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Biography
Akhil obtained Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech), Biotechnology degree from Amity University Uttar Pradesh in 2010. During his graduation, he worked on various short term research projects that deals with isolation, characterization, and purification of antibiotics isolated from soil samples. During the last year of graduation he worked on a research project entitled identification of hybrid paddy through STMS markers at Indo-American Hybrid Seeds Ltd Bangalore, India. Akhil then moved to Vellore Institute of Technology, Vellore, TN, India to pursue Master of Technology (M.Tech) degree in Biotechnology (2010-2012). He spent the last semester of his degree as an International exchange student at UPAEP & UDLAP, Puebla, Mexico. During his stay in Mexico, he worked on synthesis, characterization and biological activity of nanocapsules with active natural compounds used in medicine. Akhil started his PhD (2013) in the group of Dr. Gustavo Hirata (supervisor) and Dr. Patricia Juarez (co-supervisor) at CNyN-UNAM, Ensenada, Mexico. During his PhD, Akhil worked on synthesis of magnetic-luminescent rare-earth-doped nanoparticles for cancer theranostics. After completing his PhD in June, 2017 he started to work as guest researcher in the group of Dr. Gustavo Hirata where he worked on the synthesis of nanoscintillators for X-ray mediated photodynamic therapy and also on development of persistent luminescent nanoparticles. Akhil joined the School of Pharmacy, University of Nottingham as a research fellow in the group of Dr. Frankie J. Rawson in September 2018 where the main focus of his research will be wireless electrochemistry for new bioelectronic therapeutics.
Expertise Summary
Akhil's research focuses on developing new technologies to modulate cell functions by using interdisciplinary approach that combines nanotechnology, surface chemistry, bioelectronics, and cell biology.
Expertise:
Bioelectronics: Tumor treating fields; Electric field stimulation (AC and DC) of cells in 2D cell cultures.
Nanomaterials: Synthesis and characterisation of various organic, inorganic and hybrid nanomaterials for bioelectronics, multi-modal imaging (X-ray & Second window Near-Infrared (NIR) fluorescence, Persistent luminescence, Computed Tomography and Magnetic Resonance), and photodynamic therapy.
Chemistry: Synthetic and material chemistry.
Cell culture and Animal studies: In vitro assays (colorimetric: absorbance & fluorescence; microscopy and flow cytometry); primary/patient derived tumor cells; mice handling & care; syngeneic & xenograft mice models; nanoparticle delivery in vivo; biodistribution and pharmacokinetics analysis.
Research Summary
1. Development of multifunctional nanoparticles for wireless communication with cells using electric fields. 2. Bioelectronic medicine. 3. Electric fields in therapeutic delivery.
Selected Publications
AKHIL JAIN, PIERRICK GJ FOURNIER, VLADIMIR MENDOZA-LAVANIEGOS, PRAKHAR SENGAR, FERNANDO M GUERRA-OLVERA, ENRIQUE IÑIGUEZ, THOMAS G KRETZSCHMAR, GUSTAVO A HIRATA and PATRICIA JUÁREZ, 2018. Functionalized rare earth-doped nanoparticles for breast cancer nanodiagnostic using fluorescence and CT imaging Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 16(26), PRAKHAR SENGAR, PATRICIA JUÁREZ, ANDREA VERDUGO-MEZA, DANNA L ARELLANO, AKHIL JAIN, KANCHAN CHAUHAN, GUSTAVO A HIRATA and PIERRICK GJ FOURNIER, 2018. Development of a functionalized UV-emitting nanocomposite for the treatment of cancer using indirect photodynamic therapy Journal of Nanobiotechnology. 16(19),