Sanjay Singh

Biography

Dr. Sanjay Singh is working as an Associate Professor at the Division of Biological & Life Sciences, School of Arts & Sciences, Ahmedabad University. He obtained his MS (Biochemistry) from University of Allahabad (2004), and Doctoral degree (Biotechnology) from CSIR-National Chemical Laboratory India (2008). He expanded his research interests during his stay as postdoctoral research fellow at University of Central Florida (Orlando, USA) and Pennsylvania State University (Hershey, USA). Dr Singh's research group works on the synthesis of novel nanomaterials exhibiting biological enzyme-like properties, such as peroxidase, oxidase, catalase, and superoxide dismutase (SOD), which are exploited for the development of biosensors and detection of cells/tissues. His research group has found that nanozymatic activity of gold (Au) nanoparticles (NPs) could detect <100 cancer cells. Strategies are also being devised to enhance the nanozymatic activity of nanomaterials, which would enable easy detection of cancer cells with high specificity and sensitivity. Tuning the materials fundamental properties is another focus of his research group. These strategies are being used for designing of biosensing platform for the detection of biomolecules (such as glucose) from human blood serum in one step, which otherwise requires complicated two-step process at two different pH (4.0 and 7.4). His research is also focused on the synthesis and use of cerium oxide nanoparticles (CeNPs) exhibiting biological enzyme-like activities and currently, exploring the mechanism of free radical scavenging activity exhibited by CeNPs in several cell culture and animal models. Additionally, he also works on the encapsulation of multiple drugs and siRNAs (screened to exhibit synergy) in a single liposome platform for targeted killing of cancer cells, barring normal healthy human cells. Such nanoliposomes simultaneously deliver the anti-cancer agents to tumor cells, releasing them at the optimized synergizing ratio, leading to the reduced chances of development of resistance and metastasis. Such strategies are appraised by FDA because these NPs can deliver multiple agents as a single drug product than two separate ones, which could significantly reduce the cost and potentially be successful in the clinical trials.

Research Interest

Nanomaterial synthesis (Chemical and Biological Synthesis of Au, Ag, Cu, CeO2, TiO2, ZnO, Fe3O4, CuO, SiO2, ZrO2 nanoparticles. Synthesis of liposomes encapsulating various anti-cancer agents. Synthesis of nanozymes and their applications in biosensing and targeted delivery.