Research Outreach

Area of Research

Solvation science: intermolecular interactions in biomolecular processes (electrolytes, co-solutes, co-solvents, cryoprotectants, macromolecules, proteins etc.) with a combination of experiments and MD simulation techniques.
Role of solvent molecules in excited state proton transfer.
Low-temperature hydrogen-bond dynamics in cryoprotectant systems.
Structural stability and hydration dynamics of proteins in crowded environments.
Temperature dependent solvent mediated interactions in cryoprotectants.
Hydrophobic hydration, low temperature H-bond dynamics, micro-heterogeneity and self-assembly of biomolecules.

Conferences Attended

2024: “9th Indian Statistical Physics Community Meeting”, 3-5th April, organized by the International Centre for Theoretical Sciences (ICTS-TIFR).

2024: “Faculty Development Program on Recent Advances in Chemistry”, 08th-13th March, organized by VIT-AP University, Amaravati, in collaboration with the American Chemical Society (ACS).

2024: “IPA-Young Physicists Meet (YPM) - South Zone”, 26th February, organized by Indian Physics Association (IPA), in association with GITAM, Vizag, India.

2024: “Aarambh 2024”, 16th February, GITAM, BLR (Poster presentation).

2023: “Energy, its generation, consumption, wastage, carbon footprint, impact on the environment” 23rd August, as a part of the “Energy Literacy Training” of the Energy Swaraj Foundation.

2023: The Catalyst Workshop, 5-7th October, GITAM University, Bengaluru, India.

2023: International Conference on Green Chemistry Solutions for Sustainable Future, GITAM University, Bengaluru, India, 20-22nd September [Oral presentation].

2023: Trends in Physical Chemistry, webinar, American Chemical Society (ACS) publications, 9th June (virtual).

2022: RESOLV retreat, Cluster of Excellence RESOLV at Bad Arolsen, Germany, 28-30th September [Poster presentation].

2022: Summer School Solvation Science, Cluster of Excellence RESOLV at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, 7-10th June.

2018: International Conference on Complex and Functional Materials (ICCFM), Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata, 13-16th December [oral & poster presentation].

2018: DPG Spring Meeting & EPS-CND27, TU Berlin, Germany, 11-16th March [Oral & poster presentation].

2017: BOSE FEST, SNBNCBS, Kolkata, February 2017 [Oral presentation].

2017: QIP Short Term Course cum Workshop on Industrial Applications of Terahertz Radiation, IIT Kharagpur, 27thMarch – 2ndApril [Oral presentation].

2016: DAE-BRNS Theme Meeting on Ultra-Fast Science (UFS), BARC, Mumbai, November 2016 [Poster presentation].

2016: Recent Advances in Molecular Spectroscopy: Fundamentals and Applications in materials and Biology (RAMS), University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, 2-4th March [Poster presentation].

2015: DAE-BRNS Theme Meeting on Ultra-Fast Science (UFS), SNBNCBS, Kolkata, November 2015 [Poster presentation].

2015: Recent Trends and Perspective in Chemistry (RTPC), NIT Sikkim, January 2015 [Poster presentation].

2015: BOSE FEST, SNBNCBS, Kolkata, February 2015 [Poster presentation].

2013: Current Trends in Biochemical & Biophysical Modelling (CTBBM), SNBNCBS, Kolkata, October 2013.

Honors & Awards

2023 – Research Assistant Professor, SRM University, Kattankulathur, Chennai (declined).
2022 - Cover Article, Chem. Phys. Lett., 2022, Volume 807. (https://www.sciencedirect.com/journal/chemical-physics-letters/vol/807/suppl/C)
2018 - Front Cover Article, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2018, Volume 122. (https://pubs.acs.org/toc/jpcbfk/122/19)
2018 - “DST SERB international travel support (ITS)” (sanction order - ITS/5157/2017-18) to attend “DPG Spring Meeting & EPS-CND27” conference at TU Berlin, Germany, 11-16th March.
2017 - Back Cover Article, Chem. Phys. Chem, 2017, Issue 7. (http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cphc.201700271/full)
2016 - Best poster presentation award, RAMS-2016 conference, University of Hyderabad, Hyderabad, India.
2014 - INSPIRE Fellowship (IF-140459), Department of Science and Technology (DST), India.
2013 - First Class First (Gold Medalist) in MSC, SNBNCBS, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.
2011 - Selected as Integrated PhD Fellow through “Bose Test” SNBNCBS, University of Calcutta, Kolkata, India.

Research seminar and lab visit

National Visit:

March 2017: I visited Prof. Dr. Sayan Bagchi, CSIR - National Chemical Laboratory (NCL), Pune, India, for one-month.

International Visit:

March 5, 2018: Prof. Dr. Hartmut G. Roskos,Physikalisches Institute, Johann Wolfgang Goethe-University, Frankfurt, Germany.

March 8, 2018: Prof. Dr. Johannes Hunger, Max Plank Institute for Polymer Research, Mainz, Germany.

March 16, 2018: Prof. Dr. Mohsen Sajadi Hezaveh, Fritz-Haber-Institute of the Max Planck Society, Berlin, Germany.

March 19, 2018: Prof. Dr. Patrick Nürnberger, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

March 21, 2018: Prof. Martin Koch, University of Marburg, Germany.

Extra-Curricular Activities

. 2024: Champion in the Staff Badminton Tournament, GITAM University, Bangalore.

. Badminton: Knockout Badminton tournament-2017 (1st position) at Katwa, Doubles & Mixed Doubles (1st position);

Singles (2nd position) in the 1st Inter-Institute Badminton tournament-2014 at SNBNCBS;

Doubles & Mixed Doubles (1st position) events in the 2nd Inter-Institute Badminton tournament-2016 at SNBNCBS;

Played badminton in VFL Bochum, Germany as a club member.

. Played badminton in VFL Bochum, Germany as a club member.

. Coordinator (2014 – 2017) of the Sports Activity Group of Muktangan, Bose Centre Recreation Club, SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.

. As the coordinator of the Sports Activity Group of Muktangan, SNBNCBS, I organized two inter-institute badminton tournaments in 2014 (for the 1st time in SNBNCBS), and in 2016. I also organized many intra-institute tournaments.

. Play musical instruments (Tabla, Cajon, Darbuka) with singers in various programs in India, Germany and USA.

. Completed Half-Marathon (ranked in 1st group) in December 2018, organized by SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.

. German language A-1 (certified by Ruhr-University Bochum, Germany).

Volunteer Experience

The Children Science Congress–2014, organized by SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.
Coordinator (2014–2017) of the Sports Activity Group of Muktangan, Bose Centre Recreation Club, SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.
DST Conclave–2017, organized by SNBNCBS, at Hyatt Regency, Kolkata, India.
Represent SNBNCBS Institute in “21st National Exhibition”, Theme - India Progressing towards a great nation, 24th–27thAugust 2017, at Agradut Krirangan, New Barrackpore, Kolkata, India.
Represent SNBNCBS Institute in “Indian International Science Festival (IISF)–2017”, 13th–16thOctober 2017, at Anna University, Chennai, India.
125th Birthday Celebration of Prof. Satyendra Nath Bose, 1st January 2018, organized by SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.
Conducted “Bose125 outreach program” in Katwa Kashiram Das Institution (K.D.I) on October 11th, 2018. I delivered an Oral Presentation.
Conducted “Bose125 outreach program” in Katwa College, University of Burdwan on November 29th, 2018. I delivered an Oral Presentation.
International Conference on Complex and Functional Materials (ICCFM-2018), organized by SNBNCBS on 13-16th December, Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata.
Conducted “1st and 2nd Inter-Institute Badminton Tournament” in 2014 and 2016 as the co-ordinator of Muktangan, SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.
Half-Marathon, 31st December,2018, organised by SNBNCBS, Kolkata, India.

Debasish Das Mahanta