Supratik Kar (JU) in University of Gdańsk (UG) in Gdańsk

I have visited the University of Gdansk (UG) in Gdansk, Poland, between 31.08.2013 and 26.02.2014 as a part of Work Package: WP 5 “Development of a grouping and read-across platform for NPs”.

Participating in multi-institutional collaborative work is always important for young scientist to enhance the knowledge on his own field, and fortunately NanoBRIDGES is one of the best possible multi-institutional project on nanomaterials at current time without any doubt. Being a computational expert, I have tried to build up different QSAR models considering risk assessments of nanomaterials. Fortunately, I am working with UG before my secondment actually started since March, 2013. So, I have performed three different computational works under this project.

First work: Nano-Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling Using Easily Computable and Interpretable Descriptors for Uptake of Magnetofluorescent Engineered Nanoparticles in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. (Published: Kar S, Gajewicz A, Puzyn T, Roy K, Nano-Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationship Modeling Using Easily Computable and Interpretable Descriptors for Uptake of Magnetofluorescent Engineered Nanoparticles in Pancreatic Cancer Cells. Toxicol in vitro, 2014,  http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tiv.2013.12.018)

Second work: Simple molecular descriptors to encode cytotoxicity profile of metal oxide nanoparticles: A mechanistic nano-QSAR approach. (Published: Kar S, GajewiczA, Puzyn T,Roy K, Leszczynski J, Ind Engg Chem Res, Submitted).

Third work: Established nano-QTTR models for cytotoxicity of metal oxide nanoparticles in Escherichia coli and human keratinocyte cell line (HaCaT) following a mechanistic approach. The nano-QTTR approach has been successfully applied for the first time to model very complex biological end points, cytotoxicity of metal oxides nanoparticles (Manuscript under process).

The most happening things about institutional collaboration is possibility to travel and exchange experience between researchers all over the world, possibility to learn something new and to compare different approaches. In this perspective, NanoBRIDGE is unique project as it gives possibility to travel and meet new people. In this period not only in the laboratory, I met wonderful Polish people in Gdansk. I have tried various Polish cuisine and learn Polish cultures. Though it’s not related with NanoBRIDGES, but I want to mention that this visit made me a good cook for sure.

My visit to UG was one of the most interesting and important experiences in my academic career. Laboratory of Environmetal Chemometrics in UG happened to be the wonderful place to work, and I greatly acknowledge Professor Tomasz Puzyn, Dr. Agnieszka Gajewicz and all the laboratory members for their unconditional help throughout the whole secondment.