Saumen Chakraborty

Dr. Saumen Chakraborty is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Mississippi, part of the College of Liberal Arts. His research focuses on designing artificial metalloenzymes and metallopeptides for applications in bioenergy, catalysis, and neurodegenerative disease treatment. He holds a B.Sc. from the University of Calcutta (2004), an M.Sc. from IIT Madras (2006), a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2011), and postdoctoral training at the University of Illinois and Los Alamos National Laboratory. He joined the University of Mississippi in 2016 and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2022.

• Education: B.Sc. (Calcutta), M.Sc. (IIT Madras), Ph.D. (University of Michigan)
• Research Areas: Metalloprotein design, enzymatic fuel cells, C-H activation, nanocluster applications

His lab, the Chakraborty Group, explores protein engineering to create biocatalysts for energy production and neurodegenerative therapies. Recent work includes designing copper-based enzymes for hydrogenase activity and mitigating ROS in Alzheimer’s-related amyloid beta. Students trained under him have pursued careers in academia and industry.

Key Projects:

• Artificial Ni-dependent metalloenzymes for bioenergy
• Cu-based proteins for oxygen and C-H activation
• Gold nanoclusters for catalytic and sensing applications

Publications: Over 40 peer-reviewed articles, including high-impact work in J. Am. Chem. Soc. and Angew. Chem. Int. Ed.. Recent studies focus on tuning reorganization energy in artificial enzymes and photochemical hydrogen evolution.

Labs/Teams: Chakraborty Group, specializing in bioinorganic chemistry and protein engineering.