Learn from distinguished experts in science and technology

Prof. G. Sekar, FASc, FNASc, FRSC

Head & Prof. KKB Institute Chair Professor

Prof. G. Sekar obtained his Ph.D. from IIT Kanpur (India) in 1999 under the guidance of Prof. Vinod K. Singh. Sekar was a JSPS postdoctoral fellow at Toyohashi University of Technology, Japan, and an Alexander von Humboldt postdoctoral fellow at Göttingen University, Germany. He also conducted postdoctoral research at Caltech, USA. He was a visiting professor at EPFL Switzerland, during May – July 2023. In 2004, he joined IIT Madras as an assistant professor, where he is currently the head of thedepartment, a Professor (HAG), and the Prof. KKB Institute chair professor. Prof. Sekar’s research on asymmetric organic synthesis focuses on developing new synthetic methodologies that employ environmentally benign homogeneous chiral catalysts, metal nanocatalysts, and halogen-bonding catalysis. He has published more than 155 research papers and obtained/filed around 25 patents. Prof. Sekar guided 31 Ph.D. students and is presently guiding 11 Ph.D. students. He is the recipient of the Lifetime Achievements Award (2026) by the Indian Science and Technology Association (ISTA) & Elavenil, Senior Scientist Award from the Academy of Sciences Chennai, the CRSI bronze medal, the Institute Research and Development Award (Mid-Career), and the CRS' Research and Innovation Excellence Medal Award-2024. He is a Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (FNASc), the Indian Academy of Sciences (FASc) and the Royal society of chemistry (FRSC). He is the Secretary of CRSI and Chairman of the NASI-TN Chapter. He is the associate editor of Frontiers in Chemistry (Catalytic Reactions and Chemistry) and an Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Chemical Sciences.

Non-linear Effects and Autocatalysis in Asymmetric Organic Synthesis

Oct 31, 2026

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Non-linear Effects and Autocatalysis in Asymmetric Organic Synthesis

Asymmetric synthesis makes one mirror-image form (enantiomer) of a chiral molecule over the other, and is vital for drugs, agrochemicals and materials. Nobel Prizes in 2001, 2021 and 2026 have recognised it. The 2026 prize honours Henri B. Kagan, who reported non-linear effects in asymmetric catalysis in 1986, and Kenso Soai, whose 1995 work on asymmetric autocatalysis showed chirality can be amplified. Prof. G. Sekar (IIT Madras) will explain how a catalyst’s enantiomeric excess relates to the product’s, and how a chiral product can catalyse its own formation, magnifying a tiny imbalance.

Optogenetics: Controlling brain cells with light - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026

Oct 25, 2026

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Optogenetics: Controlling brain cells with light - Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2026

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine honours optogenetics, a technique that uses genetically expressed light-sensitive proteins to control brain cells. It grew from basic research on how a microbe responds to light, which revealed proteins that let current flow into a cell when lit. Researchers turned this into a tool for studying the brain, with possible future therapies. The author’s team has used a projector-like device to control activity in brain tissue with millisecond precision. Expected since about 2005, the prize also highlights how some contributors miss out on recognition.

Ghosts in Ice (Story of Physics Nobel Prize 2026)

Oct 24, 2026

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Ghosts in Ice (Story of Physics Nobel Prize 2026)

The 2026 Nobel Prize in Physics has been awarded to Prof. Francis Halzen of the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, for designing, building and operating the IceCube Neutrino Detector at the South Pole. IceCube is a million times larger than any earlier neutrino detector, and it uses the exceptionally clear Antarctic ice to detect ultra-high-energy neutrinos. The talk traces the events that led to the detector’s construction and explains what it can reveal about these elusive particles.