Areas of Interest/Specialization:

1. Small-molecule gelators and their applications:  Molecular gels are an interesting class of soft materials consisting of fibrous networked structures and a liquid component trapped and confined within these structures. Typically, gels are derived from polymers or small molecules. We are interested in the rational design and synthesis of novel small-molecule gelators and their applications. We are particularly interested in applying these gelators for visual sensing purpose.
2. Non-traditional amphiphiles and their applications:  We are also interested in the design, synthesis and self-assembly of amphiphiles with unusual structures. Monolayer behavior of these amphiphiles will be primarily studied using Langmuir and Langmuir–Blodgett techniques.

Experience:

1.  Research Experience: Institute of Molecular Medicine, New Delhi (2008-12); University of California, Los Angeles, USA (2004-08)
2. Teaching Experience: North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong (2012-present)

PhD Awarded/Supervised:

1. Mr. Wangkhem Paikhomba Singh – Ongoing (2014 batch)
2. Mr. Utpal Koch – Ongoing (2014 batch)

Academic affiliations :

1. Indian Society of Chemists and Biologists (Life Member)

Research Projects

1. Title: “Development of siRNA nano carriers using click chemistry and gene silencing studies of a cancer gene target” (DST; 2009-12; Principal Investigator).
2. Title: “Inhibiting the inhibitors of apoptosis using siRNAs: Developing apoptosis inducers as potential anticancer agents” (DBT; 2010-13; Principal Investigator).

Publications

1. Wangkhem Paikhomba Singh and Rajkumar Sunil Singh*. “Gelation-based visual detection of analytes”. Soft Materials, 2019, 17, 93–118.
2. Wangkhem Paikhomba Singh and Rajkumar Sunil Singh*. “A new class of organogelators based on triphenylmethyl derivatives of primary alcohols: Hydrophobic interactions alone can mediate gelation”. Beilstein Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2017, 13, 138–149.
3. Rajkumar Sunil Singh, Christine Goncalves, Pierre Sandrin, Chantal Pichon, Patrick Midoux* and  Arabinda Chaudhuri*. “On the gene delivery efficacies of pH-sensitive cationic lipids via endosomal Protonation: A chemical biology investigation”. Chemistry & Biology, 2004, 11, 713–23.
4. Bharat Kumar Majeti#, Rajkumar Sunil Singh#, Sudheer Kumar Yadav, Surendar Reddy Bathula, Sistla Ramakrishna, Prakash Vamanrao Diwan, Surkara Sakunthala Madhavendra and Arabinda Chaudhuri*. “Enhanced intravenous transgene expression in mouse lung using cyclic-head cationic lipids”.  Chemistry & Biology, 2004, 11, 427–37 (# equal contributing authors).
5. Rajkumar Sunil Singh and Arabinda Chaudhuri*. “Single additional methylene group   in the head-group region imparts high gene transfer efficacy to a transfection-incompetent cationic lipid”. FEBS Letters 2004, 556, 86–90.
6. Valluripalli Vinod Kumar, Rajkumar Sunil Singh and Arabinda Chaudhuri*. “Cationic transfection lipids in gene therapy: Successes, setbacks, challenges and promises”. Current Medicinal Chemistry 2003, 10, 1297–1306.
7. Rajkumar Sunil Singh, Koushik Mukherjee, Rajkumar Banerjee, Arabinda   Chaudhuri*, Samik Kumar Hait, Satya Priya Moulik, Yerramsetti Ramadas, Amash Vijayalakshmi and Nalam Madhusudhana Rao*. “Anchor dependency for non-glycerol based cationic lipofectins: Mixed bag of regular and anomalous transfection profiles”.  Chemistry – A European Journal 2002, 8, 900–908.
8. Saumitra Sengupta*, Subir Kumar Sadhukhan, Rajkumar Sunil Singh and Nilashish Pal “Synthesis of dendritic stilbenoid compounds: Heck reaction for periphery and the core”.  Tetrahedron Letters 2002, 43, 1117–1121.
9. Saumitra Sengupta*, Subir Kumar Sadhukhan and Rajkumar Sunil Singh. “A palladium catalyzed synthesis of wheel and axle hydrocarbons: Strategic use of tetraphenylmethane stoppers”.  Indian J Chem SecB 2002, 41B, 642–644.
10. Saumitra Sengupta*, Subir Kumar Sadhukhan and Rajkumar Sunil Singh. “Heck reactions of arenediazonium salts with phenyl vinyl sulfones: A new synthesis of styryl sulfones”.  Indian J Chem SecB 2001, 40B, 997–999.

Papers presented in Conferences/Seminars:

1. “Triphenylmethyl derivatives of primary alcohols as a new class of organogelators”. Wangkhem Paikhomba Singh and Rajkumar Sunil Singh, International Conference on Sophisticated Instruments in Modern Research (30th June – 1st July, 2017) jointly organized by Central Instruments Facility-IIT Guwahati, Central Instruments Facility-IASST, SAIC-Tezpur University, SAIF-Gauhati University and SAIF-NEHU.
2. “Molecular gels from triphenylmethyl derivatives of simple primary alcohols”. Rajkumar Sunil Singh, “National Conference on Recent Advances in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology” (8th-9th Sept, 2016) organized by Dept of Nanotechnology, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong-793022.
3. “Triphenylmethyl derivatives of simple primary alcohols are good organogelators”. Wangkhem Paikhomba Singh, Rajkumar Sunil Singh, National Symposium on Emerging Trends in Chemistry (ETC-2016), organized by Department of Chemistry, NEHU, Shillong during 28th-29th March, 2016.
4. “Is nuclear structure altered in breast cancer cells?” (2008, June 25-28) Han Htun, Rajkumar Sunil Singh, and Wendy J. Dixon. Era of Hope, Dept of Defence, Breast Cancer Research Program, Baltimore, MD, USA. 
5. “Direct visualization of glucocorticoid receptor and RNA polymerase II supports formation of chromatin loops in the interphase nucleus of living mammalian cells.” (2006) Han Htun, Rajkumar Sunil Singh, Wendy J. Dixon, Toni Lee, C. Lee, C. Liang, Y. K Lee. Proceedings of the 46th Annual Meeting of ASCB (American Society for Cell Biology, page 37) held at San Diego, USA, December 9-13, 2006.
6. “Endosomal protonation of pH-sensitive cationic transfection lipids may not be a crucial mechanistic event in liposomal gene delivery”. (2004) Rajkumar Sunil Singh, Christine Goncalves, Pierre Sandrin, Chantal Pichon, Patrick Midoux and  Arabinda Chaudhuri.  Proceedings of the 8th ADNAT (Association for the Promotion of DNA Fingerprinting and other DNA Technologies)  Symposium on Comparative and Functional Genomics (page 23) held at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India during February 23-24, 2004.
7. “Even one additional methylene group in the head-group region can impart high gene transfer properties to a transfection-incompetent cationic lipid”. (2004) Rajkumar Sunil Singh and  Arabinda Chaudhuri. Proceedings of the 8th ADNAT (Association for the Promotion of DNA Fingerprinting and other DNA Technologies) Symposium on Comparative and Functional Genomics (page 26) held at the Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology, Hyderabad, India during February 23-24, 2004.
8. “Anchor dependency for non-glycerol based cationic lipofectins: Mixed bag of regular and anomalous transfection profiles.” (2001) Rajkumar Sunil Singh, Koushik Mukherjee, Rajkumar Banerjee, Arabinda   Chaudhuri, Yerramsetti Ramadas, Amash Vijayalakshmi and Nalam Madhusudhana Rao. Proceedings of the 7th National Bioorganic Symposium (page 65) held at the Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, India during November 9-10, 2001.