Dr. Rengaswami Chandrasekaran
Professor
Ph.D. (X-ray Crystallography), University of Madras, India
Affiliations
Whistler Center for Carbohydrate Research
Research
- The main focus is determination of three-dimensional structures of polysaccharides useful in industrial applications and nucleic acids of specific base compositions and sequences which are biologically important. X-ray diffraction analysis and computer modeling are two of the major tools used in this research. These systematic investigations enable us to establish the molecular structures of polysaccharides, often surrounded by cations and water molecules, to visualize their interactions with proteins, and subsequently, to correlate these results with their functional properties. This information is relevant for developing tailor-made polymer systems by chemical modification, addition of co-solutes, preparation of mixtures or other means. Similarly, structural data from our studies on nucleic acid morphologies and nucleic acid-drug complexes are helpful to understand the molecular basis of biological functions and are intended to aid in designing possible cures for some diseases.
Teaching
-
Graduate
Polysaccharide Structure and Function
X-ray Fiber Diffraction Laboratory
Industrial
Research projects with polysaccharide gum industries
International
Collaborative research with laboratories in Britain, Italy, Japan and France
Selected Publications
Chandrasekaran, R. (1997) Molecular architecture of polysaccharide helices in oriented fibers. Adv. Carbohydr. Chem. Biochem. 52, 311-439.
Chandrasekaran, R. (1998) X-ray diffraction of food polysaccharides. Adv. Food Nutrition Res. 42, 131-210.
Rao, V.S.R., Qasba, P.K., Balaji, P.V. and Chandrasekaran, R. (1998) Conformation of Carbohydrates. Harwood Academic Publishers, Amsterdam, pp. 1-359.
Chandrasekaran, R., Bian, W. and Okuyama, K. (1998) Three-dimensional structure of guaran. Carbohydr. Res. 312, 219-224.
Janaswamy, S. and Chandrasekaran, R. (2002) Effect of calcium ions on the organization of iota-carrageenan helices: an X-ray investigation. Carbohydr. Res. 337, 523-535.
Chandrasekaran, R., Janaswamy, S. and Morris, V.J. (2003) Acetan:glucomannan interactions: a molecular modeling study. Carbohydr. Res. 338, 2889-2898.
Janaswamy, S. and Chandrasekaran, R. (2005) Polysaccharide structures from powder diffraction data: I. Molecular models of arabinan. Carbohydr. Res. 340, 835-839.
Tandjung, A.S., Janaswamy, S., Chandrasekaran, R., Aboubacar, A. and Hamaker, B.R. (2005) Role of the pericarp cellulose matrix as a moisture barrier in microwaveable popcorn. Biomacromolecules 6, 1654-1660.
Janaswamy, S. and Chandrasekaran, R. (2005) Cation-induced polymorphism in iota-carrageenan. Carbohydr. Polym. 60, 499-505.
Janaswamy, S. and Chandrasekaran, R. (2006) Sodium iota-carrageenan: A paradigm of polymorphism and pseudopolymorphism. Macromolecules 39, 3345-3349.
Contact Dr. Chandrasekaran
e-mail: chandra@purdue.edu
Address:
Department of Food Science
745 Agriculture Mall Drive
West Lafayette, IN 47907-2009 Phone: (765) 494-4923