is an important aspect 

of the project. Furthermore, functional comparisons across 

different classes of histone chaperones particularly in terms of 

histone transfer ability, co-remodelling activity and regulation 

of chromatin transcription will also be explored. The following 

were the specific objectives: 

1. Functional comparisons between histone chaperones with 

canonical nucleosomes on histone deposition specificity, 

nucleosome dynamics, and co-remodelling activity, on 

conventional and variants nucleosomes 

2. Molecular mechanisms enumerating the in vivo functions 

of newly discovered histone chaperones-PC4 and 

Nucleolin 


i) Baculo cloning and expression of nucleolin 

ii) In vitro acetylation, site identification for nucleolin 

acetylation and generation of acetylated nucleolin specific 

antibodies 

iii) Remodelling assay with nucleolin 

iv) Stable cell line has been made. Pulling down the complexes 

and partial characterization of nucleolin complexes 

v) Effects of the chaperone nucleolin on global gene 

expression and on histone dynamics 

vi) Global distribution of nucleolin 

Research papers published: Nil



Duration: Three years (December, 2008 to November, 2011) 

Objectives 

i) Establish the list of all genes (genome-wide coverage) 

whose siRNA-mediated downmodulation affects the 

endocytosis and retrograde transport of Shiga toxin 

(defined as Shiga siRNAome) in a Drosophila cell line, and 

validate targets in a human cell line 

ii) Comparison between the siRNAomes of Shiga toxin and 

GPI-GFP and with the published literature on similar 

experiments with SV40 virus, the collaborators hope to 

establish common principles and specific differences for 

the clathrin-independent cellular uptake process of these 

marker proteins 

iii) Establish the list of genes (genome-wide coverage) whose 

siRNA-mediated downmodulation affects the endocytosis 

and retrograde transport of ricin (defined as ricin 

siRNAome) 

iv) Compare siRNAomes of Shiga toxin and ricin and 

establish common principles and specific differences for 

the retrograde transport of these protein toxins 

v) Through both: a) identification of key regulators of Shiga 

toxin and ricin entry into cells, and b) lay the groundwork 

for the development of toxin inhibitors (small molecules) 

that would respond to medical needs in infectious disease 

(hemolytic-uremic syndrome) and protection against 

bioterrorism 


i) Screening of more than 600 tagged proteins for their 

localization on tubular endocytic membranes invaginations 

induced by Shiga toxin; identification of 10 hits = cytosolic, 

plasma membrane, cytoskeleton, and Rab proteins 

ii) Identification of cellular proteins that like Shiga toxin induce 

plasma membrane invaginations 

iii) Analysis of glycosphingolipid clustering by Shiga toxin and 

cellular proteins by fluorescence anisotropy 

measurements; labeling of cells with synthetic glycolipids to 

obtain conditions optimum for Shigaintoxication 

iv) Development of proteomics and lipidomics approaches on 

transport intermediates of clathrin-independent 

endocytosis 




siRNAome OF TOXIN ENDOCYTOSIS AND RETROGRADE 

TRANSPORT 



Prof. Satyajit Jitu Mayor 

National Centre for Biological 

Sciences 

Bangalore 

Prof. Ludger Johannes 

Institut Curie 

UMR 144 Curie/CNRS 

Paris 

Co-localization between a surface cargo in 

protein induced tabules 

37

38 


Dr. Shyamala Mani 


Bangalore 

Prof. Pierre Gressens 

INSERM U 676 

IFR 02 & IFRH 

Hôpital Robert Debré(AP-HP) 

Paris 


NEURAL DIFFERENTIATION OF EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS 




Objectives 

i) To delineate the role of proneural transcription factors in 

neuronal subtype determination in human and mouse 

embryonic stem cells 

ii) To determine the role of extrinsic factors on neural 

differentiation 


i) To fulfil the goal of the first objective the collaborators 

created a mouse embryonic stem cell line that expresses the 

proneural transcription factor, that the collaborators can 

turn off and on at different time points during neural 

differentiation of the ES cells 

ii) Assays have been standardized that will allow collaborators 

to differentiate mouse ES cells into neuronal lineage and to 

look at the effect of the proneural transcription factors on 

the subtype of neurons that are being produced 

iii) To address the second objective extrinsic factors that are 

important for granule neuron differentiation have been 

looked into and how these factors interact with intrinsic 

determinants of neuronal subtype has been studied 

iv) The sonic hedgehog signalling pathway has been 

characterised during human cerebellar development. 

Cerebellar development in cases of babies born 

prematurely has been characterised to understand how the 

signalling pathways have been perturbed. 


Poster: 2




Objectives 

i) Superimposition of protein 3D structures using a structural 

alphabet; Improvements of the approach and extension to 

multiple structure superimpositions; Analysis of protein - 

protein interactions with a structural alphabet 

ii) Novel analyses on circular permutations 


i) Best available approach to superimpose protein structures 

and mine the Protein DataBank 

ii) A webserver on this approach is freely available to the 

scientific community 

iii) Useful approach to improve previously superimposed 

protein structures 

iv) A webserver on "Database of Structural Alignments (DoSA)" 

is in the final stages for public release 

v) The extension of the approach to multiple structure 

superimpositions is excellent 



Poster : 8 


3-D COMPARISON OF PROTEINS REPRESENTED BY BLOCKS 

Comparison of multiple structural alignments between (left) Multiprot and (right) mulPBA. 



Prof. Narayanaswamy 

Srinivasan 

Molecular Biophysics Unit 


Bangalore 

Dr. Alexandre G. de Brevern 

INSERM UMR -S 665 

Dynamique des Structures et 

Interactions des Macromolécules 

Biologiques 

Université Paris Diderot 

Paris 

39

40 


Prof. Sanjeev Galande 

Indian Institute of Science Education 

and Research (IISER) 

Pune 

Dr. Oliver Bischof 

Institut Pasteur 

Unite d'Organisation Nucleaire et 

Oncogenese, INSERM U993 

Paris 


ROLE OF CHROMATIN ARCHITECTURE IN 

CELLULAR SENESCENCE 




Objectives 

i) To understand the alterations in chromatic structure and 

epigenetic changes induced during establishment and 

maintenance of the senescence phenotype 

ii) To evaluate the role of SATB1 in organization of chromatin 

structure and gene regulation during cellular senescence 

iii) To study the role of SATB1 in gene regulation during 

tumorigenesis 


i) Generation of primary fibroblast stably silenced for SATB1 

expression 

ii) Transcriptional profile of SATB1-silenced cells 

iii) SATB1 expression profile in tumor cell lines and primary 

tumor samples 




Duration: Three years (June, 2009 to May, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) Creation of a specialized, non-redundant database 

ii) generation of additional crystallographic data on some 

independent components for which the structural data in 

the form of complexes are available 

iii) identification of conformation changes by comparing the 

structures of the free molecules to the ones in the complex 

and development of descriptors that capture the largescale 

movements associated with the complex formation 

iv) analysis of the changes in hydration and mobility of 

protein atoms involved in binding 

v) classification of regions of protein molecules in terms of 

their flexibility in relation to the binding site 

vi) characterisation of collective movements 

vii) understanding the phenomenon of oligomer assembly 

viii) incorporation of the results in docking algorithms to 

improve their applicability to the prediction of biological 

complexes 


i) Patterns have been observed in sidechain torsion angle 

distributions in protein-protein complex interfaces 

ii) A database has been created for dimeric molecules that are 

known to exist in equilibrium with monomers in solution. A 

comparative analysis shows that these dimers have smaller 

and more loosely packed interface relative to homodimers 

for which the monomeric form is not known to exist in 

solution 

iii) The accessible surface areas of the interface atoms in the 

isolated and complex states have been compared leading 

to some novel observations 

iv) Elastic Network Models (ENM) are being applied to 

understand the role of intrinsic protein dynamics in complex 

formation 

v) A functional prototype of Flexbase has been developed in 

which the tens of thousands of results of analyses are stored 

in a coherent way, allowing meta-analysis (data-mining) of 

the entire data set 



Poster: 1 


ANALYSIS OF PROTEIN FLEXIBILITY IN 

BIOLOGICAL RECOGNITION 



Dr. Pinak Chakrabarti 

Department of Biochemistry 

Bose Institute 

Kolkata 

Dr. Charles Robert 

CNRS - UPR 9080 

Laboratoire de Biochimie Théorique 

Institut de Biologie Physico Chimique 

Paris 

41

42 


Dr. S. Chattopadhyay 

National Centre for Plant Genome 

Research Laboratory 

New Delhi 

Prof. Serge Delrot 

UMR INRA 1287 

Université de Bordeaux 2 

Institut des Sciences 

de la Vigne et du Vin 

Villenave d'Ornon 




RIPENING OF FLESHY FRUITS SPECIES AND THEIR ADAPTATION TO STRESS 

Duration: Three years (November, 2009 to October, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) Study ripening of fleshy fruits species and their adaptation 

to stress 

ii) Cloning of ZBF1 and its close homologues from grape 

plants and study of their expression 

iii) Transformation of Arabidopsis, tomato and grape plants 

with ZBF1 or selected homologues and generation of the 

transgenic lines 

iv) Characterization of the transgenic plants in normal, waterstressed 

and salt-stressed conditions 


i) Cloning of VvZBF1 genes 

ii) Use of the VvZBF1 genes in transformation of Vitis 

iii) Expression studies in various Vitis samples 

iv) Use of VvZBF1 gene to transform Tomato and tobacco in 

India 

v) Using antisense of VvZBF1gene to further characterise the 

gene 





EPIGENETICS OF TRANSCRIPTION BY RNA POLYMERASE III 

Duration: Three years (October 2009 to September, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) To investigate the link between local chromatin structure 

and expression level of the genes transcribed by the yeast 

RNA polymerase III at global scale 

ii) To characterize epigenetic regulation of local chromatin 

structure, under different conditions affecting pol III 

transcription 

iii) To explore the role of local chromatin structure and 

transcription activity in determining the gene locations in 

the nuclear space 


i) Both positioned and fuzzy Nucleosomes were found near 

the pol III-transcribed genes 

ii) Most of the genes show an arrangement found typically 

near pol II-transcribed genes; TSS in an NFR bordered by 

positioned nucleosomes 

iii) These nucleosomes change positions under repressed 

state, pre-dominantly at 3'-ends of the genes 

iv) Expression of different genes shows different response to 

nutrient starvation 

v) Different pol III-transcribed genes were found in different 

locations within the nucleus 

vi) Nuclear location of different genes shows different 

response to nutrient deprivation 




Dr. Purnima Bhargava 

Transcription and Chromatin lab 

Centre for Cellular and Molecular 

Biology 

Hyderabad 

Dr. Olivier Gadal 

Equipe Organisation et Dynamique 

Nucleaire 

LBME du CNRS 

Université Paul-Sabatier 

Toulouse 

43

44 


Prof. Valakunja Nagaraja 

Department of Microbiology and 

Cell Biology 


Bangalore 

Dr. Srinivas V. Kaveri 

Immunopathologie et 

Immunointervention Thérapeutique 

UMR S 872 INSERM - UPMC- 

Université Paris Descartes 

Paris 


CATALYTIC ANTIBODIES IN IMMUNE-MEDIATED DISORDERS 



Duration: Three years (August, 2009 to July, 2012) 

Objectives 

In this project, the collaborators would like to pursue the 

characterization of Factor VIII hydrolyzing IgG (FHIg) 

hemophilia, investigate hydrolyzing IgG to additional antigen 

targets in a broad range of inflammatory, neo plastic and 

autoimmune disorders. It is proposed to characterize DNAhydrolyzing 

IgG in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus, 

and investigate the presence of topoisomerase-hydrolyzing 

IgG in patients with scleroderma. Based on the findings on the 

existence of FIX-hydrolyzing IgG in patients with acquired 

hemophilia A, monoclonal FIX-hydrolyzing antibodies, will be 

generated. 


i) Discovery of factor IX-hydrolyzing IgG in the plasma of 

patients with acquired hemophilia A 

ii) Role of FVIII-hydrolyzing IgG in patients with congenital 

hemophilia A who have developed FVIII inhibitors and are 

under protocols of 'immune tolerance induction' 

iii) Identification and description of DNA-hydrolyzing 

antibodies in patients with SLE and in patients with 

scleroderma 

vi) Description of the ability of autoantibodies from patients 

with scleroderma to inhibit DNA relaxation activity of 

human topoisomerase 



Posters: 5




PROTECTION BY NEW ARECOLINE DERIVATIVES IN 

ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE 


Objectives 

i) Design and synthesis of new M1 receptor selective, potent, 

bioavailable and receptor wash resistant non-ester 

analogs of Arecoline and similar heterocyclic derivatives 

as agonists 

ii) Synthesized derivatives will be checked for M1 receptor 

binding constant in vitro and determination of IC50 values 

iii) Based on the above binding studies the lead will be 

optimized by substituting different groups by QSAR studies 

iv) The screened molecules will be tested for prevention or 

reversion of Abeta 25-35 induced learning and memory 

deficits (large dose response studies) 

v) Neuroprotective activity of the most effective doses and 

compounds will be assessed at the biochemical level 

(measures of oxidative stress, induction of pro-apoptotic 

caspases…) 

vi) The neuroprotective activity will be confirmed at the 

morphological level by an immunohistochemical analysis 

of the brain of treated mice with a panel of specific markers 

(cell death, neurons, glia and microglia, synapse…) 


i) The procedure to test the neuroprotective potential of new 

drugs in the Abeta 25-35 nontransgenic model of 

Alzheimer's disease, including morphological, biochemical 

and behavioral parameters has been established 

ii) Breeding of Tg2576 transgenic mice has been initiated 

carrying the swedish double mutation on APP695 and 

developing the AD pathology after 10 to 12 months 

iii) The collaborators have analyzed the protective profile of 

xanomeline, a reference muscarinic agonist. It was 

measured that the compound blocked the Abeta 

25-35 

induced GSK3beta activity and subsequent 

hyperphosphorylation of Tau protein. The signaling 

pathways involved (PI3K-Akt) is currently under 

investigation. Arecoline compounds will be studied in 

parallel 




Prof. K. S. Rangappa 

Department of Studies in Chemistry 

University of Mysore 

Mysore 

Dr. T. Maurice 

CNRS Research Director, Head 

of team 2 at INSERM U. 710 

University of Montpellier 

Montpellier 

45

46 


Dr. S. Anantha Ramakrishna 

Department of Physics 


Kanpur 

Dr. Sébastien Guenneau 

Institut Fresnel, UMR CNRS 6133 

Universié Aix-Marseille III 

Marseille 

Focusing through a plasmonic lens for a surface 

Plasmon polariton (SPP) line source at wavelength 

λ = 700 nm. (a) Schematic diagram of the flat SPP 

lens with a hexagonal lattice of dielectric cylinders 

(permittivity ε1* 

= 13, diameter d = 107 nm, and 

height h =700 nm) with center-to-center spacing 

of a = 180 nm, on a metal plate. (b) 2D plot of the 

phase of the magnetic field. (c) 3D plot of the 

phase of the magnetic field. (d) 2D plot of the 

magnitude of the magnetic field. 


PLASMONIC PROPERTIES OF CHECKERBOARD METALLIC 

STRUCTURES AND FILMS 




Objectives 

i) Investigate the electromagnetic and plasmonic properties 

of metallic films patterned on a sub-wavelength 

lengthscales and particularly those of checkerboard 

structures 

ii) Investigate both analytically and numerically the 

properties of surface plasmon excitations on metallic films 

structured at sub-wavelength and near- wavelength 

scales. Particularly the effect on the properties due to 

dissipation in the metal and the finite size of the structures 

to be investigated 

iii) Using Focussed Ion Beam (FIB) techniques, experimentally 

create sub- wavelength sized patterns, which are identified 

through the theoretical studies, on metallic films of gold 

and silver (which are best suited for surface plasmon 

propagation on account of low dissipation) 

iv) Experimentally study the spectral properties and field 

distributions of radiation transmitted /reflected /scattered 

by the patterned metal films. The effects of imbedding 

non-linear materials in these structures and local field 

enhancements to be studied. Applications such as Surface 

Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) to be attempted 


i) Negative refraction and perfect lenses for surface plasmons 

on structured plasmonic surfaces 

ii) Broadband extra-ordinary transmission of light through 

checkerboard structured films 

iii) Enhanced plasmonic properties, large fluorescence 

enhancements and Surface enhanced Raman scattering 

from molecules deposited on checkerboard structured 

plasmonic films 

iv) Calculation of local field enhancements and local density of 

modes for checkerboard structures 

v) Broad band properties of plasmonic meta-surfaces 



Poster: 1




Objectives 

Although the two-level system model can explain a lot of 

physical phenomena, the three-level one is necessary for 

several interesting effects: in this latter case, the existence of 

two optical transitions makes it possible to play with coherent 

processes, when atoms couple phase and amplitude 

information between two beams. 

Memory effects caused by coherent exchanges of information 

were to be studied. The consequences of these effects both 

theoretically and experimentally in two-mode laser noise and 

in coherent processes occurring in a model system given by 

metastable helium gas at room temperature were also to be 

studied. Applications to the optical processing of classical and 

quantum information and to the low-noise optical links for 

radar systems were to be investigated 


i) A two-frequency Vertical External Cavity Surface Emitting 

Laser has been built. This laser allows the generation of two 

frequencies with an adjustable frequency difference 

between 0 and 3 GHz. A very good free-running beatnote 

stability has been observed (1 MHz jitter over a few 

minutes). The coupling constant between the two modes 

has been measured for different values of the spatial 

separation 

ii) Some interesting features of coherent interactions of 

beatnotes in the intensity noise spectra in a single-mode 

class-A VECSEL has been observed 

iii) Transitions from slow to fast and to negative group-velocity 

light have been observed in a metastable helium cell when 

the optical and Raman detunings are changed 

iv) Electromagnetically induced transparency in the darkstate/bright-state 

basis of coherent population trapping 

has been observed. Corresponding relaxation mechanisms 

have been partially analysed 

v) It has been possible to carve out a four-level tripod system in 

4 

room-temperature He* using a weak magnetic field and 

polarization selective transitions. Interesting interplay 

between the double dark resonances has been recorded. 

The numerical simulation of the relevant atomic density 

matrix equations explains the broad features of the system. 

Research papers published: Eight 


Poster: 4 


MEMORY EFFECTS IN THREE-LEVEL SYSTEMS 



Prof. Rupamanjari Ghosh 

School of Physical Sciences 

Jawaharlal Nehru University 

New Delhi 

Dr. Fabien Bretenaker 

Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, CNRS 

Université Paris Sud 11 

Orsay 

Metastable helium experiment. The helium cell is 

on the left, inside the magnetic shield 

47

48 


Dr. Kumar Sankar Gupta 

Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics 

Kolkata 

Dr. Xavier Martin 

Laboratoire de Mathématiques et 

Physique Théorique de l’Université de 

Tours 

Faculté des Sciences et Techniques 

Tours 


FUZZY APPROACH TO QUANTUM FIELD THEORY 

AND GRAVITY 



Duration: Three years (July, 2009 to June, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) Fuzzy physics, which is an offshoot of studies in 

noncommutative geometry, provides an alternative method 

to lattice methods for regularising and simulating quantum 

field theory and quantum aspects of gravity which preserves 

the symmetries of the underlying space 

ii) It is proposed to explore in depth the scalar and gauge field 

theories with a more efficient numerical scheme than 

previous studies. It is also planned to analyze and simulate 

supersymmetric and fermionic theories 

iii) Finally, some simple noncommutative gravity models will 

be studied using both analytical and numerical techniques, 

concentrating on the fuzzy analogue of the BTZ black hole 

and the corresponding AdS/CFT relations 


i) Efficient program was written to simulate the scalar field on 

the fuzzy sphere using both the overrelaxation and heat 

bath methods. New, non-rotationnally invariant, 

observables for the field has been calculated 

ii) "Fuzzified" the noncommutative cylinder. This will allow a 

numerical investigation of the properties of the horizon of a 

noncommutative black hole which has this geometry 

iii) Discussed a numerical approximation of the fermionic field 

beyond the quenched approximation using the symmetries 

of the fuzzy sphere 

iv) Simulated the scalar field on the fuzzy sphere finding the 

field configurations in the non-uniform phase and looking 

for "striped phases" there 

v) Simulated the scalar field on the fuzzy cylinder to get the 

phase diagram 





Objectives 

The discovery of bimodality, the fact that at the same transverse 

energy of light charge particles, two completely different 

fragmentation patterns are observed, has triggered a great 

interest in this field. Tools will be developed, which allow 

finding out the origin of this observation, in particular whether 

bimodality is a sign of a first order phase transition in a finite 

system or whether the system shows non-thermal critical 

behaviour. For this different strategies including the use of 

simulated annealing techniques will be employed which allow 

to analyse fragment creation in the Quantum Molecular 

Dynamics approach. This model has in the recent past 

successfully simulated nuclear reactions on a event-by-event 

basis but it has to be extended to include the symmetry energy if 

one would like to study isotope yields. The symmetry energy is 

known only at normal nuclear matter density. To fix their 

unknown density dependence other observables like balance 

energy, in-plan and elliptical flow can help. Applied to 

mutifragmentation data this approach will reveal many details 

of the reaction mechanism and will allow to interpret many of 

the observed experimental results. Production of subthreshold 

kaons has also been included in the work program which 

turned out to be one of the hottest topics in this domain and can 

be addressed by transport theory. 


i) It has been demonstrated that Isospin Quantum Molecular 

Dynamics ( IQMD) can reproduce isopin effects correctly 

ii) The study over entire geometry and impact parameter 

suggests a stronger role of the neutron rich matter in 

reaction dynamics 

iii) A linear relationship is predicted for the peak of all kinds of 

fragments with incident energy as a function of the mass of 

the colliding nuclei 

iv) The collaborators could demonstrate that the nucleus 

potential can be experimentally measured 

v) An observable has been identified, which is exclusively 

sensitive to the K+N rescattering cross section 



DYNAMICS OF MULTIFRAGMENTATION 



Prof. Rajeev K. Puri 


Punjab University 

Chandigarh 

Prof. Joerg Ulrich Aichelin 

SUBATECH 

Ecole des Mines de Nantes 

Nantes 

49

50 


Prof. Prasanta Kumar Tripathy 

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 

Chennai 

Prof. Marios Petropoulos 

CPHT, Ecole Polytechnique 

Palaiseau 


MODULI STABILIZATION, MAGNETIZED BRANES AND PARTICLES 



Duration: Three years (January, 2010 to December 2012) 

Objectives 

The original objective of the project is twofold: (i) pursue the 

formal investigations on flux compactifications and moduli 

stabilization, including the search for exotic non-geometric 

backgrounds (backgrounds that cannot be described in terms 

of ordinary geometrical tools), the inclusion of nonperturbative 

phenomena (e.g. instanton effects), and (ii) apply 

these developments to particle-physics models for obtaining 

definite predictions on spectrum and interactions, with special 

attention to supersymmetry breaking and Yukawa-coupling 

determination. 


i) For non-susy D0-D4 black holes in the N = 2 supergravity 

theory, perturbative corrections to the prepotential do not 

affect the stability, whereas the instanton corrections 

stabilise the flat directions 

ii) Investigation of T-duality attributes of massive string states 

has been performed thanks to projection operators, which 

allow expressing the vertex operators of the states at hand 

iii) One-loop Yukawa couplings and threshold corrections for 

supersymmetric local models of branes at singularities in 

type IIB string theory have been determined 

iv) Combining temperature and gravi-magnetic fluxes, it has 

been possible to restore T-duality in a class of string 

cosmological models exhibiting a non-singular bouncing 

behaviour 

Research papers published: 13 





Objectives 

i) a better understanding of atomization and liquid sheet 

breakup mechanisms 

ii) a first attempt using an external acoustic field to achieve a 

controlled disintegration of a radially expanding liquid 

sheet 

The focus is on the influence of an external sound field on the 

break-up of a radially spreading liquid sheet. This acoustic field 

is either part of the disturbance environment, for example in the 

form of acoustic waves in rocket engines, or is imposed actively 

as a means of controlling the sheet behaviour. The project thus 

divides into a study of the response behavior to external 

excitation (of a harmonic as well as stochastic type) and into an 

investigation where an acoustic field is tailored to best achieve 

a user-defined cost objective. 

For the former study, the governing equations for a radially 

spreading thin liquid viscous sheet will be used; the pressure 

jump across the sheet, however, will be imposed as a timedependent 

input. An input-output framework will be used 

which describes the response behavior of the sheet in terms of 

transfer function norms. Even the response of the sheet 

dynamics to stochastic noise of various color can be described 

by the same transfer function. For the latter study, the obtained 

transfer function will act as a plant model and the external 

pressure field will be designed to optimize a specific cost 

objective while still satisfying constraints. 


i) Built the proposed experimental set-up to form liquid sheets 

from impinging jets 

ii) Developed a novel experimental technique to measure the 

film thickness variation down to a few microns 

iii) Preliminary simulations using a commercial fluid 

mechanics code shows liquid sheet break-up under 

acoustics 

iv) Developed a computer code using the boundary element 

method to simulate Kelvin-Helmholtz instability 

v) Developed a vortex-particle based method to track the 

interface explicitly under the effects of induced velocity and 

surface tension 



BREAK-UP OF MOVING LIQUID SHEETS UNDER 

ACOUSTIC EXCITATION 



Prof. Mahesh S Tirumkudulu 

Department of Chemical Engineering 

Indian Institute of Technology-Bombay 

Mumbai 

Peter J Schmid 

Laboratoire d'Hydrodynamique 

(LadHyX) Ecole Polytechnique 

Palaiseau 

Experimental set-up 

51

52 


Prof. Balasubramanian R. Iyer 

Raman Research Institute 

Bangalore 

Dr. Luc Blanchet 

Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris 

Gravitation et Cosmologie 

Paris 


HIGH ACCURACY GRAVITATIONAL WAVES FROM 

BLACK HOLE BINARIES 



Duration: Three years (March, 2010 to February, 2013) 

Objectives 

Inspiral, merger and ringdown of binary black holes provide 

the most exciting source of gravitational waves (GW) for 

detectors like LIGO and Virgo. Numerical Relativity (NR) has 

achieved breakthroughs that has made possible the 

computation of GW from final merger and ringdown but 

cannot compute accurately the early inspiral. NR must be 

complemented by high accuracy analytical post-Newtonian 

computations of inspiral for matching, calibration and 

comparison. The major objective of this project is the 

construction of the dominant modes h22 and h33 to 3.5PN 

and 3PN orders respectively to pave the way to the 3.5PN 

accurate templates for NR and GW data analysis. It is also 

proposed to develop a package based on XTensor for an 

efficient computation of GW using the Multipolar-Post- 

Minkowskian formalism. 


i) Using the new PNComBin package based on XTensor the 

3PN mass quadrupole is being checked by preparing 

integrands of the source multipole moments to be 

computed 

ii) Checking the Integrals that enter in the above with older 

calculations using MathTensor 

iii) Laying out the correct strategy to obtain the dominant mode 

of the waveform at 3.5PN order 

iv) Initiate the computation of 3.5PN terms by isolating the odd 

3.5 PN terms in the potentials used in EOM 

v) Computation of tails terms in canonical and source 

mements up to 3.5PN for general sources for use 





One of the main goals of observational cosmology is to find 

answers to questions such as how star-formation proceeds, 

what is the resultant metal production, how it is related to the 

physical and chemical state of the interstellar medium (ISM) 

and what is the mode of transport of metals from the galaxies to 

the IGM. Absorption lines seen in the spectra of high-redshift 

quasars are very sensitive tracers of the gas located in dense 

regions like disks of galaxies as well as in diffuse intergalactic 

medium. 

Objectives 

i) the molecular and dusty interstellar medium of distant 

galaxies 

ii) the multiphase structure of the neutral gas probed by 21cm 

absorption 

iii) the metal enrichment of the IGM and its connection to 

outflows from galaxies and QSOs and (iv) to constrain the 

time variation of different dimensionless fundamental 

constants 



INTERSTELLAR AND INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM AT HIGH REDSHIFT: 

RESERVOIR FOR GALAXY FORMATION 

i) Precise measurement of the temperature of the Cosmic 

microwave background radiation using a sample of high 

CO absorbers 

ii) Constructing a biggest sample of intervening OVI 

absorbers in the redshift range 

iii) Completing a systematic measurement of variation of 

fundamental constants at high redshifts using 21-cm 

absorption lines 

iv) A systematic monitoring of 25 broad absorption line QSOs 

with IGO near Pune. This has resulted in the first detection 

of line variability in a BAL QSOs that show absorption due 

to excited fine-structure lines 

v) A systematic survey of 21-cm absorption over the redshift 

range 0.5 to 1.0 and 2.9 to 3.5 using GBT, GMRT and 

WSRT has been completed. The data analysis is underway 




Prof. R. Srianand 

Inter-University Center for Astronomty 

& Astrophysics (IUCAA) 

Pune 

Prof. P. Petitjean 

Institut d' Astrophysique de Paris 

Paris 

53

54 


Prof. Rajeev S. Bhalerao 

Tata Institute of Fundamental Research 

Mumbai 

Dr Jean-Yves Ollitrault 

Institut de Physique Theorique 

Saclay 


EXTREME QCD IN THE LHC ERA 




Objectives 

The LHC collider at CERN will accelerate beams of lead nuclei 

in 2010, at energies 30 times larger than the present collider 

RHIC at Brookhaven. These collisions are expected to produce 

a phase of matter named the quark-gluon plasma. This project 

is devoted to theoretical studies in close relation with this 

experimental programme. The first aspect of the project is to 

compute the production of particles in these collisions from first 

principles, using recent developments in perturbative 

Quantum Chromodynamics (QCD). The second aspect is to 

study specific signatures of the quark-gluon plasma using 

QCD at finite temperature, namely the production of 

charmonium, and of particles with high transverse momenta. 

The third aspect of the project investigates the expansion of the 

quark-gluon plasma and its decay into particles using 

relativistic hydrodynamics. 


i) The project started at the beginning of 2011 

ii) One paper was submitted and this work was selected for 

oral presentation at the conference "Quark Matter 2011" 

iii) One paper is under preparation 




Duration: Three years and six months (March, 2008 to 

August, 2011) 

Objectives 

The transformation of underivatized carbohydrates is still quite 

challenging and the purpose of the investigation is to examine 

the potential of other solvents than conventional organic 

solvents -DMF or DMSO- such as water/alcohols mixtures or 

ionic liquids for the regioselective etherification of unprotected 

sugars into amphiphiles. This collaborative project aims at 

correlating the kinetic and selectivity outcome of this reaction 

with physicochemical properties of the reaction media. Kinetic 

modelling from the collected experimental data will help 

refining the optimal conditions to rapidly access new 

glycomaterials from relatively inexpensive and renewable 

feedstocks. 

As the project was a first cooperation between the two groups 

of very different background, the objectives have been revised 

with focus on the study of the media limited to a first exploration 

and a full bibliographic stage. Accessing new glycomaterials 

from renewable feedstocks was the main objective. 

Compounds were studied for liquid crystalline properties. 


i) Synthesis of a full family of new amphiphilic compounds for 

analytical purposes and for being studied as new 

amphiphilic liquid crystalline compounds 

ii) Development of a full analytical method (HPLC) for 

studying the selectivity of the reactions 

iii) Study of the thermotropic behaviour of the new materials. 

Low temperature smectic phases have been observed 

iv) Exploration of the reactivity with epoxides in ionic liquids 

v) Kinetic data in the presence of ionic liquids were correlated 

with cohesive energy density of ionic liquids. The correlation 

suggested that a more general model for the above 

reaction would be possible 



NEW ENVIRONMENT FRIENDLY MEDIA FOR 

ORGANIC TRANSFORMATIONS 



Dr. Anil Kumar 

Physical Chemistry Division 

National Chemical Laboratory 

Pune 

Dr. Yves Queneau 

Laboratoire de Chimie Organique 

INSA Lyon 

Villeurbanne 

55

56 


Dr. G. V. M. Sharma 

Organic Chemistry Division III 

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology 

Hyderabad 

Prof. Christian Bruneau 

UMR 6226 CNRS 

Université de Rennes I 

Rennes 


NON-NATURAL PEPTIDES IN ASYMMETRIC 

CATALYSIS: METAL-MEDIATED SYNTHESIS OF PEPTIDE-BASED 

MATERIALS AND THEIR APPLICATIONS 




Objectives 

The project aim was to synthesize new catalysts and use them to 

develop a variety of functionally diversified amino 

acids/peptides and new materials for asymmetric catalysis and 

for biomedical applications. The project was expected to lead 

to not only novel catalysts, non-natural amino acids, peptides 

but also nanoparticles biomaterials organic-inorganic hybrids, 

and the peptide-metal enantioselective catalysts. 


i) Preparation of various peptide substrates with unsaturated 

side chains was achieved. The RCM mediated cyclization of 

different peptides resulted in interesting results. The systems 

which would result in 11 and 13-membered rings, 

underwent facile cyclization, while, the systems that are 

expected to give 9-membered rings were found to be 

reluctant to RCM. Likewise, yet another interesting 

observation on the RCM of a different dipeptide was in the 

formation of a selective head-to-tail double cross 

metathesis product from two units 

ii) The studies helped in deriving the factors that are governing 

the cyclisation and macrocyclization reactions. The results 

on the formation of unexpected products during RCM 

helped in designing newer systems for further studies to 

prove the found observations 

iii) Six-membered ring ruthenium complexes featuring 

phosphino sulfonate moieties as β-amino 

acid surrogates 

were also prepared. Evaluation of these complexes led to 

the development of sustainable transformations such as 

allylation of indole derivatives with allylic alcohols with the 

generation of water as sole by product. More recently, first 

ruthenium-catalyzed C(3) functionalization of cyclic amines 

with aldehydes has been developed. Two new ruthenium 6membered 

ring complexes based on the Ru(p-cymene) 

core and -amino acid ligands have been prepared. 

Application of these complexes would lead to the 

development of enantioselective versions of the recent 

application. Other hydrogen transfer reactions will not be 

discarded considering the potential of such methodology 

Research papers published: Five



Duration: Three years (June, 2008 to May, 2011) 

Objectives 

Oligosaccharides (OS) are known to be essential in the 

regulation of a plethora of physiological processes in Man. Not 

surprisingly, the modulation of OS structure by inhibiting the 

enzymes implicated in their biosynthesis has been recognized 

to have consequences on the fate of both normal and diseased 

cells. The promise that inhibitors of glycosidases (GH) might be 

exploited as therapeutic agents has, however, not been fully 

realized as yet as the majority of known inhibitors do not show 

adequate selectivity and potency for their target enzymes. In 

this joint program, the objective was to design more selective 

GH inhibitors that are constituted of newly designed transition 

state (TS) inhibitors (Siriwardena) scaffolded to appropriately 

designed sugar amino acids (Chakraborty). Such hybrid 

structures will allow the controlled multivalent display of given 

TS inhibitors so as to more selectively and potently inhibit their 

target GH than the original TS inhibitor alone. 


i) Various monomeric building block SAAs have been 

synthesized 

ii) A new class of azido functionalised homo- and hetero- SAA 

oligomers have been synthesized 

iii) Synthesis of a library of monosaccharides bearing spacerarms 

terminating with an alkyne group 

iv) Conditions developed to " click " various sugar analogs onto 

properly functionalied SAA monomers and tetramers and a 

large library of SAA-hybrids have now been synthesized 

v) A series of iminosugars have been synthesised by a classical 

strategy as well as via a novel MCR reaction and this has 

given access to a library of new pyrolidone analogs several 

of which show activity against HCV and various commerical 

and human glycosidases 



DESIGN & SYNTHESIS OF NOVEL SAA BASED 

GLYCOSIDASE INHIBITORS 



Dr. Tushar Kanti Chakraborty 

Central Drug Research Institute 

Lucknow 

Dr. Aloysius Harindra 

Siriwardena 

Laboratoire des Glucides (UMR 6912) 

Université de Picardie Jules Verne 

Amiens 

57

58 


Dr. Vidya S Batra 

The Energy and Resources Institute 

New Delhi 

Prof. Jean-François Lamonier 

Unité de Catalyse et de Chimie du 

Solide 

University of Lille 1 

Villeneuve d'Ascq Cedex 


DEVELOPMENT OF WASTE DERIVED ACTIVATED 

CARBON SUPPORTED OXIDE 



Duration: Three years ((July, 2009 to June, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) Develop activated carbon supported oxide catalyst from 

waste biomass ash and red mud respectively 

ii) Characterize the developed catalyst in terms of surface 

area, composition, thermal behaviour 

iii) Assess the catalytic performance during VOC oxidation 


i) Pollutec 2010 Innovative Techniques for the Environment 

Award (30th Nov. - 3rd Dec. 2010, Lyon, France) 

ii) Activated carbon support from unburned carbon in 

bagasse fly ash with thermal stability comparable to 

commercial activated carbon 

iii) Waste based catalyst with activity for butanol oxidation 

iv) Understanding of the properties of the carbon support and 

catalyst 


Poster presentations: 2 

Catalytic test setup




Objectives 

i) To develop practical and versatile synthetic methods to 

furnish a wide variety of linear, functional molecules to 

form densely packed Self Assembled Monolayers (SAMs) 

on different types of surfaces like gold or silica 

ii) To affect a single-step, post-assembly attachment of 

desired functional groups to suitable terminal functions of 

SAMs using alkene metathesis and/or 'Click chemistry' 

(alkyne-azide cycloaddition) 

iii) To graft covalently bioactive molecules and 

macromolecules on suitably functionalised SAMs and 

determine the extent and nature of grafting with relevant 

spectroscopic and microscopic techniques e. g. atomic 

force microscopy (AFM) 

iv) To characterise the solid substrates at each step by surface 

analytical methods (XPS, IR, ellipsometry, SPR, QCM-D) 

and NMR spectroscopy (for disperse media) en route to 

such biofunctionalisation. The interfacial reactions will be 

monitored by ITC (isothermal titration calorimetry) 

v) To evaluate the biological and biosensing activities of the 

anchored biomolecules on solid supports; two major 

identified objectives pertain to prevention of biofilm 

formation on surfaces and development of novel 

nanobiosensors 


i) Surface functionalization with Fischer carbene complex by 

click chemistry 

ii) Covalent grafting of proteins and peptide nucleic acid onto 

gold-coated glass and silicon substrates by Fischer carbene 

aminolysis 

iii) Interfacial antigen- antibody recognition studies 

iv) Interfacial PNA-DNA hybridization studies 

v) Bacteriocidal surface by chemisorption of lysozyme 



Posters: 2 


PRACTICAL METHODS FOR 

SURFACE BIOFUNCTIONALIZATION 



Prof. Amitabha Sarkar 

Department of Organic Chemistry 

Indian Association for the Cultivation 

of Science 

Kolkata 

Dr Michèle Salmain 

Laboratoire Charles Friedel 

Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie 

de Paris 

Paris 

A) Surface with immobilized protein A 

B) Surface with rabbit IgG attached with protein A, and 

C) Surface with protein A , rabbit IgG and goat anti-rabbit IgG 

59

60 


Dr. J. S. Yadav 

Indian Institute of Chemical Technology 

Hyderabad 

Dr. René Grée 

Université de Rennes 1/ CNRS UMR 6226 

Laboratoire Sciences Chimiques de 

Rennes 

Rennes 


MECHANISM BASED LEAD GENERATION IN CANCER 

CHEMOTHERAPY FROM NATURAL PRODUCTS 




Objectives 

i) To develop novel anticancer compounds 

ii) Identify new selective apoptosis inducers for cancer cells, 

with special attention paid to NCEs 

iii) Synthesis and lead optimization of natural products with 

apoptosis restoring capacity for cancer cells 

iv) Develop new methodologies for screening compounds 

using HTS/MTS 

v) Identify at least three lead compounds for further 

development as anticancer drugs 

vi) Conduct in vivo studies for selected compounds 


i) Efficient strategies have been developed to access the first 

series of target molecules 

ii) Small chemical libraries of designed compounds have 

been prepared by using, when appropriate, automated 

procedures 

iii) Preliminary biological screening have already validated 

some of our working hypotheses, affording first series of 

active analogues 

iv) Fruitful exchanges of informations as well as of scientists 

have been done 



Posters:3




Objectives 

i) Design and synthesis of multidenate ligands to stabilize a 

dimetal core. Naphthyridine and N-heterocycliccarbene(NHC) 

based ligands will be designed to span two 

metals in proximity providing specific sites for organic 

substrates to interact. Efforts will be made to incorporate 

stereodirecting groups in the ligand for asymmetric 

transformation 

ii) Synthesis of diruthenium and dipalladium precursors. 

Preformed dimetal precursors are desired for accessing 

dimetal catalysts. Protocols will be developed to assemble 

two metal ions in proximity starting from mono-metal 

precursors. Discrete and stable dipalladium and 

diruthenium complexes will be synthesized incorporating 

kinetically inert ligands to maintain structural integrity of 

the dimetal core throughout the course of the reaction and 

labile ligands to be replaced by organic reagents 

iii) Studies on the interaction of C-H bond with dimetal core, 

stoichiometric organometallic reactions at the dimetal 

platform, organometallic catalysis employing diruthenium 

and dipalladium complexes for a variety of reactions 

including cross-coupling reaction: Suzuki, Sonogashira, 

Negishi, Heck reaction. Special attention will be given to 

C-H bond activation/functionalization reactions of heteroaromatics, 

which are important building blocks in organic 

synthesis. 


i) A diruthenium(I) compound has been shown to catalyse 

aldehyde olefination reactions effectively 

ii) A set of diruthenium(I) compound with NHC ligands are 

shown to catalyse carbene-transfer reactions 

iii) Palladium-catalyzed direct arylation of thiophenes bearing 

SO R substituents have been demonstrated 

2 

iv) Dipalladium(II) compounds bridged by proline-based 

chiral ligand have been synthesized 

v) Non-classical carbene compound of Ru(II) have been 

synthesized. 



BIMETALLIC CATALYSIS INVOLVING RUTHENIUM AND 

PALLADIUM: C-H BOND ACTIVATION/FUNCTIONALIZATION 

AND BEYOND 



Dr. Jitendra K. Bera 



Kanpur 

Dr. Henri Doucet 

Institut Sciences Chimiques de Rennes, 

UMR 6226, CNRS-Université de Rennes 

"Catalyse et Organometalliques" 

Rennes 

61

62 


Dr. M. V. Badiger 

Polymer Science and Engineering 

Division 


Pune 

Prof. Dominique Hourdet 

Physico-chimie des Polymères et des 

Milieux Dispersés 

(PPMD-UMR 7615 UPMC-CNRS- 

ESPCI), ESPCI 

Paris 


SELF-ASSEMBLY IN NOVEL MACROMOLECULAR SYSTEMS 

BASED ON BIORESOURCE MATERIALS: SYNTHESIS 

CHARACTERIZATION AND APPLICATIONS 




Objectives 

i) Utilization of bioresource materials as base polymers to 

synthesize novel APs 

ii) To design and develop biocompatible precursors of 

hydrogels based on Guar Gum [GG], Tamarind kernel 

Powder [TKP], hyaluronic acid [HA], and alginate [ALG] 

iii) Making use of new developments in organic as well as in 

polymer chemistry for the design and synthesis of APs, 

hydrogels and nanocomposite gels 

iv) To prepare various types of hydrogels (single networks, 

conetworks or interpenetrating networks) by covalently 

bonding the precursors and/or by making use of physical 

interactions like complex formation induced by calcium, 

borate or inorganic particles 

v) Structural elucidation and study of properties of newly 

synthesized APs and gels using modern techniques and 

application development for these polymers 

vi) To elucidate the structure and properties of synthesised 

polymers and gels by techniques such as FT-IR, NMR, DSC, 

SANS, Rheometry, Dynamic Mechanical Analysis and 

Fluorescence spectroscopy and to study the morphology of 

nanocomposite gels by SEM and TEM. 


i) The basic polysaccharides obtained commercially for 

further modification were purified and characterized in 

terms of their chemical structure 

ii) New thermoassociating polymers were synthesized using 

polysaccharides, Carboxy Methyl Guar (CMG) and the 

lower critical solution temperature(LCST) sticker, 

poly(ethylene oxide-co-propylene oxide) [PEPO] 

iii) These polymers exhibited interesting thermothickening 

behaviour above the LCST of the sticker 

iv) The process of self-assembly is being studied by 

Fluorescence and the details are yet to be established 

v) The viscoelastic properties of Alginates have been studied 

in detail and the influence of salts on the gelation process is 

being investigated. These systems will be eventually taken 

for preparation of new associating polymers/gels aimed at 

biomedical applications 





Objectives 

While carbon substitution into a borane cage is common and 

gives rise to an entire class of compounds (carboranes), silicon 

substitution is rather rare. There are only few examples of 

silaboranes which are directly related to carboranes by 

substitution of silicon for carbon. The most convenient method for 

the preparation of metallacarboranes is based on a reaction 

between metallaboranes/boranes and alkynes. The new 

millennium has witnessed the synthesis of the first stable examples 

of homonuclear alkyne analogues of the heavier main group 14 

elements, which in turn, makes it important to extend the scope of 

this reaction. Main-group-element unsaturated organic 

substrates, will be designed and their reactivity established with 

group 5-9 metallaborane complexes. 

Furthermore, a comprehensive synthetic and performance 

evaluation study of the compounds, if confirmed by XRD, will be 

carried out with the aim of gaining insight about the geometryfunction 

correlation of these complexes. Apart from the 

aforementioned reactivity studies, a detailed structural study of 

the complexes will be carried out to understand the structureproperty 

relationship. 

Intimately linked to these experimental studies will be parallel 

c o m p u t a t i o n a l w o r k . T h e o r e t i c a l s t u d i e s o n 

metallaheteroboranes using quantum chemical calculations will 

reveal critical information on their formation, structures and 

stabilities. Wherever possible computed structures and physical 

properties (e.g. NMR shifts) will be correlated with their 

measurable experimental equivalents. Computations will serve 

as both rationalising and guiding the experimental work, with the 

ultimate overall objective of establishing a firm understanding of 

the systems synthesised. 


i) Interpretation of the molecular structure and electrochemical 

properties of the metallaborane complex Cp*Ru(B H )RuCp* 

8 14 

(Cp* = 5-C5Me5) has begun. This compound is unexpectedly 

apparented to pentalene complexes such as 

Cp*Fe(C H )FeCp* (C H = pentalene) which possesses the 

8 6 8 6 

same valence electron count 

η 

C5Me5Mo) 2 B5H 6( μ3-OEt) and ( η -C5Me5Mo) 2 B5H 5( μ3-OEt)(n- 

OBu) where oxygen is contiguously bound to both cluster 

metals and boron atoms is currently theoretically studied, in 

order to rationalise their electron count, their bonding, the 

number of hydrogen atoms, and their NMR properties 

ii) The electronic structure of the oxamolybdaborane clusters ( 

5 

5 

- 



CHEMISTRY AND APPLICATION OF METALLASILA- AND 

METALLAGERMABORANES DERIVED FROM GROUP 14 

UNSATURATED ORGANIC SUBSTRATES 



Prof. Sundargopal Ghosh 


Indian Institute of Technology Madras 

Chennai 

Prof. Jean-François Halet 

Sciences Chimiques de Rennes 

UMR 6226 CNRS-Université de 

Rennes 1 

Rennes 

63

64 

Instrumentation 

Dr. Srinivas Krishnagopal 

Beam Physics and FEL Laboratory 

Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced 

Technology 

Indore 

Prof. Jean-Michel Ortega 

Laboratoire de Chimie Physique 

UMR-CNRS-Université Paris Sud 

Orsay 


TERAHERTZ FREE-ELECTRON LASER 




Objectives 

The goal of the project was to take advantage of the planned 

extension of the CLIO free-electron laser into the spectral 

region of long wavelength (l > 120 µm), also called TeraHertz 

domain. This will allow the scientists to gain experience with an 

already running free-electron laser and to participate in the 

commissioning of the CUTE-FEL project. 


i) Participated in experiments with the CUTE FEL set-up India 

ii) The Indian team completed the installation and alignment 

of optical cavity of the FEL and operated the FEL. Slightly 

amplified spontaneous THz emission was detected through 

the hole in the outcoupling mirror using a liquid Helium 

cooled Bolometer 

iii) The optical mode profile provided by hole coupling has 

been studied, with the CLIO infrared Free-Electron Laser. At 

the shortest wavelength of the tuning range it was always 

observed that this laser profile contains distorted structures. 

The measurements done, using a 2D camera, and the 

numerical simulations confirm the observation. This effect is 

due to the perturbation created by the hole coupling 

extraction system of the FEL cavity. Nevertheless, there is no 

alternative outcoupling system working within an order of 

magnitude of tuning range and creating no cavity length 

dependence of wavelength (such as an intra-cavity 

Brewster plate) 





Duration: Four years (January, 2008 to December, 2011) 

Objectives 

The dynamic evolution of the planet can be largely documented 

using paleomagnetic constraints. 

i) constraining the motions of India and their consequences on 

plate tectonics 

ii) analyzing the reversal frequency and measuring the 

paleointensity of the Proterozoic geomagnetic field recorded 

in the Great Dyke swarms and other volcanic formations 

iii) Constraining the tectonic conditions and nature of stress fields 

that led to the emplacement of Great Dyke swarms during late 

Palaeoproterozoic period using magnetic anisotropy 


i) Identification of major dyke swarms in the Bundlekhand 

craton and sampling of these dykes in most responsive sites 

ii) Paleomagnetic, rock magnetic, anisotropy magnetic 

susceptibility, geochemical and geochronological and 

paleointensity studies have also been completed on the great 

dyke samples 

iii) Four temporally distinct Proterozoic paleomagnetic pole 

positions have been identified from the Bundlekhand craton. 

After obtaining radiometric age estimates, this data will be 

used to construct the apparent polar wander path for the 

region during the Proterozoic and also estimate true polar 

and continental drift rates during that time 

iv) The above mentioned studies on the 300 km long great dyke 

have resulted in extremely important information on magma 

flow pattern in long mid crustal channels. A 2.2 Gyr 

Paleoproterozoic "key pole" from the Dharwar craton has 

been determined, hence allowing reconstruction for this early 

age of the Earth. This data is also used to help in identifying 

the ancestral supercratons, along with older published data: 

Dharwar was not a part of Supercratons Sclavia or Superia at 

2.4 Ga, but formed a separate ancestor continent with part of 

Australia, and there is no possibility of amalgamation, if any, 

with other cratons before Neoarchean. Remnant magnetic 

directions on this dyke will also be used to compare the 

relative positions of Dharwar and Bundlekhand cratons 

v) Sampling of additional Paleoproterozoic dykes from the 

Dharwar craton for paleomagnetic, geochemical and 

geochronological studies 


Paper presented conferences: 1 


PALAEOMAGNETISM OF GREAT DYKE AND VINDHYAN 

SUPERGROUP ROCKS OF INDIA 



Dr. Anil Kumar 

Palaeomagnetism Laboratory 

National Geophysical Research 

Institute 

Hyderabad 

Dr. Jean Besse 

Laboratoire de Palaeomagnetisme 

Institut de Physique du 

Globe de Paris 

Paris 

65

66 


Dr. Atul Kumar Sahai 

Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology 

Pune 

Dr. Pascal Terray 

Laboratoire d'Océanographie et du 

Climat : Expérimentation et Approches 

Numériques ; Institut Pierre Simon 

Laplace 

Paris 

Active Composite 

Northward Propagation of Total 

rainrate anomaly (mm/day) 


MULTI-SCALE INTERACTIONS AND PREDICTABILITY OF THE 

INDIAN SUMMER MONSOON 

Break Composite 

Northward Propagation of Total 

rainrate anomaly (mm/day) 

Plot showing the northward propagation of total (top), 

convective (middle) and stratiform (bottom) rainrate 

anomalies during active and break cycles. 




Objectives 

The annual cycle of Indian Summer Monsoon (ISM), which is an important 

component of Asian monsoon system, exhibits oscillations on time scales 

ranging from days to decade. The physical mechanisms that contribute to 

the existence of specific modes of ISM oscillations (synoptic, intra-seasonal, 

interannual, etc.) and their interactions and the role of ocean-atmosphere 

feedbacks in these temporal scale interactions has not been clearly 

understood. Therefore, as a part of the broader effort to develop useful 

medium, extended or long-range predictions, the main mechanisms of 

intra-seasonal to interannual variability, as well as the main feedbacks 

associated with ocean and land surface boundary conditions in both 

observations and coupled/forced simulations of the Asian monsoon 

system has to be examined. 

The project was an effort to improve the skills of dynamical extended and 

seasonal prediction of the ISM Rainfall by systematically analysing the 

following questions: 

¡ How does the simulation of seasonal mean ISM depend on the 

simulation of the summer Intra-Seasonal Oscillations (ISOs) by a 

climate model 

¡ Is there a relationship between the systematic bias of simulation of the 

seasonal mean and that of the simulation of the summer ISOs 

¡ Which statistics of the summer ISOs (e.g. the amplitude, the 

periodicity, and the propagation characteristics) is more important for 

better simulation of the seasonal mean 

¡ What is the physical mechanism of multiscale interaction and what is 

the contribution of SST feedback and other slowly varying dynamic 

forcings in the multi-scale interaction of the monsoon system 

¡ What is the realistic estimate of 'internal' variability of the coupled 

GCM 


i) Development of the SINTEX-F2 model and statistical tools. Running 

different simulations (6 long simulations) of the SINTEX-F2 model 

using different modelling strategies (coupled runs with different 

horizontal/vertical resolutions in the ocean and frequency of oceanatmosphere 

coupling). Daily and monthly data for 100-yr simulations 

from the SINTEX-F2 model for various parameters have been made 

available by French partner and have been downloaded by Indian 

Partner 

ii) Conjoint and parallel analyses by the French and Indian partners of 

the project of the coupled simulations realized with the SINTEX-F2 high 

resolution coupled model. Characteristic features of interannual and 

intraseasonal variability of the Indian summer monsoon and El Nino- 

Southern Oscillation phenomenon in the model have been studied 

iii) A comprehensive analysis of the interannual variabilities of ISM 

rainfall, onset and withdrawal dates of the monsoon and their 

relationships with El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) and various 

modes of coupled variability in the Indian Ocean has been undertaken 


Papers presented conferences: 4 

Poster: 1



Duration: Three years (November, 2009 to October, 2012) 

Objectives 

The main objective of the project is on the development of a 

hybrid sigma-pressure Nonhydostatic Finite-volume 

Icosahedral Model (NFIM). It is a numerical model based on 

geodesic icosahedral grids (12 fixed vertices, 20 faces and 30 

edges of equilateral triangles) combining finite-volumes 

techniques for regional/global climate simulations and 

weather forecasts. 

The specific objectives are: 

i) Finalize and validate the existing icosahedral codes 

ii) Compare weak formulation and finite volume method 

(FVM), and testing the finite volume approach for the 

meteorological parts (wind and temperature) 

iii) Couple the new dynamical core with the physics package 

of the LMDZ climate model to represent diabatic effects 

(radiation, cloud physics, rainfall etc.) 

iv) Optimize the code of the new dynamical core for parallel 

computing 

v) Improve the representation of cloud microphysics 


i) A beta version of the dynamical core has been tested in a 

shallow water configuration with various operators 

formulated using the finite volume approach 

ii) The dissipation operators using the same approach are 

being formulated currently 

iii) The finite volume method has been tested successfully for 

solving the flux form of the transport equation 

iv) The non-hydrostatic formulation of the model equations is 

being tested with the LMD GCM 

v) The cloud microphysics package is partly developed and 

will be tested with LMD GCM 



DEVELOPMENT OF A NON-HYDROSTATIC FINITE-VOLUME 

ICOSAHEDRAL MODEL FOR REGIONAL/GLOBAL CLIMATE 

SIMULATION AND WEATHER FORECAST 



Dr. H. C. Upadhyaya 

Centre for Atmospheric Sciences 


New Delhi 

Dr. Frederic Hourdin 

Laboratoire de Meteorologie 

Dynamique 

Paris 

67

68 


Prof. Shobhana Narasimhan 

Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced 

Scientific Research 

Bangalore 

Dr. Sylvie Rousset 

Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes 

Quantiques, CNRS-UMR 7162 

University Paris Diderot 

Paris 

Charge density plots for the electrons in the 

surface states for (a) clean Au(111) surface, for Fedeposited 

surface with (b) spin up and (c) spin 

down. Note here that the spheres show all the 

atoms in the unit cell, and not just those atoms 

which lie in the single plotting plane used for 

charge density; this explains the “extra” atoms. 


SELF-ORGANIZED NANOSTRUCTURES AT SURFACES 




Objectives 

Self organized nanostructures are of great interest both 

because of fundamental interactions at the nanoscale and 

because of possible technological relevance, e.g., to magnetic 

memory storage. In this project, several kinds of such systems 

have been studied, both experimentally, using scanning 

tunnelling microscopy and other techniques of surface science, 

and theoretically, using density functional theory. The systems 

studied include magnetic surface alloys, magnetic overlayers 

on metal substrates, and periodic arrays of steps on vicinal 

metal surfaces. Further understanding of the novel magnetic 

properties of such systems is being gained. It is hoped that such 

an understanding will ultimately enable one to design 

nanostructured systems with desired properties for 

technological applications. 


i) Gained an understanding of the factors governing the 

formation of surface alloys, including the relative 

importance of elastic and chemical interactions, and the 

absence of a simple size-based mixing rule 

ii) Based upon this understanding, it has been successfully 

demonstrated experimentally that the AuFe/Ru(0001) 

system forms a long-range ordered (LRO) surface alloy 

even though Au and Fe are bulk-immiscible. This is the first 

such system to show LRO. The collaborators have shown 

that, surprisingly, the main stabilizing force for the 

formation of this alloy is magnetism and not stress relief 

iii) Self-organization of cobalt nanodots on Au(111) has been 

used in order to give new insights into the magnetization 

anisotropy energy of nanostructures, which is the key 

parameter for applications in high density magnetic 

storage. Role of atomic relaxations when Co dots are 

encapsulated into a gold matrix has been shown. It has 

been shown for the first time the role of spin density waves in 

thermal assisted magnetization reversal 

iv) Studied the spin polarized surface states formed when Fe is 

deposited on Au(111) and shown that they behave like free 

electron states that are scattered by the boundaries of the 

islands 

v) Grazing angle Xray diffraction can be successfully used to 

extract near-surface displacements on a stepped surface, in 

agreement with calculations and elastic models 

Research papers published: Eight 




Duration: Four years (November , 2007 to October, 2011) 

Objectives 

i) The primary objective was to study light-induced (LI) 

phenomena in magnetic systems using a light coupled 

SQUID magnetometer 

ii) To characterize the kinetic parameters and to influence the LI 

process by changing the chemical composition and/or by 

optimizing the optical property of the material, i.e by 

preparing some thin films or nanoparticles 

iii) Synthesis of magnetic nanoparticles of different materials 

such as ferrites, mangnites, cobaltites and dilute magnetic 

semiconductors 

iv) The light induced changes in the magnetic systems were to 

be studied in detail using the light coupled SQUID 

magnetometer facility available with the group in France. 

The lifetime study of the excited states were to be performed 

using ultra fast optical techniques available with the group 

in France 


i) Synthesis of several nanocrystalline systems thought to be 

suitable for photomagnetic investigations, has been 

undertaken using a variety of soft chemistry routes 

ii) The above said systems like cobaltites, manganites, ferrites, 

layered double hydroxides and TM doped zinc oxides have 

been thoroughly characterized for their structural, magnetic 

and other physical properties 

iii) Photomagnetic and magnetic studies on the nanocrystalline 

form of the spinel Ni Zn Fe Co O has been studied. An 

0.5 0.5 1.7 0.3 4 

explanation of these results is given in the framework of 

freezing/melting of cluster glass behaviour 

2+ 

iv) Layered double hydroxides containing paramagnetic Ni 

3+ 3and 

Fe ions with Fe(CN) 6 intercalated anions exhibit 

significant enhancement of magnetization after one hour of 

light irradiation. This effect has been found to be due to 

contribution of thermal and photomagnetic effect. This 

appears to be the first report of photomagnetic studies on 

Ni/Fe layered double hydroxide 

v) Studies of photomagtnetic nanoparticules have been 

successful. The influence of the nanosize of the compound 

has been exhibited 

vi) Influence of polymorphism on the photomagnetic properties 

on a molecular based compound has been investigated 



PHOTOMAGNETIC INVESTIGATIONS ON MAGNETIC OXIDES 




Dr. D. Bahadur 

Department of Metallurgical 

Engineering and Materials Science 


Mumbai 

Dr. J. F. Létard 

Institut de Chimie de la Matière 

Condensée de Bordeaux 

Université Bordeaux 1 

Pessac 

SQUID magnetometer (right) coupled with a He/Ne laser (left). 

69

70 


Dr. Indradev Samajdar 

Department of Metallurgical Engg. & 

Materials Science 

Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay 

Mumbai 

Dr. Julian Driver 

Centre SMS 

Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne 

Saint Etienne 

Pixel Detector: Multi-Channel Solid State Area Detector 


ORIENTATION DEPENDENT RECOVERY IN METALLIC 

MATERIALS 



Duration: Four years (March, 2008 to February, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) Develop new quantitative methods to characterize the 

orientation dependence of recovery in selected metallic 

systems 

ii) Generate statistically valid experimental data on the 

relative effects of different material variables (e.g. crystal 

structure, solute content, prior deformation & 

crystallographic orientation) on recovery 

iii) Relate recovery to developments in residual stress 

iv) Establish realistic models to describe orientation 

dependent recovery 


i) Deformation texture developments were strain mode 

dependent, especially at the higher strain level. From US to 

PS to BS, differences in deformation textures can be 

generalized as a drop in cube and an increase in brass 

component 

ii) ''One-point'' Taylor-type models predicted similar textures 

and nearly identical changes in ideal fcc texture 

components for all three strain modes. However, the 

Alamel and the CPFEM were effective in bringing out strain 

mode effects on the deformation texture 

iii) Detailed microstructural investigations reveal stronger ingrain 

orientation gradients from US to PS to BS. Such 

gradients often were found near grainboundary regions, 

generalized, through a computer algorithm as NBGZ 

iv) The apparent success or failure of deformation texture 

simulations did depend on the relative presence of NBGZ. 

At low NBGZ (e.g., US), all models performed well, 

whereas at higher NBGZ (e.g., PS and BS), Alamel and 

CPFEM were more successful than the ''one-point'' Taylor 

type models 

v) Relative lattice reorientations or rotations, estimated 

through high-resolution ODFs, for unstable orientations 

(e.g., cube) were qualitatively similar between the strain 

modes. However, the magnitude of such rotations did 

depend on the strain mode as well as the relative presence 

of NBGZ. A stronger presence of NBGZ reduced the 

relative texturing and maximum ODF intensity and thus 

may explain the well-known tendency of classical FCT to 

predict stronger than actual deformation textures 





Duration: 

2011) 

Objectives 

i) To implement self assembly and directed assembly routes 

to get ordered nanoparticle films of metal oxide systems 

ii) To explore the nucleation and growth phenomena in 

chemical and bio-inspired nanoparticle synthesis of metal 

oxides with a view to control their size, shape and 

dispersity in the interest of achieving ordered supported 

assemblies 

iii) To examine the influence of manipulation strategies (e.g. 

passive and active additives, external field) on the 

synthesis of nanoparticles and surface supported 

assemblies 

iv) To employ extensive characterization protocols to define 

quality factors of nanoparticles, and surface assemblies 


i) Controlled chemical and biochemical synthesis of 

anisotropic magnetic nanostructures and functional 

nanocomposites, their atomistic characterizations, and the 

development of an understanding about the growth 

mechanisms 

ii) Synthesis, thorough characterization and application of bifunctional 

magnetic and fluorescent nanoparticles of Fe O 

3 4 

(CdTe) Core (Shell) 

iii) Synthesis, characterization and (solar cell) application of 

optical nanomaterials 

iv) Explorations of transition element (Fe, Co) doping in TiO 

2 

nanoparticles 

v) Application of the novel technique of laser ablation wide 

angle atom probe tomography to the study of metal oxide 

systems (iron oxide) and elucidating the attendant 

mechanisms 

Research papers published: Ten 


ATOMISTIC STUDIES OF SUPPORTED METAL OXIDE 

NANOSYSTEMS 

Three years and three months (March, 2008 to May, 



Dr. Satishchandra B. Ogale 

Physical and Materials Chemistry 

Division 


Pune 

Prof. Béatrice Hannoyer 

Université de Rouen, GPM - UMR 

CNRS 6634 

Institut des Matériaux de Rouen 

Saint Etienne Du Rouvray 

Dark field (top panel) and bright field (bottom 

panel) transmission electron micrographs for 

the sample synthesized at 5°C Transmission 

71

72 


Prof. Milan K. Sanyal 

Surface Physics Division 

Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics 

Kolkata 

Prof. Alain Gibaud 

Université du Maine 

Le Mans 


PUZZLING PROPERTIES OF ULTRATHIN POLYMER FILMS 




Objectives 

Study the influence of external parameters on the swelling of 

ultra thin films of polymers 

Revised objectives: Measure the influence of external 

parameters such as Relative humidity, exposition to other 

solvents such as CO of PAM films on their physical properties 

2 

such as swelling, diffusion, glass transition. 


i) Preparation of thin films of Polyazomethine (PAM) by spincoating 

ii) Characterization of the films by x-ray reflectivity 

iii) Experiments on ultrathin films of PAM under controlled 

water humidity 

iv) First analysis of the results 


Representation of the humidity cell on the X-ray reflectometer




Objectives 

i) Fabrication of high quality FETs of bandwidth tuned 

manganites on Nb-doped SrTiO or a suitable epitaxial 

3 

metallic oxide (such as YBa Cu O or LaNiO ) with simple 

2 3 7 3 

metal source and drain electrodes 

ii) Explore ferromagnetic source and drain electrodes for 

added functionality and spin control 

iii) Studies of optical and magnetic field control of channel 

current 

iv) Fabrication of LaAlO -SrTiO heterostructures and 

3 3 

characterization of their interfaces with high resolution 

transmission electron microscopy combined with electron 

energy loss spectroscopy 

v) Fabrication of FETs and quantum dots of the 2D electron 

gas using split gate technology 

vi) Measurements of FET characteristics at low temperatures 


i) Electron beam deposition of Ta O dielectric films 

2 5 

ii) Synthesis of V O target after reduction of V O 

2 3 2 5 

iii) Synthesis of NdNiO films 

3 

iv) Polarization microscopy of LPCMO films 

v) Growth and studies of magnetic superlattices 



FIELD EFFECT TRANSISTORS OF PEROVSKITE OXIDES FOR 

SPINTRONICS APPLICATIONS 



Prof. R. C. Budhani 



Kanpur 

Dr. Wilfrid Prellier 

Laboratoire CRISMAT-ISMRA 

CNRS-UMR 6508, ENSICAEN 

Caen 

73

74 


Dr. G. P. Kothiyal 

Glass & Ceramics Technology 

Section, TP&PED 

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre 

Mumbai 

Prof. Lionel Montagne 

UMR 8181, ENS Chimie de Lille 

Université des Sciences et Technologies 

de Lille 

Villeneuve d’Ascq 

View of furnace with job mounted 

for testing 


STUDY AND DEVELOPMENT OF HIGH TEMPERATURE 

SEALANTS FOR SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELLS (SOFCs) BASED ON 

PHOSPHATE - CONTAINING GLASS AND GLASS-CERAMICS 



Duration: Three years (July, 2009 to June, 2012) 

Objectives 

Develop suitable high temperature sealants for planar solid 

oxide fuel cells (SOFCs), based on phosphate-containing glass 

and glass-ceramics. 

Some specific objectives are: 

i) To investigate various glass compositions based on 

phosphate-containing RO-BaO- SiO 2 (R=Mg, Zn, ...) 

systems 

ii) Establish the processing conditions for converting them 

into glass-ceramics; study different phase formation/ 

separation, microstructure and their chemical reactivity at 

the operating conditions and to limit chromium diffusion 

iii) Develop suitable process for preparing seals 

iv) Study the behaviour of the sealant with regard to chemical 

reactivity, degradation, structural-transformation in the 

long run. 


i) Barium Calcium Aluminum Boro-Silicate (BCABS) glasses 

containing different quantities (1-5 mol%) P2O 5 were 

studied. Based upon hot stage microscopy (HSM) and 

Thermo-mechanical analysis (TMA) studies in addition to 

multi-nuclear NMR it was concluded that seals can be 

prepared with glasses containing up to 2 mol% P2O5 ii) Crystallization in glasses containing 2mol % P2O 5 is too 

rapid to allow homogeneous sintering to the glass powder, 

Glasses containing 1 mol% P2O 5 were left as viable 

candidates for sealing. This composition showed a 

continuous interface and uniform crystallization 

iii) X-ray images reveal appreciable Cr diffusion across the 

glass-ceramic-to-metal interface, implying the P2O 5 

addition is not able to mitigate Cr diffusion. EPMA indicated 

a depletion of P2O 5 at the glass-ceramic-to-metal interface 

iv) Seals in sandwich geometry (button type) with 2mole% P O 

2 5 

in BCABS system were tested at 800°C after 300hr heat 

treatment at about 800°C. A new furnace has been 

fabricated at BARC for leak testing at elevated temperature. 

Interfaces of glass/ Crofer 22 of the seals have been studied 

using SEM/EDX 

v) New compositions were elaborated, containing V O to 

2 5 

enhance adhesion to Crofer. These compositions have 

suitable coefficient of thermal expansion, which vary little 

during crystallization and after 500h ageing at 800°C 

Research papers published: Six 





Objectives 

i) To enhance TE performance of CrSi (and eventually other 

2 

transition metal silicides) by composition tuning and 

material assembly (i.e. composite effect) 

ii) To use low-dimensional effects(i.e. enhancement of the 

power factor resulting of an increase of the electron 

density of states at the Fermi level), boundary scattering 

effects (i.e. lowering of the thermal conductivity resulting of 

the reduction of the phonon mean free path due to the 

large number of the intergrain boundaries) and composite 

effects (i.e. new attributes offer by combinations of 

different and complementary materials, and not exhibited 

by either one alone) as a way to manipulate the electron 

and phonon properties independently 

iii) To study and rationalise the effect of the microstructure on 

the transport properties of composite materials 


i) A lamellar pattern of PbTe/GeTe at the nano and microscale 

has been produced in the Pb Ge Te alloy by the 

0.36 0.64 

diffusional decomposition of a supersaturated solid 

solution 

ii) It has been shown that the mechanism of nanostructuration 

is a discontinuous spinodal decomposition 

iii) The thermoelectric properties have been measured 

(electrical conductivity, thermal conductivity and 

thermopower) and evaluated the ZT for the various 

microstructural states of the Pb Ge Te alloy, opening the 

0.36 0.64 

door for an optimal design of microstructure for TE 

properties via optimized heat treatments 



NANOSTRUCTURED TRANSITION METAL SILICIDES FOR HIGH 

TEMPERATURE POWER GENERATION 




Dr. Arun M Umarji 

Materials Research Centre 


Bangalore 

Prof. Stéphane Gorsse 

Institut de Chimie de la Matière 

Condensée de Bordeaux UMR CNRS 

Université Bordeaux 1 

Pessac 

Spark plasma sintering technique use for the 

densification of the thermoelectric silicides. 

75

76 


Prof. M. S. Ramachandra Rao 

Nano Functional Materials 

Technology Centre and Materials 

Science Research Centre 

Indian Institute of Technology, Madras 

Chennai 

Prof. Werner Paulus 

Matériaux Inorganique: Chimie douce et 

Réactivité, UMR 6226-CNRS 

Université de Rennes 1 

Rennes 

Scanning electron microscopy images of 

nanostructured CaFeO . 

2.5 


STUDIES ON BULK, THIN FILM AND NANOSTRUCTURED 

FORMS OF CO BASED AND OTHER OXIDE MATERIALS FOR 

SOLID OXIDE FUEL CELL (SOFC) APPLICATIONS 




Objectives 

i) Prepare solid solutions of La Sr CoO , LaSrCo M O (x=Fe, Mn). 

1-x x 3 (1-x) x 3 

SrCoO phases in bulk, thin film and nano forms for systematic 

2+x 

fundamental physical properties and structure-property correlation study 

ii) Prepare solid solutions of BiFeO (BFO)-La Sr CoO composite in bulk, 

3 1-x x 3 

nano and thin films forms 

iii) In situ studies on the electrochemically controlled oxygen intercalation by: 

X-ray (classical and synchrotron), neutron diffraction and XAFS in 

especially designed reaction chambers (on bulk, thin film and nano form) 

to study the evolution of structure and valence state as a function of the 

charge transfer 

iv) Inelastic neutron spectroscopy and quasielastic neutron scattering to 

better characterize oxygen diffusion; these studies are completed by first 

principle lattice dynamical calculations 

v) Oxygen isotope exchange reactions in special reaction chambers and 

under TGA coupled MS analysis 

vi) Solid state Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to study the oxygen mobility by 

more local methods 

vii) Various characterization techniques such as XRD (microstructural 

characterization and temperature variation), Morphological studies 

(Using HRTEM/ HRSEM/ MFM/ AFM), XPS, Raman and high magnetic field 

magnetometry 

viii) Electrical, magnetic and thermal properties studies using electrical 

resistivity, NMR, specific heat etc; 

ix) Hydrogenation studies on these systems to realize new oxide hydrides; 

x) Thin film growth and study the magnetoelectric effect of trilayer La 1- 

Sr CoO (LSCO) /BiFeO (BFO)/La Sr CoO (LSCO) and ZnO based 

x x 3 3 1-x x 3 

systems by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) 

xi) Check the applicability of suitable oxides for SOFC applications. 


i) Enhancement of the mobility of oxygen ions in nanostructured Ca2Fe2O 5 

sample was attributed to the specific lattice dynamics of the nanostructured 

domains, found to be a characteristic of nanostructured compound only. 

18 

Oxygen isotope exchange reaction of bulk CaFe O 2.5 and nanostructured 

18 18 

CaFe O 2.5 samples, both enriched by about 80 % in O was carried out in 

16 18 

O 2 atmosphere using a heating rate of 5 K/min. For bulk CaFe O 2.5 

(BCFO) the change of mass is observed at about 460°C whereas for 

18 

nanostructured CaFe O (NCFO) samples the oxygen isotope exchange 

2.5 

sets in at lower temperature of about 340-350°C, much lower than that of 

bulk sample. The temperature where oxygen diffusion sets in decreases with 

particle size 

ii) Based on experimental analysis a microscopic model has been proposed to 

explain the enhancement of oxygen diffusion in NCFO samples 

iii) Observation of different phonon modes in the Raman and IR spectra of bulk 

and corresponding nano-structured samples also suggest different 

diffusion kinetics in bulk and nanostructured samples 

iv) Pure phase of La Sr CoO in nano and bulk form has been prepared 

0.6 0.4 3 

successfully using sol-gel synthesis. Phase purity has been confirmed by 

XRD 

v) Bulk SrCoO in pure brownmillerite phase has been synthesized (which 

2.5 

can be used as the target for thin films of SrCoO ). Raman studies have 

2.5 

been performed on this material and Rietveld refinement of XRD data 

confirmed phase purity. 





Objectives 


ORGANIC MATERIALS FOR ENERGY DEVICES 

i) Develop new materials for the next generation of energy 

devices. In particular towards the development of 

materials for organic devices such as solid electrolyte for 

lithium-ion (Li+) rechargeable batteries, and polar liquid 

crystalline materials. The goal is to optimize material 

properties by adjusting the chemical functionalization and 

modification of fullerene-type materials and conjugated 

organic molecules. On the other hand the new polar liquid 

crystalline materials will self-organize into a columnar 

structure driven by attractive interactions between the 

spherical fullerene moieties and the functionalized 

aromatic side groups of a neighboring group 

ii) Structural characterization of these materials with TEM, 

SEM and AFM would lead to inputs for generating new 

materials for energy devices. A different type of 

functionalization is proposed utilizing electron rich 

functional groups by which one can control the acidity of 

functionalized fullerenes. Increasing fullerene acidity is 

expected to lower the barrier for proton hopping and thus 

achieve proton transport properties superior to that of 

Nation 


i) Synthesis of penta-tegylated fullerene carried out 

according to the modified protocol 

ii) Synthesis of butane substituted penta-phenyl fullerene 

carried out according to the synthetic route 

1 

iii) The synthesized compounds were characterized by H NMR 




Dr. Satish Patil 

Solid State and Structural Chemistry Unit 


Bangalore 

Dr. Daniel Guillon 

Ecole Européenne de Chimie 

Polynieres et Matériaux 

Strasbourg 

77

78 


Prof. Vikram Jayaram 

Department of Materials Engineering 


Bangalore 

Dr. Fabrice Dassenoy 

Laboratory of Tribology and System 

Dynamics 

Ecole Centrale de Lyon 

Ecully 


BOUNDARY LUBRICATION USING METAL NANOPARTICLES IN 

AQUEOUS SUSPENSION 




Objectives 

i) To design and develop environment friendly and eco compatible 

nano-lubricant additives with low friction, surface protecting, 

improved thermal and oxidative properties 

ii) To study the effect of geometry/ shape (layered, rods, spheres), 

stiffness (hard, robust core with soft outer layers) and crystal 

structure (Lamellar structures are favorable as lubricants but nonlamellar 

structures also provide satisfactory lubrication) on 

lubrication for both aqueous and non-aqueous medium 

iii) To study the mechanical force responsiveness of the nanoparticle 

additive 

iv) To determine what atomic scale behavior influence liquid 

lubrication and how changes in phase or chemical composition 

influence wear and lubrication 

v) To study the compatibility of nanoparticle additives with lubricant 

solutions as well as inter nanoparticle, nanoparticle -surface, 

nanoparticle- surfactant-base oil interactions 

vi) Understanding the chemo-mechanical mechanisms occurring in 

the boundary lubrication and the role of nanolubricant rheology on 

the sliding of real rough contacts. 


i) Layered MoS single particles deform by interlayer slip, registering a 

2 

low coefficient of friction. When the particles are allowed to 

agglomerate the mechanism of deformation is by plowing where the 

response is isotropic plasticity; 

ii) Single (crystal) MoS particles when slid in reciprocating tribology 

2 

form a coherent 30-50nm tribofilm on steel substrate which aids in 

yielding a low coefficient of friction. Such a tribofilm does not form if 

the particles used are agglomerates, the coefficient friction is high in 

the case; 

iii) An Attenuated total Reflection mode of Raman tribometer was 

designed, fabricated and commissioned to yield high resolution 

dynamic images and phase shifts, institu (during tribo experiments). 

The early phases of tribofilm formation was observed for the first 

time in high resolution; 

iv) Cold rolling mills were modeled using classical mechanics and Finite 

element Analysis. Friction maps to set the limitation of the mills in 

rolling with nanoparticles in aqueous suspension were constructed 

to help industry to exploit aqueous lubrication in metal working; 

v) Dispersion and stability of nanoparticle suspension in liquid 

lubricant medium was found to be a major factor which modulates 

friction. The standard industrial dispersant PIBS was found wanting 

as the amine functional groups are bound. A new dispersant 

aminopropyl trimethodysilane with free amine groups which graft 

directly on the MoS particle by chemical adsorption was found to be 

2 

a much more suitable dispersant which totally prevents 

agglomeration over a 12 days period and yield a coefficient of 

friction which is significantly lower than that obtained using PIBS. 





Objectives 

Taylor bubble flows have been extensively studied in the past. 

Most of these studies are under (i) adiabatic conditions, (ii) not 

in the mini/micro geometries (iii) under steady flow conditions. 

Thus, the fundamental understanding of such flows is highly 

lacking in mini/micro channel geometries, under phasechange 

processes and oscillating flow conditions. All these 

conditions are vital for emerging applications of mini/micro 

phase-change thermal-fluid systems. Such systems routinely 

have oscillations, either intentionally generated or occurring 

due to flow instabilities. The project aims to understand 

thermo-hydrodynamic response of oscillating Taylor flows 

under aforementioned boundary conditions and its 

subsequent effect on thermo-fluidic transport coefficients. 

Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV), Infra Red Thermography (IRT) 

and High Speed Videography (HSV) were employed to achieve 

this aim. The results have direct implications on design and 

understanding of many advanced and upcoming mini/micro 

systems such as pulsating heat pipes, compact phase-change 

electronics cooling modules, micro-fluidic devices and microbiochemical 

reactors and mass transfer systems. 


i) Infra-red thermography of single-phase developing 

laminar flows 

ii) Heat transfer enhancement due to air-water Taylor bubble 

flows 

iii) Measurement of dynamic contact angle inside square 

capillary tubes 

iv) Realisation of an experimental bench for visualisation of 

one vapour plug and one liquid slug and first experiments 



THERMO HYDRODYNAMICS OF PHASE CHANGE INDUCED 

OSCILLATING TAYLOR BUBBLE FLOWS 



Dr. Sameer Khandekar 

Department of Mechanical Engineering 


Kanpur 

Prof. Jocelyn Bonjour 

Centre de Thermique de Lyon 

(CETHIL) 

INSA-Lyon 

Villeurbanne 

Experimental bench of the single-bubble PHP at INSA-Lyon (V) 

79

80 


Dr. Rohini Balakrishnan 


Bangalore 

Dr. Laure Desutter Grandcolas 

Museum National d’Histoire Naturelle 

Paris 


PHYLOGENY AND ACOUSTIC EVOLUTION OF CRICKETS 




Objectives 

i) To trace the evolution of acoustic signals and acoustic 

communication in three cricket groups of southern India: 

Gryllinae, Eneopterinae and Phalangopsidae, using 

phylogenetic reconstruction based on morphological 

characters 

ii) To revise the current classification of the above groups 

based on the phylogeny and to provide characters for 

taxonomic identification of species in these groups 

iii) To provide data on diversity, acoustic signals and habitat 

characteristics of the cricket species of these groups in 

Southern India 


i) Recording and characterization of acoustic signals of 25 

cricket species 

ii) Taxonomic analyses of the collected specimens using 

external and internal morphology 

iii) Generation of a global phylogeny of the subfamily 

Gryllinae based on morphological characters 

iv) Phylogenetic analysis and song evolution in the genus 

Itaropsis using a combination of molecular, morphological 

and acoustic analyses 

v) Analysis of the phenotypic and behavioural variation in the 

genus Phonarellus (song and colouration polymorphism, 

and female phonotaxis) and of its consequences for 

taxonomy 





Duration : Three years (February, 2009 to January, 2012) 

Objectives 

i) To evaluate the characteristics of different compacted clay 

liner materials collected up to ten landfill sites in France 

and to compare with equivalent materials in India 

ii) To compare typical municipal solid waste compositions in 

India and France and to deduce the difference in hydromechanical 

properties due to their composition 

iii) To develop and characterize two types of model clay liner 

materials 

iv) To study the effect of non-uniform settlements on the 

deformation behaviour of clay liners with and without 

strengthening measures by using a large beam centrifuge 

v) To further the observed behaviour through centrifuge 

model test results with the help of laboratory 

characterization by performing standard tests 

vi) To develop a new landfill capping system in the field using 

soil reinforcement technique 


i) Commissioning of flexible wall permeameter equipment at 

IIT Bombay including performing pilot tests 

ii) Execution of series of tests using flexible wall permeameter 

for determining permeability of the clay barrier material 

iii) Execution of centrifuge model tests for studying the 

influence of geomebrane on the integrity of clay-based 

landfill covers 

iv) Development of the prototype of hydro-bending test at the 

LTHE Grenoble and first preliminary tests 




RISK OF CRACKING OF CLAY LINERS FOR LANDFILL 

CAPPING AND ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARD 



Dr. B. V. S. Viswanadham 

Department of Civil Engineering 


Mumbai 

Prof. J. P. Gourc 

LTHE- Transferts-Hydraulique- 

Environment, 

Université Joseph Fourier 

Grenoble 

View of the developed fiber blended clay barrier 

material at IIT Bombay 

81

82 


Prof. Mallayan Palaniandavar 

School of Chemistry 

Bharathidasan University 

Tiruchirappalli 


BIOLOGICAL PEROXIDE SENSING: THE BACTERIAL REGULATOR 

PerR, SYNTHETIC ANALOGUES AND BIOMIMETIC REACTIVITY 

Prof. Jean-Marc Latour 

Institut de Recherches en Technologies et 

Sciences du Vivant 

Laboratoire de Chimie et Biologie des 

Métaux 

CEA- Grenoble 

Grenoble 



Duration : Three years (November, 2009 to October, 2012) 

Objectives 

The present project proposes to isolate and study low molecular 

weight mononuclear iron(II/III) coordination complexes as structural 

and functional models for the peroxide regulator (PerR) zinc-iron 

proteins. These proteins sense hydrogen peroxide in prokaryotes and 

release the expression of defence enzymes which include 

hydroperoxidases, alkylhydroperoxide reductase, glutathione 

reductases and glutaredoxin. PerR is bound to DNA and blocks the 

access of the RNA polymerase which expresses the production of 

defence enzymes. The release of the iron is postulated to result from 

reaction of PerR with hydrogen peroxide causing the oxidation of 

histidine ligands into 2-oxohistidine. Mononuclear iron(II)/(III) 

complexes of suitable tetra- and pentadentate ligands containing 

biomimetic donors like pyridine, amine, benzimidazole, imidazole, 

phenolate and carboxylate groups will be isolated for the first time as 

models for the PerR protein. Suitable manganese analogues of the 

above model complexes will be also isolated as possible models for 

the PerR proteins. All these complexes will be characterized using 

elemental analysis and their structures investigated with the help of 

infrared, electronic and EPR spectral techniques. X-ray structure 

determination of suitable single crystals of these complexes will also 

be undertaken to ascertain the coordination environments of the 

models. Cyclic and other voltammetric techniques will be employed 

to study the redox behavior of the complexes. 

The ability of the mononuclear iron(II)/(III) complexes to activate a 

variety of substrates will be studied using GC, HPLC and GC-MS 

techniques. The catalytic activity of the iron and manganese 

complexes towards oxidation of histidine imidazole moieties and 

other oxotransfer reactions in the presence of molecular oxygen and 

peroxides will be studied. The relationship among the redox 

behavior, spectral features and catalytic activity of these models will 

be illustrated in the light of those of the iron enzymes. 


i) A few ligands proposed have been isolated and characterised 

successfully 

ii) Fe(II) and Mn(II) complexes of those ligands have been isolated 

and characterised by using X-ray crystallography and other 

spectroscopic techniques 

iii) Catalytic activity of the isolated Fe(II) and Mn(II) complexes 

towards the oxidation of various imidazoles were done 

iv) The crystal structure of the active PerR protein has been solved 

v) Production of highly pure and homogeneous samples of 

mutated proteins 

vi) A single mutation within the regulatory site of PerR abolishes its 

interaction with H O 

2 2 



Posters: 6



Duration : Three years (January, 2010 to December, 2013) 

Objectives 

i) Characterization of the mass transfers triggered by the 

flow field and rock-forming mineral heterogeneity in the 

case were diffusion is not dominant at pore scale 

ii) Study in detail the up-scaling of these processes in order to 

produce operational models at Darcy's scale (reservoir 

scale) using the continuous medium approach 



MINERAL-FLUID INTERACTION MODEL FOR CO SEQUESTRATION 

2 

i) Program code that has been developed to study pore 

structure and geometry and permeability is being tested on 

actual 2-D data file of sedimentary rock provided by the 

French side 

ii) Program code is being developed to study thermal 

conductivity for 3-phase porous composite 




Dr. Tapati Dutta 


St. Xavier's College 

Kolkata 

Dr. Philippe Gouze 

Geosciences Research Unit 

Université de Montpellier 

Montpellier 

Equipment for reactive (dissolution) flow-through 

experiments installed at the ICARE Lab in Montpellier 

83

84 


Prof. AL(Alagappan). 

Ramanathan 

School of Environmental Sciences 

Jawaharlal Nehru University 

New Delhi 

Dr. Patrick Wagnon 

Laboratoire de Glaciologie et 

Géophysique de l’Evironement 

IRD – UR 032 Great Ice 

St Martin d’Hères 

Total accumulation on Chhota Shigri glacier, May 2010 

Total accumulation on part B of Chhota Shigri glacier, May 2010 


MASS, ENERGY AND HYDROLOGICAL BALANCES OF 

CHHOTA SHIGRI GLACIER (HP) 



Duration: Three years and four months(July, 2008 to October, 

2011) 

Objectives 

Mountain glaciers are widely recognised to be sensitive climatic 

2 

indicators {IPCC 2001). With 115000km of glacierized area, 

the Hindu Kush-Himalaya(HKH) region is the largest mountain 

range on Earth. However, since HKH glaciers have never been 

monitored on a long term scale, almost nothing is known about 

recent glacier trends, glacier contribution to local and regional 

water supply, event of sea level rise, and natural hazards linked 

to glacier retreat. The aim of the project was: 

i) to complete the monitoring network which has been 

undertaken on Chhota Shigri glacier in 2002(Lahaul and 

Spiti valley, Himachal Pradesh, India, 32º20N; 77 º30E), 

including mass balance, energy balance and hydrological 

balance 

ii) to study the relationship between climate and glaciers in 

this HKH region using measurements made on this 

benchmark glacier 

iii) to extrapolate the results obtained on Chhota Shigri 

glacier to the upper Chandra River basin (approximately 

2 

2000km ) using remote sensing tools in order to assess the 

impact of glacier shrinkage over local and regional water 

resources 


i) Mass balance measurements for the three years show 

negative balance for 2007-08 and positive for 2009-10 

and 2008-09 

ii) GPR results show the maximum thickness of the glacier 

varies upto 270m 

iii) Discharge measurements were obtained from 2009 

onwards which indicate the peak discharge occurs in end 

july and early August 

iv) AWS data has been collected 

v) Energy and hydrological balances are being processsed 

using the above 




Duration : Three years (April, 2010 to March, 2013) 

Objectives 

The objective of this project is to monitor land water storage of 

the Indian continent using space gravimetry and satellite 

altimetry data. Observations of the GRACE space gravimetry 

mission will be used to provide soil and groundwater volume 

time series over the main river basins of India since mid-2002 

at ~ 10-day interval. Altimetry data from Topex/Poseidon, 

Jason-1, ERS-2 and Envisat satellites will provide surface water 

time series since early 1993, in particular over the main Indian 

rivers as well as over man-made reservoirs. Altimetry data 

combined with visible and radar satellite imagery will allow 

determination of surface water volumes over flooded areas 

during flood season. Combination of surface water volumes 

with GRACE-based total water storage will permit 

determination of the groundwater component. The spacebased 

hydrological products will be compared to land surface 

model outputs as well as with in situ data when available. 


i) Surface water survey over the Ganges Delta from Modis 

images 

ii) Water level over the Ganges, Krishna and Godavari rivers 

from satellite altimetry 

iii) Water storage variation estimation from satellite gravimetry 

(GRACE satellite) over the Ganges, Krishna Indus, Brahma 

and Godavari rivers basins 

iv) Water level fluctuations in the wells in Ganga and Krishna 

basins are compiled for comparisons with GRACE derived 

data 

v) Compilations of river gauge data in Krishna and Godavari 

basins over the period of 1993 to 2010 for the comparisons 

with satellite altimetry data 




HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES FROM 

SPACEOVER THE INDIAN CONTINENT 



Dr. V.M. Tiwari 

Gravity Group 

National Geophysical 

Research Institute 

Hyderabad 

Dr. Jean François Cretaux 

Laboratoire d'Etudes en 

Géophysique et Océanographie 

Spatiales, LEGOS-CNES 

Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées 

Toulouse 

85

86 

Other Priority Areas : Biotechnology 

Dr. Pramod P. Wangikar 

Department of Chemical Engineering 


Mumbai 

Dr. Alfonso Jaramillo 

SYNTH-BIO Group 

Institute of Systems and 

Synthetic Biology 

Evry 

Project 3800-B1 

SYNTHETIC BIOLOGY OF CYANOBACTERIA FOR SOLAR 

ETHANOL 




Objectives 

i) To design genetic and metabolic devices to produce 

ethanol: over-express the heterologous pdc and adh 

genes from yeast or Z. mobilis in the model 

Cyanobacterium Synechocystis: optimize the codon bias 

ii) To optimize the metabolic network of cyanobacteria to 

maximize ethanol production by using the tools of 

metabolic engineering 

iii) To increase the tolerance of Synechocystis to ethanol by 

engineering oxidative stress tolerant enzymes 

iv) to experimentally characterize the genetic parts and 

devices and contribute to the international registry of parts 

v) Implement and experimentally validate the ethanol 

producing cyanobacterial prototype via molecular biology 

tools 

vi) To carry out process engineering, optimization and 

monitoring of the cyanobacteria based ethanol 

production process 


i) A Flux Balance Analysis (FBA) model consisting of 885 

metabolic reactions and 854 metabolites was simulated. 

FBA simulations were done for the autotrophic and dark 

heterotrophic metabolic mode 

ii) FBA simulations on an ethanol producing Synechocystis 

mutant 

iii) Single and double gene deletion FBA simulations on the 

ethanol producing Synechocystis mutant 

iv) MOMA simulation on the ethanol producing Synechocystis 

mutant 

v) Single and double gene deletion MOMA simulations on the 

ethanol producing Synechocystis mutant. 




Duration: Three years and three months (December, 2008 to 


Objectives 

i) System Architecture of Wireless Integrated Network Using 

Passive SAW Sensor 

ii) Randomized rf interrogation of passive SAW sensors and 

its position identification and signal detection based on 

orthogonal coding and matched filtering operation 

iii) Design and development of transceiver at ISM band 

iv) Design and technological issues on development of a 

sensor performing the function of identification and 

sensing 

v) Miniaturized high gain interface antenna 

vi) Transmission of data on a secured link for accessibility to 

the user even on the move 

vi) Characterisation of wave propagation in fluids having 

different pH values 


i) A transceiver, set of gas sensing SAW devices, and a SAW 

sensor designed by IIT Delhi and fabricated by the 

collaborating laboratory in France has been delivered to IIT 

Delhi for further studies and system integration for wireless 

network sensing application 

ii) A tilt sensor for use in the vitro-retinal surgery has been 

designed fabricated and tested. The detail analysis and 

integration with the system is in progress 

iii) A membrane type double cavity vacuum sealed 

piezoresistive absolute pressure micro sensor has been 

developed for measuring the pulse rate 

iv) A statistical model has been developed for quantifying the 

deviations of the pathological parameters of the patient in a 

wireless sensor network scenario 



Project 3900-IT-1 

WIRELESS NETWORK SENSORS USING SAW DEVICES 

Measured impulse response of a 13 bit Barker Code realized using SAW 

Devices 


Other Priority Areas : Technology for Information and Communication 

Dr. B. S. Panwar 

Centre for Applied Research in 

Electronics 


New Delhi 

Dr. Sylvain Ballandras 

DR2/CNRS-FEMTO-ST 

UMR CNRS 6174 

Besançon 

Impulse response to be implemented on the receiver for 

performing the correlation 

87

88 


Prof.Anurag Kumar 


Bangalore 

Dr.Eitan Altman 

INRIA sophia Antipolis 

Sophia-Antipolis 


EMERGING STRATEGIES FOR WIRELESS COMMUNICATION 

NETWORKS 



Duration: Three years (November, 2009 to October, 2012) ) 

Objectives 

The project aim is on dynamic spectrum sharing for wireless access 

networks. The other area will be on multi-hop wireless networks (or the 

so-called ad hoc networks), as yet an emerging area, but with 

tremendous potential in the areas of community networks, disaster 

management, dense wireless sensor networks, and security applications. 

In particular, topics such as cooperative communication, network coding, 

distributed dynamic packet scheduling, and also accurate engineering 

models of mesh random access networks have been identified. The use 

of non-cooperative and cooperative game models, stochastic 

evolutionary games for resource sharing in wireless ad-hoc networks will 

be explored. It is proposed to use continuum limit models to study 

problems such as optimal routing in dense wireless networks. Another 

area of interest is that of Underwater Acoustic Sensor Networks (UASNs). 


i) Geographical forwarding in dense sensor networks in which nodes 

are sleep-wake cycling: Based on Markov decision processes (fully 

observed and partially observed), developed optimal forwarding 

strategies that tradeoff the forwarding delay at each hop with the 

geographical progress made 

ii) Optimal operation of cellular systems: Formulated the problem of 

the association of mobiles to base-stations, and the placement of 

base-stations, as spatial SINR games. The formulation includes 

various decoding techniques. In this setting, studied cooperative and 

competitive equilibria arose 

iii) Optimal forwarding in delay tolerant networks (DTN): Formulated 

and solved problems of optimal forwarding in a DTN where a 

message has to be sent to one or several destinations. In the single 

destination, two-hop forwarding setting, the partial information case 

has been considered and in the multi-destination, epidemic 

forwarding setting, was considered the complete information case. In 

the epidemic forwarding setting, a fluid limit of the completely 

observed controlled Markov process yields a fluid limit, which 

provides a simple open-loop control policy 

iv) Opportunistic scheduling in the presence of noncooperative 

mobiles: Dynamic scheduling in cellular networks that has to be 

made by a base station so as to fair share the resources, based on the 

current channel gains signaled by the mobiles was studied. Mobiles 

can be noncooperative in the sense that they may send erroneous 

signals to improve their own utilities. This non cooperative scheduling 

problem by using a signaling game and derived the structure of 

equilibria policies was formulated 

v) Sensor networks served by a message ferry: The novel concept of 

Ferry based Wireless Local Area Network (FWLAN) has been studied, 

in which a number of isolated nodes are scattered over some area 

and where communication between a node and the outer world, or 

communication between the nodes, are made possible via a 

message ferry. The performance of the FWLAN as a function of the 

trajectories of the Ferry was optimized and studied 






Objectives 

i) Novel designs that account for the physics of the DG- 

MOSFET (very thin silicon film, fully-depleted body; 

particular gm-ID, rout, and various capacitance 

variations, etc.) 

ii) Novel circuit designs for very-low-voltage operation (to 

obtain good signal-to-noise margins, and large input and 

output swings) 

iii) Novel SRAM circuit architectures that benefit of the double 

gates to improve both the stability and writeability in ultra 

low voltage 

iv) Novel circuit designs for ultra low power operation 

(subthreshold conduction in DG-MOSFETs, novel 

adaptive-bias, or high slew-rate, architectures, and other 

novel power saving architectures). 


i) The following novel circuits have been designed with 

double-gate MOSFETs: 

• A 110 MHz rail-to-rail opamp architecture 

• A 0.7-V rail-to-rail voltage buffer 

• A low-power adder circuit 

• A capacitor-based carry-generation circuit for binary 

adders 





ROBUST ULTRA-LOW-POWER DOUBLE-GATE MOSFET DESIGN OF 

ANALOG, DIGITAL AND SRAM MEMORY CIRCUITS 

Prof. Chetan D. Parikh 

Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of 

Information and Communication 

Technology 

Gandhinagar 

Prof. Amara Amara 

Institut Supérieur d’Electronique de Paris 

Paris 

89

90 


Dr. Sivaji Bandyopadhyay 

Jadavpur University 

Kolkata 

Dr. Patrick Saint Dizier 

CNRS- Institut de Recherche en 

Informatique de Toulouse 

Toulouse 


AN ADVANCED PLATFORM FOR QUESTION-ANSWERING SYSTEMS 




Objectives 

The objective of the project is to create a question-answering 

platform, parameterized so that it can be customized to a 

variety of domains. This platform is built on top of search 

engines, allowing users to ask questions in their language and 

get a response in that same language. The collaborators will 

concentrate on: 

• Querying - for procedural, causal, comparative and 

evaluative questions 

• Responding cooperatively and intelligently - to develop 

data fusion and basic text integration; techniques, 

summarization techniques to provide a synthetic answer 

and investigate the use of navigation tools so that users 

can navigate in documents 

• Multilingual aspects - to reuse or adapt existing resources 

for handling the multilingual aspects 

• Applications, implementation and testing - to develop a 

prototype system in tourism and agriculture (e.g. rice 

farming) 


i) Prototype development of a Procedural QA system 

(Cooking Recipe domain) 

ii) Prototype development of a Comparative and Evaluative 

QA system (Tourism domain) 

iii) Work on Multi document summarization leading to 

research publications 

iv) Participation in ResPubliQA Evaluation track at CLEF 

2010(1st rank in Answer Extraction) 



Poster presentations: 1




Objectives 



i) Development of Compact Models for the Electrostatics of 

Asymmetric DG Transistors 

a) Explicit modeling of body potential as a function of Gate 

Voltage 

b) Modeling of threshold voltage, short channel effect, 

drain induced barrier lowering and sub-threshold slope 

c) Modeling of inversion charge 

d) Modeling of energy quantization effects 

ii) Development of Compact Models for the Electrodynamics 

of Asymmetric DG Transistors 

a) Closed form drain current model 

b) Modeling of large signal parameters 

c) Modeling of small signal parameters 


i) The focus was on Terminal charge modeling and charge 

linearization as it is probably the most important 

component of a compact model. So far only two charge 

models have been proposed which uses two different types 

of charge linearization technique. A comparison has been 

made between the two charge models 

ii) It is found that the model proposed by PSP group have the 

advantage of having source/drain symmetry (a absolute 

requirement for some RF circuit design) however it often 

leads to discontinuity in transcapacitance profile and shows 

wrong trend when the potential profile of the one side of the 

channel is Trigonometric in nature and other side is 

Hyperbolic in nature. The second model is more accurate 

than PSP model, and devoid of any discontinuity in 

transcapacitance characteristics. However it lacks the 

source/drain symmetry 

iii) One improved charge model being developed, which 

would be accurate for all operating region and at the same 

time should be able to preserve the source/drain symmetry. 



COMPACT MODELING OF ASYMMETRIC DOUBLE 

GATE NANO SCALE TRANSISTORS 

Prof. Santanu Mahapatra 

CEDT, Indian Institute of Science 

Bangalore 

Prof. Costin Anghel 

Institut Superieur d'Electronique de Paris 

Paris 

91

92 

INSERM 

8 

Chart No. 3b 



Organisation-wise distribution of the projects: 2010-2011 

FRANCE 

CNRS 

10 

INRIA 

1 

Others 

9 

Grandes Ecole 

8 

Chart No. 3a 

Organisation-wise distribution of the projects: 2010-2011 

INDIA 

DAE 

13 

CSIR 

11 

DBT 

2 

Other Organisations 

8 

DST 

5 

Institut Pasteur 

1 

IRD 

1 

Universities 

10 

Total Number of Projects: 82 

IITs 

20 

CNRS associated Labs 

18 

Universities 

26 

IISc 

13



Organisation-wise break up of the projects 

Under implementation during 2010-2011 

Total No. of Projects: 82 

INDIA 

Organisation No. of 

Projects 

IISc (13) 

• Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 13 

IITs (20) 

• Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai 7 

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur 7 

• Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai 3 

• Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 1 

• Indian Institute of Technology, New Delhi 2 

Universities (10) 

• Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi 2 

• Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar 1 

• Osmania University, Hyderabad 1 

• Jadavpur University, Kolkata 1 

• Punjab University, Chandigarh 1 

• Bharathidasan University, Tiruchirappalli 

1 

• Ramakrishna Mission Vivekananda University, Howrah, West Bengal 1 

• University of Mysore, Mysore 1 

• University of Calcutta, Kolkata 1 

Council of Scientific and Industrial Research(CSIR) Laboratories (11) 

• Centre for Cellular & Molecular Biology, Hyderabad 1 

• Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad 2 

• National Chemical Laboratory, Pune 3 

• National Geophysical Research Institute, Hyderabad 2 

• National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science & Technology, Thiruvananthapuram 1 

• Central Electrochemical Research Institute, Karaikudi 1 

• Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow 1 

Department of Science and Technology (DST) Institutions (5) 

• Jawaharlal Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore 2 

• International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and 

New Materials, Hyderabad 1 

• Bose Institute, Kolkata 1 

• Indian Association for the Cultivation of Sciences, Kolkata 1 

Department of Biotechnology (DBT) Institutions (2) 

• National Institute of Immunology, New Delhi 1 

• National Institute for Plant Genome Research, New Delhi 1 


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94 




Projects 

Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Institutions (13) 

• Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics, Kolkata 2 

• Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar 1 

• Advanced Centre for Treatment, Research and Education in Cancer, 

Tata Memorial Centre, Navi Mumbai 1 

• Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore 1 

• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai 1 

• Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Mumbai 5 

• TIFR Centre for Applicable Mathematics, Bangalore 1 

• National Centre for Biological Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore 1 

Other Organisations (8) 

• Physical Research Laboratory, Ahmedabad 1 

• The Energy and Resource Institute, New Delhi 1 

• Centre for Earth Science Studies, Thiruvananthapuram 1 

• Udaipur Solar Observatory, Udaipur 1 

• Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune 1 

• Dhirubhai Ambani Institute of Information and Communication Technology, 

Gandhinagar 1 

• Inter University Centre for Astronomy and Astrophysics, Pune 1 

• Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune 1



Organisation-wise break up of the projects 

Under implementation during 2010-2011 

Total No. of Projects: 82 

FRANCE 


Projects 

Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale(INSERM) (8) 

• Jean-Pierre Aubert Research Centre, INSERM Unité 837, Lille 1 

• Laboratoire de Pharmacologie Expérimentale et Clinique, INSERM Unité 716, Paris 1 

• Centre d’Immunologie et de Biologie Parasitaire, INSERM U 547, Lille 1 

• Hôpital Robert Debré(AP-HP), INSERM U 676, Paris 1 

• Equipe »Analyse Genetique de l’Enveloppe Mycobacterienne »INSERM U570, Paris 1 

• INSERM UMR-S 665, Université Paris Diderot – Paris 7 1 

• UMR S 872 INSERM – UPMC-Université Paris Descartes, Paris 1 

• INSERM U 710, Université Montpellier II, Montpellier 1 

Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) (1) 

• INRIA Sophia Antipolis 1 

Universities (26) 

• Université des Sciences et Technologies de Lille, Villeneuve d’Ascq 2 

• Université Montpellier II, Montpellier 2 

• Université de Paris – Sud, Orsay 2 

• Université de Rennes 1, Rennes 5 

• Université Paris 6 Pierre et Marie Curie, Paris 2 

• Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Amiens 1 

• Université Joseph Fourier, Grenoble 1 

• Université Paul Sabatier, Toulouse 3 

• Université Paul Verlaine, Metz 1 

• Université de Rouen, St. Etienne du Rouvray 1 

• Université de Tours, Tours 1 

• Université Bordeaux I, Talence 1 

• Université de Grenoble, Grenoble 2 

• Université Blaise Pascal, Aubiere 1 

• Université de Poitiers, Poitiers 1 

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) Laboratories (10) 

• Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris, Paris 2 

• Observatoire de Paris, LESIA, Meudon 1 

• Institut de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, UPR 9021, Strasbourg 1 

• Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris, Paris 1 

• Institut de Chimie de la Matière Condonsée de Bordeaux, 

UPR CNRS 9048, Université Bordeaux 1, Pessac 2 

• Institut Charles Sadron, CNRS UPR 22, Strasbourg 1 

• Laboratoire Aimé Cotton, Orsay 1 

• Institut NEEL, CNRS/UJF, Grenoble 1 


95

96 




Projects 

CNRS Associated Laboratories (UA CNRS) (18) 

• Institut de Biologie Structurale Jean-Pierre Ebel, Grenoble 1 

• Laboratoire, des Signaux et Systémes, SUPELEC, Gif-Sur-Yvette 1 

• Laboratoire FEMTO-ST, LPMO, Besançon 1 

• Muséum National d’Histoire Naturelle UMR 5202 CNRS, Paris 1 

• Laboratoire Matériaux et Phénomènes Quantiques, CNRS-UMR 7162, Paris 1 

• Laboratoire SIMAP, UMR CNRS 5266, St. Martin d’Heres 1 

• BIOCIS – Molecules Fluorees UMR 8076, CNRS, Faculté de Pharmacie de 

Chatenay- Malabry, Chatenay- Malabry 1 

• Domaine Scientifique de La Doua, UMR CNRS, Université Claude Bernard Lyon1, 

Villeurbanne 2 

• Laboratoire de Chimie Bioorganique, UMR 7175 CNRS 

Université Louis Pasteur, Illkirch 1 

• Institut Curie, Paris 1 

• Laboratoire CRISMAT-ISMRA, Caen 1 

• Centre de Recherches sur les tres Basses temperatures, Grenoble 1 

• Institut de Chimie des Surfaces et Interfaces, CNRS UPR 9069, Mulhouse 1 

• Universite d’Evry Val d’Essonne-Genopole®-CNRS UPS3201, Evry 1 

• Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique, UMR 8539-CNRS/UPMC, Paris 1 

• Institut de Recherche en Informatique du Toulouse, UMR 5505 CNRS, Toulouse 1 

• Laboratoire de Physico-Chimie des Polymères et des Milieux Dispersés, 

UMR 7615, UPMC-CNRS, ESPCI, Paris 1 

Grandes Ecoles (8) 

• Ecole Supérieure de Physique et de Chimie, Paris 1 

• Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne, St. Etienne 1 

• Ecole Normale Supérieure de Lyon, Lyon 1 

• Ecole Polytechnique, Palaiseau 2 

• Ecole des Mines de Nantes, Nantes 1 

• Ecole Nationale Supérieure de Chimie de Paris, Paris 1 

• Ecole Centrale de Lyon, Ecully 1 

Institut de Recherche pour le Développement(IRD) (1) 

• Laboratoire de Glaciologie et Géophysique de 

l’Environnement, IRD, St. Martin d’Hères 1 

Institut Pasteur, Paris (1) 

• Institut Pasteur, Paris 1




Projects 

Others (9) 

• Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS), Strasbourg 1 

• Laboratoire GEMPPM, Villeurbanne 1 

• Ecophysiologie et Génomique Fonctionnelle de la Vigne, UMR INRA 1287, 

Villenave d’Ornon 1 

• Laboratoire de Mathématiques de l’Université de St. Etienne, Saint-Etienne 1 

• Institut de Physique Théorique, CEA, Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette cedex 1 

• Observatoire Midi-Pyrénées, Toulouse 1 

• Institut Supérieure d’Electronique de Paris, Paris 2 

• Centre de Thermique de Lyon, INSA-Lyon, Villeurbanne 1 


97

98 



Geographic distribution of projects implemented 

during the year (In India) 

(Total: 82) 

Gandhinagar (1) 

New Delhi (7) 

Udaipur (1) 

Ahmedabad (1) 

Mumbai (14) 

Pune (6) 

Thiruvananthapurm (2) 

Amritsar (1) 

Chandigarh (1) 

Indore (1) 

Bangalore (17) 

Mysore (1) 

Hyderabad (7) 

Lucknow (1) 

Kanpur (7) 

Chennai (3) 

Tiruchirappalli (1) 

Karaikudi (1) 

Chart No. 3 

Kolkata (6) 

Kharagpur (1) Howrah (1) 

Bhubaneswar (1)



Geographic distribution of projects implemented 

during the year (In France) 

(Total: 82) 

Rennes (5) 

Nantes (1) 

Caen (1) 

Bordeaux (4) 

Chart No. 4 

Tours (1) 

Rouen (1) 

Poitiers (1) 

Amiens (1) 

Toulouse (5) 

Paris (30) 

Lille (4) 

Clermont Ferrand (1) 


Lyon (8) 

Montpellier (3) 

Metz (1) 

Besancon (1) 

Grenoble (8) 

Mulhouse (1) 

Strasbourg (4) 

Sophia-Antipolis (1) 

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Industrial Research 



Industrial Research activities form an important component of support from IFCPAR. The possibilities 

for collaboration include: 

i) Indian industry interested in a specific technology and willing to collaborate with French & 

Indian research institution to develop the technology; 

ii) French industry interested in collaboration with Indian industry and French institution for 

development of a specific technology; 

iii) Indian/French industry, collaborating with Indian/French institutions for translating the R&D 

lead from the institution to a commercialisable product/process; 

iv) French/Indian industry which has already developed the generic technology transferring the 

technology to a user industry (French/Indian) for a specific application. 

The Centre has made special efforts for promotion of industrial research through the Industrial 

Research Committee. Over the past nine years, since its inception, 17 Projects have been approved, 

8 Projects have been completed and 1 Project is ongoing. Two Projects have been shifted to industry 

for further development. Two patents have been generated. 

Industrial Research Projects 

Industrial Research Projects in various stages of implementation are listed in Table 3 and 4 as given 

below: 

Table: 3 Projects where focus has been shifted to industry: 

S. No. Project Code Project Title 

1 7106-Ionic Liquids Manufacture of Prostaglandins using Ionic liquids 

2. 7105-Paracetamol An eco-friendly process for p-aminophenol by a novel 

bifunctional catalyst 

Table: 4 Ongoing Projects 

S. No. Project Code Project Title 

1. 7109- Anaerobic Optimisation of an Anaerobic Fixed 

bed Reactor



Workshops/Seminars 

Over the past twenty three years, 94 Workshops/Seminars have been held with support from 

IFCPAR. The Seminars/Workshops are held in areas of high priority of mutual interest to both 

countries with a mandate for 

• Exchange of information/knowledge/expertise in the area 

• Identification of areas for collaboration, institutions which can collaborate and experts who 

can submit joint proposals 

• Development of at least 1-2 joint projects in the area 

The seminars/workshops held during the year are: 

i) “Indoor Air Quality: Monitoring, Prediction, Exposure, Assessment and Cleaning” 

(May 31 to June 2, 2010, Nantes, France) 

Prof. Mukesh Khare of Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi, and Dr. Valerie Hequet of Ecole de 

Nantes, France were the coordinators of the seminar. 

The seminar consisted of several thematic sessions, one plenary session, round-table discussions, 

poster & networking sessions, laboratory and industrial site visits. Over 25 scientific communications 

related to 4 thematic sessions and 7 general communications were in plenary sessions. 9 Indian and 

26 French scientists participated in the seminar. 

The topics included i) Sampling, Analysis and Instrumentation, ii) Exposure Assessment, iii) Indoor 

Air Quality Modelling and iv) Air Cleaning Technologies. 

ii) “ Soft Interfaces: Self-Organisation, Functionalities and Applications “ 

(July 7 - 9, 2010, Paris, France) 

Prof. Ashutosh sharma, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur and Prof. G.U. Kulkarni Jawaharlal 

Nehru Centre for Advanced Scientific Research, Bangalore were the Coordinators from the Indian 

side and Dr. Costantino Creton and Dr. David Quéré of Ecole Superieure de Physique et de Chimie 

Industrielles (ESPCI), Paris were the coordinators of the seminar. 

The meeting was held at the Ecole Superiéure de Physique et de Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) in Paris. 

The sessions included bio-interfaces, bio-sensing, bio-inspired molecular devices, stress 

fluctuations in relation to sense of touch, mechanism of movements in insect trapping plants and 

collective behaviour of living cells . 

There were 12 Indian participants from various Institutions in India and 14 French participants. 

iii) “Secure Electronic Communications and Transactions” 

(July 21-24, 2010, Jaipur, India) 

Dr. Sundeep Oberoi, Tata Consultancy Services, Mumbai and Dr. Jean-Pierre Tual of Virginie 

GEMALTO, Meudon, France were the coordinators of the seminar. 

The topics for the seminar included i) e-banking and internet-based value transaction systems, ii) 

Card based payment systems, iii) Mobile and NFC based transaction systems, iv) Government 

programmes and large e-ID deployment experiences and v) Security and Privacy: legal and 

regulatory framework. 


101

102 

17 Indian and 10 French scientists participated in the seminar. 



iv) “Host Pathogen Interactions in Respiratory Infectious Disease (HOPE IN RED)” 

(October 11-13, 2010, Bangalore, India) 

Dr. K.N. Balaji, Department of Microbiology and Cell Biology, Indian Institute of Science, 

Bangalore, and Prof. Jean Paul Latge, Institut Pasteur, Paris, were the coordinators of the seminar. 

The objective of the seminar was to explore the recent advances in the field of host-pathogen 

interactions in a certain number of respiratory infectious diseases and to foster discussions among 

scientists with complementary approaches towards a common objective of better understanding the 

host-pathogen interactions in respiratory infections. 

The topics covered were, fungal, bacterial and viral pathogens; host defence mechanisms against 

pathogens; role of immune system in combating various pathogens, development of novel 

therapeutics against intra and extra cellular pathogens, biomarkers, epigenetic approaches etc. 

17 Indian and 12 French scientists participated in the seminar.



v) “Deep Earth Processes - Interactions between Solid, Fluid Earth and Environment” 

(February 3-5, 2011, Chennai, India) 

Dr. Shakeel Ahmed and Dr. Anil Kumar of National Geophysical Research, Hyderabad, and Prof. 

Jean Besse and Prof. Jean Paul Montagner of Institute de Physique du Globe, Paris were the 

coordinators of the seminar. 

The seminar topics covered i) deep earth and plants, ii) Environment – Natural reservoirs and iii) 

Hazards and tectonics. 

The presentations were on understanding tectonic status; basins & ocean ridges; seismic anisotropy; 

paleomagnetic investigations; CO sequestration; seismic mapping; seismic hazard assessment; 

2 

water resources and management and aquifer modelling. 


vi) “Matrix Information Geometries” (February 23-25, 2011, Paris, France) 

Dr. Amit Kumar Mishra, of Indian Institute of Technology Guwahati, India and Prof. F.Nielson, Ecole 

Polytechnique, Thales, France, were the coordinators of the seminar. 

Matrix and tensor data processing is a breakthrough in the domain of signal, image and 

information processing with many potential applications in sensor and cognitive systems 

engineering. The participants were experts in the areas of theoretical mathematics or engineering 

sciences. 

The topics covered were i) Information geometry ii) Differential geometry of structured Matrix iii) 

Positive definite matrix iv) Covariance matrix v) Application for sensors (EM, EO, Acoustic..) and vi) 

Applications for cognitive systems (Data Mining, Data analysis, .....). 


vii) “Self assembled hybrid systems: Advanced materials for the future” (March 2-4, 

2011, Thiruvananthapuram, India) 

Dr. A Ajayaghosh, Scientist Head- Chemical Sciences and Technology Division, National Institute for 

Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, Trivandrum, India and Prof. Jean Michel Guenet, Director 

of Research, Institut Charles Sadron CNRS, Strasbourg, France, were the coordinators of the 

seminar. 


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The use of hybrid systems involving self-assembled systems with covalent polymers but also with 

other types of molecules such as carbon nanotubes, clays, were discussed. The future of these hybrid 

materials as potential applications was also discussed. 


viii) “Molecular probes and biomarkers for Cancer Diagnosis and Management” 

(March 21 & 22, 2011, Hyderabad, India) 

Dr.Rama Mukherjee, Managing Director, ARA Healthcare Pvt.Ltd., Gurgaon, India and Dr.Franck 

Molina of SysDiag, Biological Complex System Modelling and Engineering for Diagnosis, 

Montpellier, France, were the Indian and French coordinators. 

The presentations were on Biomarkers for glioblastoma multiforme; Nanomaterials as in vivo 

sensors; Numerical biomarkers in medical imaging: promises and challenges; Biomarkers for oral 

cancer: Tissue and immunoproteomics and a data base; Cloning & expression of single chain 

antibodies against granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GMCSF). 

8 Indian and 6 French scientists participated in the seminar.


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