Prof. A. Ajayaghosh, a scientist with the National Institute for Interdisciplinary Science and Technology, has won the Infosys Prize 2012 in physical sciences for his pioneering research in the field of supramolecular architecture. This research can play a key role in early cancer diagnosis and in the early detection of the presence of different kinds of explosives.

Explaining the details of this innovation, Prof. Ajayaghosh explained, “We assemble molecules using weak forces in order to create different kinds of architecture in varying sizes and shapes. This special class of molecules, called pi-systems, can communicate with each other and when they do so, they undergo a change in their properties which can be utilised for different applications.”