Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (1922–2001)

 Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (1922–2001).


Gopalasamudram Narayanan Ramachandran (1922–2001), widely known as G.N. Ramachandran, was a pioneering Indian physicist and biophysicist. His groundbreaking work in structural biology, particularly the development of the Ramachandran Plot, has been instrumental in advancing our understanding of protein structures.

Born on October 8, 1922, in Ernakulam, Kerala, India, Ramachandran completed his BSc honors in Physics from St. Joseph's College, Tiruchirappalli, in 1939. In 1942, he joined the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, initially enrolling in the Electrical Engineering Department. However, his passion for physics led him to switch to the Department of Physics, where he completed his master's and doctoral studies under the mentorship of Nobel laureate Sir C.V. Raman. He earned his master's degree in physics from the University of Madras in 1942 and subsequently received his D.Sc. degree in 1947.

After obtaining his doctorate, Ramachandran spent two years (1947–1949) at the Cavendish Laboratory in Cambridge, where he earned his PhD for studies on X-ray diffuse scattering and its application to the determination of elastic constants under the guidance of Professor William Alfred Wooster. Upon returning to India, he served as an assistant professor of physics at IISc. In 1952, he joined the University of Madras as a professor and head of the Department of Physics, where he delved into the structure of biological macromolecules. Utilizing X-ray crystallography, Ramachandran and his colleague Gopinath Kartha proposed the triple-helical structure of collagen in 1954, a significant milestone that garnered global attention.
Ramachandran's most renowned contribution is the Ramachandran Plot, introduced in 1963. This theoretical framework maps the permissible angles of peptide bonds in protein structures, serving as an essential tool for structural biologists in assessing protein conformations. Beyond this, he made notable advancements in methods for image reconstruction, which have applications in tomography and related fields.

Legacy and Honors

Throughout his illustrious career, Ramachandran received numerous accolades, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Award for Physics in 1961 and election as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS) in 1977. In 1999, the International Union of Crystallography honored him with the prestigious Ewald Prize for his exceptional contributions to crystallography. To commemorate his legacy, the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in India annually awards the "G N Ramachandran Gold Medal for Excellence in Biological Sciences & Technology" to outstanding scientists in the field.

Further Reading and Resources

For an in-depth exploration of his life and work, the biography "Ramachandran: A Biography of Gopalasamudram Narayana Ramachandran, the Famous Indian Biophysicist" by Raghupathy Sarma provides a comprehensive account.

Additionally, the G N Ramachandran Digital Museum offers a rich collection of video interviews, images, and animations that chronicle his scientific journey and contributions.
gnramachandran.org

G.N. Ramachandran's pioneering work laid the foundation for structural biology in India and continues to influence contemporary research in protein science and biophysics globally.


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