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Abhigyan Som
Post-Doctoral Researcher

 

Degree Information: Ph.D., Organic Chemistry, University of Geneva, Switzerland, 2004 M.S., Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, India, 1999 B.S., Chemistry, Presidency College, Kolkata, India, 1997 Mailing Address: Department of Polymer Science and Engineering Room A622, Conte Research Center University of Massachusetts Amherst 120 Governors Drive Amherst, MA 01003 Phone: 413-577-1633 Email: som_at_polysci.umass.edu Fax: 413-545-0082

 

Click here for my C.V.

Honors and Awards:

• Cover picture: Biopolymers (Peptide Science) 2008, 90 (2).
• Cover picture:  Advanced. Functional Materials 2006, 16 (2).
• Cover picture:  Tetrahedron 2004, 60 (31).
• Most cited paper 2003-2006 award:  Tetrahedron 2004, 60, 6405-6435.
• Best poster award:  Swiss Chemical Society October 17, 2002, Basel, Switzerland.
• Qualified GATE 1999 in Chemistry with 99.28 percentile (All India rank 12th).

Publications:

• Som, A.; Reuter, A.; Tew, G. N. Protein Transduction Domain Mimics: The Role of Aromatic Functionality. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2012, 51, 980-983.
• Som, A.; Xu, Y.; Scott, R. W.; Tew, G. N. Anion Mediated Activation of Guanidine Rich Small Molecules. Org. Biomol. Chem. 2012, 10, 40-42.
• Som, A.; Tezgel, A. O.; Gabriel, G. J.; Tew, G. N. Self-Activation in De Novo Designed Mimics of Cell Penetrating Peptides. Angew. Chem., Int. Ed. 2011, 50, 6147-6150.
• Hu, W.; Som, A.; Tew, G. N. Interaction between Lipids and Antimicrobial Oligomers Studied by Solid-State NMR. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2011, 115, 8474-8480.
• Som, A.; Yang, L.; Wong, G. C. L.; Tew, G. N. Divalent Metal Ion Triggered Activity of a Synthetic Antimicrobial in Cardiolipin Membranes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2009, 131, 15102-15103.
• Som, A.; Choi, Y.; Tew, G. N. Monovalent Salt Effects on the Membrane Activity of Antimicrobial Polymers. Macromol. Symp. 2009, 283–284, 319–325.
• Avery, C. W.; Som, A.; Xu, Y.; Tew, G. N.; Chen, Z. Dependence of Antimicrobial Selectivity and Potency on Oligomer Structure Investigated Using Substrate Supported Lipid Bilayers and Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy. Analytical Chemistry 2009, 81, 8365-8372.
• Lienkamp, K.; Kumar, K. N.; Som, A.; Nüsslein, K.; Tew, G. N. “Doubly Selective” Antimicrobial Polymers: How do They Differentiate between Bacteria? Chem. Eur. J. 2009,15, 11710-11714.
• Chen, J.; Hessler, J. A.; Putchakayala, K.; Panama, B. K.; Khan, D. P.; Hong, S.; Mullen, D. G.; DiMaggio, S. C.; Som, A.; Tew, G. N.; Lopatin, A. N.; Baker, Jr. J. R.; Holl, M. M. B.; and Orr, B. G. Cationic Nanoparticles Induce Nanoscale Disruption in Living Cell Plasma Membranes. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2009, 113, 11179-11185.
• Som, A.; Vemparala, S.; Ivanov, I.; Tew, G. N. Synthetic Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides. Biopolymers (Peptide Science) 2008, 90, 83-93.
• Som, A.; Tew, G. N. Influence of Lipid Composition on Membrane Activity of Antimicrobial Phenylene Ethynylene Oligomers. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2008, 112, 3495-3502.
• Yang, L.; Gordon, V. D.; Trinkle, D. R.; Schmidt, N. W.; Davis, M. A.; DeVries, C.; Som, A.; Cronan, J. E.; Tew, G. N.; Wong, G. C. L. Mechanism of a Prototypical Synthetic Membrane-Active Antimicrobial: Efficient Hole Punching via Interaction with Negative Intrinsic Curvature Lipids. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 2008, 105, 20595–20600.
• Gabriel, G. J.; Pool, J. G.; Som, A.; Dabkowski, J. M.; Coughlin, B. E.; Muthukumar, M.; Tew, G. N. Interactions between Antimicrobial Polynorbornenes and Phospholipid Vesicles Monitored by Light Scattering and Microcalorimetry. Langmuir 2008, 24, 12489–12495.
• AL-Badri, Z. M.; Som, A.; Lyon, S.; Nelson, C. F.; Nüsslein, K.; Tew, G. N. Investigating the Effect of Increasing Charge Density on the Hemolytic Activity of Synthetic Antimicrobial Polymers. Biomacromolecules 2008, 9, 2805-2810.
• Eren, T.; Som, A.; Rennie, J.; Nelson, C. F.; Urgina, Y.; Tew, G. N.; Coughlin, B. E. Synthesis of Quaternary Pyridinium Polymers Based on Norbornene Derivatives. Macromol. Chem. Phys. 2008, 209, 516-524.
• Yang, L.; Gordon, V. D.; Mishra, A.; Som, A.; Purdy, K.; Davis, M. A.; Tew, G. N.; Wong, G. C. L. Synthetic Antimicrobial Oligomers Induce Composition Dependent Topological Transition in Membranes. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2007, 129, 12141-12147.
• Gabriel, G. J.; Som, A.; Madkour, A. E.; Eren, T.; Tew, G. N. Infectious Disease: Connecting Innate Immunity to Biocidal Polymers. Mater. Sci. Eng. R. 2007, 57, 28-64.
• Baudry, Y.; Bollot, G.; Gorteau, V.; Litvinchuk, S.; Mareda, J.; Nishihara, M.; Pasini, D.; Perret, F.; Ronan, D.; Shah, R. M.; Sakai, N.; Som, A.; Sordé, N.; Talukdar, P.; Tran, D. H.; Matile, S. Molecular Recognition by Synthetic Multifunctional Pores in Practice: Are Structural Studies Really Helpful? Adv. Funct. Mater. 2006, 16, 169-179. (cover picture)
  Abhigyan Som, Ph.D.
• Som, A.; Matile, S. Contribution of Lipid Bilayer Hosts to Structure and Activity of Multifunctional Supramolecular Guests. Chem. Biodiv. 2005, 2, 717-729.
• Litvinchuk, S.; Bollot, G.; Mareda, J.; Som, A.; Ronan, D.; Shah, R. M.; Perrottet, P.; Sakai, N.; Matile, S. On Thermodynamic and Kinetic Stability of Synthetic Multifunctional Rigid Rod -Barrel Pores: Evidence for Supramolecular Catalysis. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2004, 126, 10067-10075.
• Matile, S.; Som, A.; Sordé, N. Recent Synthetic Ion Channels and Pores. Tetrahedron 2004, 60, 6405-6435. (cover picture) recipient of the most cited paper 2003-2006 award.
• Som, A.; Talukdar, P.; Baumeister, B.; Matile, S. Catalytic Rigid-Rod -Barrels with Hydrazide Cofactors to Convert Poor Substrates as Hydrazone Conjugates. Chimia 2003, 57, 208-209.
• Som, A.; Sakai, N.; Matile, S. Complementary Characteristics of Homologous p-Octiphenyl -Barrels with Ion Channel and Esterase Activity. Bioorg. Med. Chem. 2003, 11, 1363-1369.
• Som, A.; Matile, S. Rigid-Rod -Barrel Ion Channels with Internal “Cascade Blue” Cofactors – Catalysis of Amide, Carbonate, and Ester Hydrolysis. Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2002, 3874-3883.
• Baumeister, B.; Som, A.; Das, G.; Vilbois, F.; Gerard, D.; Shahi, S. P.; Matile, S. On the Importance of Intermediate Internal Charge Repulsion for the Synthesis of Multifunctional Pores. Helv. Chim. Acta 2002, 85, 2740-2753.
• Baudry, Y.; Baumeister, B.; Das, G.; Gerard, D.; Matile, S.; Sakai, N.; Som, A.; Sordé, N.; Talukdar, P. Bioorganic Chemistry of Rigid-Rod Molecules: Adventures with p-Oligophenyls. Chimia 2002, 56, 667-671.

 Posters and Presentations:

• Synthetic Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides as Immunomodulators. Northern Immunological Mountain Society (NIMS), September 10-12, 2010, Bolton Valley, Vermont, USA.
   Synthetic Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides as Immunomodulators. PSE Annual Poster Symposium October 12, 2010, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
   Synthetic Mimics of Antimicrobial Peptides as Immunomodulators. Northern Immunological Mountain Society (NIMS), September 11-13, 2009, Bolton Valley, Vermont, USA.
   Influence of Lipid composition on Membrane Activity of Synthetic Antimicrobial Oligomers. American Chemical Society 234th National Meeting August 19-23, 2007, Boston, USA.
   Interactions of Antimicrobial Oligomers with Liposomal Membranes. PSE Annual Poster Symposium October 3-5, 2006, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
   Interactions of Homologous Amphiphilic Antibiotics with Liposomal Membranes. PSE Annual Poster Symposium October 11-13, 2005, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, USA.
   Synthetic Multifunctional Pores as Hosts, as Sensors and as Catalysts. National Research Program “Supramolecular Functional Materials” July 4, 2003, Bern, Switzerland.
   Rigid-Rod -Barrel Ion Channels with Internal “Cascade Blue” Cofactors to Catalyze Ester, Amide, and Carbonate Hydrolysis. Swiss Chemical Society October 17, 2002, Basel, Switzerland. (recipient of the best poster award)
   Rigid-Rod -Barrel Ion Channels with Internal “Cascade Blue” Cofactors to Catalyze Ester, Amide, and Carbonate Hydrolysis. "Lipids and Biomembranes: New Technologies" October 2-5, 2002, Davos, Switzerland.
   Internal Cofactors for p-Oligophenyl -Barrels with Ion Channel and Esterase Activity. Oppolzer Lectures October 5, 2001, Geneva, Switzerland.
   A Barrel-Stave Supramolecule with Ion Channel, Hydrolase, and Fibrillogenic Activity. National Research Program “Supramolecualr Functional Materials” First Progress Report Meeting October 23, 2001, Bern, Switzerland.