Welcome Suryatanu !
Suryatanu Santra will be joining the CNRS in Strasbourg in November 2025 as a Doctoral Candidate.
In the framework of the MonaLisa project, Suryatanu will spend 3 years working on “The Effect of Twisting Work in Dynamic Combinatorial Systems”, while participating in many trainings and network events.
Read the following introduction to get to know him:
Tell us more about your background!
I was born on 7th March 2002, in Agarpara, a little town close to Kolkata, India. I completed my school from Ramakrishna Mission Boys’ Home Rahara. I joined IISER Kolkata for undergraduate and graduate study. Further, I studied integrated BS-MS with a major in ‘Chemical Sciences’ at IISER Kolkata. I graduated with my Master’s degree in chemical sciences in July 2025. During the Master’s thesis under supervision of Dr. Dibyendu Das, I had the opportunity to work on the photo-modulation of supramolecular (dis)assembly process, regulating the emergent catalytic potential. Importantly, the system exploits light as an energy source to achieve directionally biased non equilibrium architectures which can further spatially control some functions (work). I also had an opportunity to do a summer internship in NIMS Japan (2023) under supervision of Dr. Masayuki Takeuchi, where I grew my conscience about the importance of an international and multicultural network in science research.
Why do you want to be part of MonaLisa?
During my university studies and internships, I was introduced to the molecular machines. Since then, I was completely fascinated by this field of research and decided to pursue my research in this direction. MonaLisa gives me the possibility to challenge myself in the top-level network for this research field and to get inspiration from all the ideas of the other DCs to try to achieve my project goals.
What are your expectations of living and working in Strasbourg?
Strasbourg is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. Being close to the border of Germany, it offers a blend of German and French influences in culture as well as architecture. I expect to discover charming places, new cultures, and great food. Also, the location of the city at the center of Europe is so motivating to visit the European countries abroad.
What do you think will be your main challenge for you in the next three years?
The main challenges would be to make new friends, become familiar with the city, to feel at home. Also, I think another challenge would be to develop the necessary skills to achieve the objectives set and to learn the most from the scientists I meet.
