JOIN USMysuru scientist becomes UNESCO-TWAS fellow
Mysuru-based scientist K S Rangappa has been awarded a fellowship of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS), a programme unit of UNESCO.
Rangappa, who was also vice-chancellor of University of Mysore (UoM) and Karnataka State Open University, is specialised in Chemical Biology-Drug Discovery. Having served as General President of the Indian Science Congress Association (ISCA) for the year 2019-20, Rangappa is also an ambassador (science and technology) of Hokkaido University of Japan.
Listed among the top 2 per cent of world scientists since 2019, Rangappa is a CSIR Emeritus Scientist. Besides, Rangappa is a member of the Institutional Body of five All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS); Asutosh Mookerjee Fellow of ISCA; distinguished professor of UoM; member of Board of Directors of Institute for Social and Economic Change; and president of Forum of Former Vice Chancellors of Karnataka.
A communication from TWAS said, “Fifty new fellows, including seven from India, were elected during the general meeting on November 21, bringing the total TWAS membership to 1,384”.
“Rangappa has developed more than 7,000 synthetic small molecules from his laboratory and some of them have been demonstrated as exemplary compounds towards cancer, with good growth inhibitory activity in preclinical cancer models. The chemical entities developed in his laboratory are being used as scaffolds in premier institutions for the development of drugs against various human ailments. Recently, two of his compounds -- DMBO and NPB -- have entered the market as standard inhibitors of growth factors and BAD protein respectively. DMBO and NPB are being sold by American companies as standard inhibitors of pharmacologically important proteins,” the communication reads.
“Rangappa has discovered many pharmacological inhibitors of STAT3, NF-κB, TFF3, human methionyl-tRNA synthetases, which are constitutively expressed in various human cancers. Recently, he developed a Covid-19 self-detection kit and submitted it to ICMR for approval and public use. Member of The National Academy of Sciences in India, he has received Prof RC Shah Memorial National Award, Sir CV Raman Young Scientist Award, Dr Raja Ramanna Award and Centenary Gold Medal by President of India,” the communication reads.
Speaking to media persons, here, on Friday, Rangappa said, it is an honour for Mysuru, UoM and India. “Probably I am the only scientist from a state university in India in TWAS, because earlier fellows like C N R Rao and Govardhan Mehta were from premier institutions. The fellowship will help represent India in a better way on an international platform. It would help our young scientists to get projects and funds for research. I will try to get all possible benefits for our scientists,” he said.