Research Projects

The aim of this project is to develop the hitherto unknown chemistry of transition metal complexes for targeted photodynamic therapy (PDT) in red light. The thrust of the project is to design complexes that selectively target cancer over normal cells. In addition, the complexes will be designed to target cellular organelles, viz. mitochondria or ER than nucleus to enhance efficacy. Efforts will be made to generate singlet oxygen as the ROS in preference to radicals. Confocal imaging will be used to track cellular delivery of the complexes. Metal complexes having natural product curcumin from turmeric for selectivity and/or boron dipyrromethene (BODIPY) ligands/moieties as theranostic agents for cellular imaging and PDT activity will be designed and developed as potential photo-chemotherapeutic agents and as low cost alternatives to the marketed drugs for oral/skin/pancreatic cancers that are prevalent in India. Complexes will be studied for in vivo applications using red light source.