Saha

This biography is a short yet comprehensive overview of the life of Meghnad Saha, the mastermind behind the frequently used Saha equations and a strong contributor to the foundation of science in India. The author explores the lesser known details behind the man who played a major role in building scientific institutions in India, developed the breakthrough theory of thermal ionization, and whose fervor about India’s rapid progress in science and technology, along with concern for uplifting his countrymen and optimizing resources, led him to eventually enter politics and identify the mismanagement of many programs of national importance to Parliament. This book is free of most academic technicalities, so that the reader with general scientific knowledge can read and understand it easily. One interested only in Saha’s contribution to physics can pick up just that part and read it. Conversely, the average reader may skip the technical chapters, and read the book without loss of continuity or generality to still get a coherent picture. This work touches on all aspects of Saha’s multidimensional personality, which overflows in the pages of his periodical, Science and Culture,as well as his many speeches, debates and discussions in Parliament, all of which is appropriately conveyed in this book.

This book focuses on an “outside the box” notion by utilizing the powerful applications of next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies in the interface of chemistry and biology. In personalized medicine, developing small molecules targeting a specific genomic sequence is an attractive goal. N-methylpyrrole (P)–N-methylimidazole (I) polyamides (PIPs) are a class of small molecule that can bind to the DNA minor groove. First, a cost-effective NGS (ion torrent platform)-based Bind-n-Seq was developed to identify the binding specificity of PIP conjugates in a randomized DNA library. Their biological influences rely primarily on selective DNA binding affinity, so it is important to analyze their genome-wide binding preferences. However, it is demanding to enrich specifically the small-molecule-bound DNA without chemical cross-linking or covalent binding in chromatinized genomes. Herein is described a method that was developed using high-throughput sequencing to map the differential binding sites and relative enriched regions of non-cross-linked SAHA-PIPs throughout the complex human genome. SAHA-PIPs binding motifs were identified and the genome-level mapping of SAHA-PIPs-enriched regions provided evidence for the differential activation of the gene network. A method using high-throughput sequencing to map the binding sites and relative enriched regions of alkylating PIP throughout the human genome was also developed. The genome-level mapping of alkylating the PIP-enriched region and the binding sites on the human genome identifies significant genomic targets of breast cancer. It is anticipated that this pioneering low-cost, high through-put investigation at the sequence-specific level will be helpful in understanding the binding specificity of various DNA-binding small molecules, which in turn will be beneficial for the development of small-molecule-based drugs targeting a genome-level sequence.