FACULTY PROFILE
Dr. Amooru Gangaiah Damu
Professor
+91 9959258339, 08562-225410
agdamu@yogivemanauniversity.ac.in
Qualification :
Ph.D. in Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.
Experience :
Academic:
1. Associate Professor ( April 2008 to till date): Department of Chemistry, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, A.P., India.
2. Assistant Professor (July 2007 to March 2008): Department of Chemistry, Yogi Vemana University, Kadapa, A.P., India.
3. NSC & NHRI Post Doctoral Fellow (April 2000-June 2007): Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, Taiwan.
4. CSIR-Senior Research Fellow (Oct.1997-March 2000): Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi. Worked at Department of Chemistry, Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.
Administrative:
1. Head of the Department of Chemistry from 2008.
2. Executive Council Member of Yogi Vemana University from 2008.
3. Director of Directorate of Admissions, Yogi Vemana University from 2009.
Research Focus :
1. Bio-guided isolation, structural elucidation of natural products of plant origin and evaluation of their biological activities.
2. Design and semi-synthesis of artificial congeners of bioactive natural components and their structure activity relationships studies.
3. Molecular interaction and molecular docking studies of bioactive compounds with target enzymes to determine their mechanism of action.
4. Design and synthesis of small molecules for their bio-activity, SAR studies, and molecular binding and molecular docking studies to determine their mechanism of action.
Projects Details :
As Principal Investigator a project entitled “Search for novel class of potent and selective plant natural products based inhibitors of Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL), an enzyme of potential importance in the treatment of Diabetes” (2011-13) funded by Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi under Fast Track Scheme for Young Scientist.
Project fellows and details of the research work in brief:
Mr. Shaik Jeelan Basha is working as project fellow for last two years in the DST funded fast track project entitled ““Search for novel class of potent and selective plant natural products based inhibitors of Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL), an enzyme of potential importance in the treatment of Diabetes”. His research work in this project includes collection, extraction, fractionation, and HSL activity guided isolation of constituents from Indian medicinal plants. Characterization of isolated constituents, assay of their HSL inhibitory activity, preparation of semi synthetic congeners for active molecule, SAR studies, molecular interaction studies of active compound with HSL enzyme and finally in silico molecular docking of active principle with HSL enzyme to find mechanism of action will also be carried out in the present project.
Research Scholars – Research areas:
Mr. Shaik Jeelan Basha: Design, synthesis, characterization of novel molecules as Hormone Sensitive Lipase (HSL) inhibitors for the treatment of Diabetes.
Mr. Penumala Mohan (RGNF): Development of potent plant natural product based dual inhibitor of Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and Butyrylcholinesterase (BuChE) activity to treat Alzheimer’s disease.
Mr. T. Balaji Naik: Development of potent plant natural products based inhibitor of -glucosidase activity as antidiabetic agent.
Achievements/Awards :
1. 2011 Young Scientist project under Fast Track Scheme from Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
2. 2000 Post Doctoral Fellowship from National Science Council and National Health Research Institute(NSC & NHRI), Taiwan.
3. 1997 CSIR-Senior Research Fellowship from Ministry of Human Resource Development, Govt. of India, New Delhi.
Foreign visits (Academic/Research purpose):
National Health Research Institute (NHRI) and National Science Council (NSC) Post Doctoral Fellow (Department of Chemistry, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan, TAIWAN) – April 2000 to June 2007.
Details of significant paper publications :
1. L. S. Shi, Y. R., Liao, M. J. Su, A. S. Lee, P. C. Kuo, A. G. Damu, S. C. Kuo, H. D. Sun, K. H. Lee, T. S. Wu, Cardiac glycosides from Antiaris toxicaria with potent cardiotonic activity, Journal of Natural Products, 2010, 73, 1214.
2. G. Mahesh, S. Babu, A. G. Damu, S. Rajagopal, Binding of β-sitosterol with Human serum albumin: spectroscopy, mass spectrometry and molecular docking study, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114, 9054.
3. N. Satyabala, S. Babu, G. Mahesh, A. G. Damu, S. Rajagopal, Interaction studies of coumaroyltyramine with human serum albumin and its biological importance, J. Phys. Chem. B, 2010, 114, 3005.
4. G. Mahesh, S. Babu, A. G. Damu, S. Rajagopal, Molecular interaction studies of trimethoxy flavone with human serum albumin, PLoS ONE, 2010, 5, e8834 (1-9).
5. R. Subramanyam, M. Goud, B. Sudhamalla, E. Reddeem, A. Gollapudi, S. Nellaepalli, V. Yadavalli, M. Chinnaboina, Amooru G. Damu, Novel binding studies of human serum albumin with trans-feruloyl maslinic acid, J Photochem Photobiol B,. 2009, 95, 81.
6. R. Subramanyam, A. Gollapudi, P. Bonigala, M. Chinnaboina, Amooru G. Damu, Betulinic acid binding to human serum albumin: a study of protein conformation and binding affinity, J Photochem Photobiol B., 2009, 94, 8.
7. C. R. Su, S. F. Yeh, C. M. Liu, A. G. Damu, T. H. Kuo, P. C. Chiang, K.F. Bastow, K.H. Lee, T. S. Wu, Anti-HBV and cytotoxic activities of pyranocoumarin derivatives, Bioorganic Medicinal Chemistry, 2009,17, 6137.
8. A. G. Damu, P. C. Kuo, L. S. Shi, C. Y. Li, C. R. Su, T. S. Wu, Cytotoxic phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids from the roots of Ficus septica, Planta Medica, 2009, 75, 1152.
9. C. R. Su, A. G. Damu, P. C. Chiang, K. F. Bastow, S. L. M. Natschke, K. H. Lee and T. S. Wu, Total synthesis of phenanthroindolizidine alkaloids (±)-antofine, (±)-deoxypergularinine, and their dehydro congeners and evaluation of their cytotoxic activity, Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry, 2008, 16, 6233.
10. A. G. Damu, C. R. Su, P. C. Kuo and T. S. Wu, Cytotoxicity-guided isolation, structures and structure activity relationships of withanolides and physalins from Physalis angulata, Journal of Natural Products, 2007, 70, 1146.
11. P. C. Kuo, T. H. Kuo, A. G. Damu, C. R. Su, E. J. Lee, T. S. Wu, R. Shu, C. M. Chen, K. F. Bastow, T. H. Chen and K. H. Lee, Physanolide A, a novel skeleton steroid and other cytotoxic principles from Physalis angulata, Organic Letters, 2006, 8, 2953.
12. T. S. Wu, A. G. Damu, C. R. Su, and P. C. Kuo, Terpenoids of Aristolochia and their biological activities, Natural Products Reports, 2004, 21, 594.