Paramita Pal

Driven, innovative and diligent medicinal chemist with 7+ years of extensive research experience in designing and synthesizing novel drug-like molecules to address life-threatening and life-limiting diseases in both industrial and academic setup. Experienced in various aspects of medicinal chemistry including SBDD and drug design using predictive computational modeling. Proficient in all aspects of modern synthetic organic chemistry techniques with significant expertise in multistep total synthesis of complex molecules from diverse structural classes and parallel synthetic techniques. Comprehensive experience with chemical biology techniques. Effectively demonstrates strong analytical and critical thinking skills and able to effectively coordinate with multi-disciplinary teams to achieve project goals. Excellent communication, interpersonal, and organizational skills with a demonstrated ability to manage multiple projects.

PhD Research 

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD

Aug 2015 – Feb 2022           

• Biosynthetic studies of polyketide, enediynes and perylenequinones important in human health and disease with a chemical approach.
• Synthesized series of differentially methylated pyrones to study the complex methylation programming of iterative non‐reducing polyketide synthase C‐methyltransferases domains.
• Developed a programmable and efficient total synthesis of the Dynemicin biosynthetic intermediate with unprecedented and complex structural features: an iodinated thiolactone fused anthracene.
• Developed biomimetic chemical models with synthesized substrate mimics to study several biotransformation involved in Dynemicin biosynthesis.
• Synthesized chemical baits and developed small‐molecule‐protein‐pulldown assay to identify novel enzymes with unprecedented functions involved in Dynemicin biosynthesis.
• Developed and optimized a combinatorial synthetic technique for production of unnatural Dynemicin analogous using minimal and parallel synthesis to increase the potency of the analogues as an anti‐cancer agent.
• Developed assay to purify and characterize on‐pathway intermediates with complex structural features from Dynemicin BGC deletion mutants using purification of trace levels of metabolites from multi‐liter fermentations and using state‐of‐the‐art organic purification and chromatographic techniques.
• Purified and characterized novel on‐pathway intermediate from Cercosporin (plant toxin) biosynthesis and synthesized plausible on-pathway intermediates for further study of Cercosporin biosynthetic pathway.

M.Sc. Research 

Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur, India

Jul 2013 ‐ Jun 2015

• Developed one‐pot methodologies of consecutive Sonogashira coupling and Garratt‐Braverman Reaction, forming four C–C bonds in tandem, leading to the synthesis of aryl dihydro isofurans and isoindoles via a diradical intermediate.
• Synthesized library of halogenated and differentially substituted benzene, naphthalene, anthracene and phenanthroline molecules as substrates for the tandem Sonogashira coupling and Garratt‐Braverman Reaction.
• Worked on the synthesis of biologically active isofurans and isoindoles as inhibitors of FabG4 protein from Mycobacterium tuberculosis.

• Received Institute Silver Medal, 2015, from Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur for securing the highest CGPA in M.Sc., Chemistry.
• Junior Research Fellowship (JRF), 2015, by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, India.
• Received PG INDIRA GANDHI SCHOLARSHIP, 2013-2015, from University Grants Commission (UGC), Govt. of India for pursuing Postgraduate study.
• Received INSPIRE SCHOLARSHIP, 2010-2015, from GOVT OF INDIA, DST.
• Received WEST BENGAL SCHOLARSHIP 2010-2013, from Govt. of West Bengal.

• Dynemicin A Derivatives as Potential Cancer Chemotherapeutics by Mutasynthesis, Pal, P., Alley, J.R., Cohen, D.R., Townsend, C.A., Helvetica Chimica Acta, 2023, 106, e202300123, Link
• Normal and Aberrant Methyltransferase Activities Give Insights into the Final Steps of Dynemicin A Biosynthesis, Pal, P., Wessely, S.M., Townsend, C.A., J. Am. Chem. Soc., 2023, 145(23), 12935-12947, Link
• Examining Heterodimerization by Aryl C-N Coupling in Dynemicin Biosynthesis, Pal, P., Alley, J.R., Townsend, C.A., ACS Chem. Biol., 2023, 18(2), 304-314, Link
• Exploring Fungal Polyketide C-Methylation through Combinatorial Domain Swaps, Storm, P.A., Pal, P., Huitt-Roehl, C.R., Townsend, C.A., ACS Chem. Biol., 2018, 13(11), 3043-3048, Link
• Gene cluster conservation provides insight into cercosporin biosynthesis and extends production to the genus Colletotrichum, DeJonge, R.
• Ebert, M.K.
• Huitt-Roehl, C.R.
• Pal, P., Suttle, J.C., Spanner, R.E., Neubauer, J.D., Jurick II, W.M., Stott, K.A., Secor, G.A., Thomma, B.P.H.J., Peer, Y.V., Townsend, C.A., Bolton, M.D., PNAS, 2018, 115(24), E5459-E5466, Link
• Indicates co-first authorships.
• Sonogashira coupling and Garratt-Braverman cyclization in tandem: formation of four C-C bonds leading to the synthesis of aryl dihydro isofurans and isoindoles, Ghosh, D., Pal, P., Basak, A., Tetrahedron Lett., 2015, 56(15), 1964-1967, Link