Professor Photo

Dr. Raju Bej

Assistant Professor

JBMSHST, IIT Guwahati

Email | Phone: rajubej@iitg.ac.in | +91-361-258-3677

Room No: Room-207, School of Energy Science and Engineering

Key Research Areas: Functional Polymers and Hydrogels, Artificial Mucus, Pathogens Inhibition, Mucosal Delivery

Education

  • PhD in Polymer Chemistry, Indian Association for the Cultivation of Science, Kolkata, India (2020). (Thesis Advisor: Professor Suhrit Ghosh).
  • M.Sc. in Chemistry, Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IITM), India. (2014) (Thesis Advisor: Professor Indrapal Singh Aidhen).
  • B.Sc. in Chemistry, Midnapore College, Vidyasagar University, India. (2012)

Experience

  • Assistant Professor (2025-till date), JBM School of Health Sciences and Technology, IIT Guwahati
  • Subgroup Leader in the group of Prof. Rainer Haag (2024-2025), Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany.
  • Visiting Postdoctoral Fellow (2023-2024) Department of Biological Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), USA. (Advisor: Professor Katharina Ribbeck)
  • AvH Postdoctoral Fellow (2020-2023): Department of Biology, Chemistry and Pharmacy, Freie Universität Berlin, Germany. (Advisor: Professor Rainer Haag)

Key publications

  • G. D Degen, C. A Stevens, G. Cárcamo-Oyarce, J. Song, R. Bej, P. Tang, K. Ribbeck, R. Haag, G. H McKinley, Mussel-inspired cross-linking mechanisms enhance gelation and adhesion of multifunctional mucin-derived hydrogels. PNAS, 2025, 122, e2415927122.
  • R. Bej,* C. A. Stevens, C. Nie, K. Ludwig, G. Degen, Y. Kerkhoff, M. Pigaleva, J. M. Adler, N. A. Bustos, T. Page, J. Trimpert, S. Block, B. B. Kaufer, K. Ribbeck,* R. Haag,* Mucus-Inspired Self-Healing Hydrogels: A Protective Barrier for Cells against Viral Infection. Adv. Mater., 2024, 2401745.
  • R. Bej*, C. Nie, K. Ludwig, V. Ahmadi, J. Trimpert, J. M. Adler, T. Povolotsky, K. Achazi, M. Kagelmacher, R. M. Vidal, J. Dernedde, B. B. Kaufer, R. Haag,* Mucin- Inspired Single-Chain Polymer (MIP) Fibers as Potent SARS-CoV-2 Inhibitors. Angew. Chem. Int. Ed., 2023, 62, e202304010.
  • R. Bej*, R. Haag,* Mucus Inspired Dynamic Hydrogels: Synthesis and Future Perspectives. J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2022, 144, 20137-20152. (Supplementary cover)
  • R. Bej, K. Achazi, R. Haag, S. Ghosh, Polymersome Formation by Amphiphilic Polyglycerol-b-Polydisulfide-b-Polyglycerol and Glutathione Triggered Intracellular Drug Delivery. Biomacromolecules, 2020, 21, 3353-3363.
  • R. Bej, A. Ghosh, J. Sarkar, B. B. Das, S. Ghosh, Thiol-Disulfide Exchange Reaction Promoted Highly Efficient Cellular Uptake of Pyridyl Disulfide Appended Nonionic Polymers. ChemBioChem, 2020, 21, 2921-2926.
  • R. Bej, P. Dey, S. Ghosh, Disulfide Chemistry in Responsive Aggregation of Amphiphilic Systems. Soft Matter, 2020, 16, 11-26.
  • R. Bej, P. Rajdev, R. Barman, S. Ghosh, Hyperbranched Polydisulfides. Polym. Chem., 2020, 11, 990-1000. (Inside front cover)
  • R. Bej, S. Ghosh, Glutathione Triggered Cascade Degradation of an Amphiphilic Poly(disulfide)-Drug Conjugate and Targeted Release. Bioconjugate Chem., 2019, 30, 101-110.
  • R. Bej, J. Sarkar, Ray, D., Aswal, V. K., Ghosh, S. Structure-dependent Morphology Regulation in Redox-Destructible Amphiphilic Block Copolymers and Impact on Intracellular Drug Delivery. Macromol. Biosci., 2018, 18, 1800057. (Back cover)

Patent

  • R. Bej, R. Haag, Polymer for Inhibiting SARS-CoV-2 and Other Pathogens. (International publication number: WO2023/242246 A1 and publication date: 21.12.23).

Awards and Achievements

  • Alexander von Humboldt (AvH) Postdoctoral Fellowship (2021)
  • CSIR Fellowship (2014)
  • Inspire Scholarship (2009)

Book Chapter

  • R. Bej, S. Ghosh, ‘Poly(disulfide)s’ in Sulfur-Containing Polymers: From Synthesis to Functional Materials. 2021, ISBN: 978-3-527-34670-7. Eds. Zhang, X.-H., Theato, P. (Wiley-VCH)

External Profiles