IIT Madras
Welcome to Complex Fluids and Biological Physics Laboratory at the Department of physics, IIT Madras.
We are also part of the Centre of Excellence in Soft and Biological Matter (CBSM) at IIT Madras.
Our work is focused on understanding of the chromatin organization, shapes of biological membranesand cytoskeletal organization. We believe these studies are of importance in understanding the physics of structure and organization of biological systems. We have proposed a novel polymer model for chromatin that include the effects of structure modifying chemical reactions. We have developed a variety of powerful simulation techniques to study the dynamics of multi-component fluid membranes and membranes with protein like inclusions.
We are also interested in the interplay of cytoskeleton tension and membrane elasticity. With the aim to understand the physical mechanisms leading to convoluted shapes of cellular organelles, we investigate the steady state shapes of vesicle subjected to active fission and fusion from the outer surface.
Our study on active polymers, that are semiflexible elastic filaments immersed in a viscous fluid with energy converting โactiveโ elements distributed along its length, is aimed at modeling cytoskeletal filaments.
In the past we have also looked into a 3D model with elastic filaments and molecular motors to study the response of cytoskeleton mimicking networks to external forces and pattern formation in mixtures of molecular motors and microtubules.
All the above was possible due to incredible hard work put in by the present and past members of the lab ( LINKED) and other distinguished collaborators ( LINKED)
+91-044-22574876
Fellow of the Indian academy of sciences, Jan 2016
Fellow of the Indian National Science Academy, October 2022
Director, IIT Palakkad: 2017- 2022
Professor in Charge, IIT Palakkad: 2015-2017
Head, Department of Physics,
IIT Madras: 2012-2015
Chairman, Computer Centre,IIT Madras : 2012 January โ 2012 May
Head, Department of Physics,
IIT Hyderabad: 2009-2012
Professor in Charge, High Performance
Computing Environment, IITM: 2007-2014
JSPS invitation fellowship 2015
Associate Member: MEMPHYS center
for physics of biological membranes University of Southern Denmark:
July 2007-July 2014
Post Doctoral Fellow, IMSc. Chennai,
India: 1995-1997
Post Doctoral Fellow, Raman Research Institute, India: 1994-1995
Research Fellow, Raman Research Institute, India: 1988-1994
Post Doctoral Fellow, Max Planck Institute ,Teltow, Germany: 1997-1999
Prof M V Pylee Award for the distinguished academician of India in 2019,
instituted by the Cochin University of Science
and Technology (CUSAT)
Member of the Royal Society of Chemistry,
Member of the Biophysical Society
Courses taught for undergraduate and graduate students
Active participation in popularizing science for children
Delivered numerous seminars at high schools and junior colleges on science and technology
Active member of the Tamil Nadu Science Forum, a state level non profit volunteer organization for dissemination of science
Editor for the science magazine for high school children – Jantar Mantar, published by Tamil Nadu Science Forum
From Our Blog
Complex Fluids and Biological
Physics Laboratory, Department of Physics,
IIT Madras Chennai -600036
+91-044-22574876
sunil@physics.iitm.ac.in
9 AM – 5 PM
Indian Institute of Technology, Chennai, India