Training/Internships/Volunteering

2013-2016 (3 years) Teaching Assistant (School of Chemistry), NUI Galway, Ireland

2014-2016 (2 years) President, IndiaSoc (Volunteering), NUI Galway, Ireland
04-2015 (2 days) Science@Sea, on Celtic Voyager, Cork, Ireland
06-2014 (14 days) Sailed on Celtic Explorer - for deep sea sampling, Atlantic Irish Waters
11-2008 (5 months) Research training on natural products, IIIM, CSIR Lab, India
06-2006 (45 days) Industrial training in pharmaceutical manufacturing, SunPharma, HP, India
06-2005 (45 days) Industrial training in analytical testing, DPL, Moga, India

Honors/Achievements

2013-2017 James Hardiman Doctoral Research Fellowship, NUI Galway

2016 Best poster award at 1st Medicinal Chemistry meeting held in TCD, Ireland
2016 Received MI, Oranmore Networking and Travel Grant to attend XV MaNaPro, Brazil
2016 Received Presidential ALIVE certificate award for excellent leadership
2015 Best International Society award for IndiaSoc under my presidency
2015 Received MI, Oranmore Networking and Travel Grant to attend 9th ECMNP, UK
2010 GPAT 2010-Qualified, hosted by MSU of Baroda, India for PhD studies
2008 Third prize in debate competition during pharmacy week at ISFCP, India
2007 GATE 2007-Qualified exam hosted by IIT Kanpur, India for MHRD funding
2007 Received 28th Rank all India in Senior level, Pharmacy Talent Search Exam
2007-2009 Received MHRD scholarship from Government of India for M. Pharmacy
2006 First prize in poster presentation during pharmacy week ISFCP, India

Research Skills
Drug discovery Chemical & bioassay-guided isolation of novel secondary metabolites from
bioresources; plants, lichens, marine microbes and marine invertebrates
Chemical synthesis Retrosynthesis, C-C bond formation, derivatization for SAR and Hit-to-lead
optimization, wet chemistry, scaling up methods
Separation Science Highly skilled in Solid Phase Extraction, Vacuum Liquid Chromatography, UPLC
& HPLC ( Agilent 1290, Agilent 1260, Dionex Ultimate 3000, Waters Alliance,
Jasco) analytical to preparative scale, normal to reverse phase
Structure elucidation Characterization of molecules using extensive spectroscopic data including ECD,
UV, IR, 1D, 2D NMR and MS analysis and chemical synthesis
Cell biology Isolation of RNA, DNA and proteins, Nanodrop, RT-PCR & ELISA, Staining,
Confocal and fluorescent microscopy, Cell lines used: Mesenchymal Stem cells,
MOLM-13 (Leukemic), HS-5 (Fibroblast), Primary mononuclear cells
In vitro Bioassays In vitro: Chrondrogenesis (3D cell culture), osteogenesis (Ca2+ deposition),
cytotoxicity assay (Alamar blue and MTT), Antimicrobial assay (disk diffusion),
antioxidant assay (ABTS and DPPH)
In vivo Bioassays In vivo: muscle relaxant activity (rotarod), analgesic effects (tail-flick and hot plate)
anti-inflammatory activity (carrageenan-induced paw oedema), worked with
isolated preparations (frog-rectus abdomens and rat-ileum)
Microbiology Isolation, culturing, cryopreservation of marine microbes, fermentation scaling up,
epigenetic modification, building microbial isolates library with their database
Software Empower, OpenLab, ChromNav, Chemdraw, MNova, MassHunter, Scifinder,
MarinLit, EndNote, Latex, Prezi, MS Office (Word, PowerPoint)
 Bibliography
Under review process Mahajan, N., Calabro K., and Thomas, O.P., New Thelpamide analogues from
marine sponge Mycale contareni OR marine worm Thelepus crispus
Book Firsova, D., Mahajan, N., Solanki, H., Morrow, C., & Thomas, O. P. 2016 Current Status and
Chapter Perspectives in Marine Biodiscovery In: Peterson R.M, Bioprospecting - successes, potential and
constraints. Springer ed http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-47935-4_3
14 Accepted manuscript (MS. No. NPC2017AFB6) Mahajan, N., Calabro, K., Morrow, C. &
Thomas, O. P. N-Didehydrotyrosine identified from the Northeastern Atlantic marine
sponge Hymeniacidon perlevis after Chemical Screening Nat. Prod. Comm.
13 Mahajan, N., Chadda, R., Calabro, K., Solanki, H., O'Connell, E., Murphy, P. V., & Thomas, O. P.
2017 Isolation and synthesis of pygmanilines, phenylurea derivatives from the Northeastern
Atlantic lichen Lichinia Pygmaea Tet. Lett., 58 (12), pp. 1237-1239
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2017.02.037
12 Angulo-Preckler, C., Genta-Jouve, G., Mahajan, N., de la Cruz, M., de Pedro, N., Reyes, F., Iken,
K., Avila, C. and Thomas, O.P., 2016 Gersemiols AC and Eunicellol A, Diterpenoids from the
Arctic Soft Coral Gersemia fruticosa J. Nat. Prod. 79(4), pp.1132-1136
http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.jnatprod.6b00040
11 Aditi, Mahajan, N., Rawal S., Katare R., 2013 An Insight into the Pathogenesis of Diabetic
Vascular Diseases: Role of Oxidative Stress and Antioxidants Pharm Anal Acta 4(10):273
http://dx.doi.org/10.4172/2153-2435.1000273
10 Mahajan, N., Rawal, S., Verma, M., Poddar, M. and Alok, S., 2013 A phytopharmacological
overview on Ocimum species with special emphasis on Ocimum sanctum Bio. & Prev. Nut., 3(2),
pp.185-192, http://dx.doi/org/10.1016/j.bionut.2012.08.002
9 Sarika, D., Monica, S., Anu, M., Shruti, R., Pathak, D.P., and Mahajan N., 2012 A rapid
densitometric method for the quantification of apigenin-7-glucoside in Euphorbia prostrata herb
using HPTLC JPR, 5 (2), pp. 859-861 http://jprsolutions.info/newfiles/journal-file-
56ab18ea28f159.03466944.pdf
8 Sharma, P., Mahajan N., Pankaj, G., Gurukirpal, S., Sumit, D. and Sakshi, S., Malaxis acuminata:
A review. IJRAP 2(2) pp. 422-425 http://www.ijrap.net/admin/php/uploads/434_pdf.pdf
7 Singh G., Sharma P., Dadhwal S., Garg P., Sharma S., Mahajan N., Rawal S., 2011 Triazoles -
Impinging The Bioactivities IJCPR, 3(2) pp. 105-118
http://www.ijcpr.org/Issues/Vol3Issue2/322.pdf
6 Thakur, A., Gill, H.K., Sharma, A., Mahajan, N. and Rawal, S., 2011. Pharmacy and Pregnancy: A
Review. IJPSR, 2(8), pp.1997-2009, http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.2(8).1997-09
5 Mahajan, N., Dhar, K.L., Suri, O.P., Nepali, K., Kamra, N., Garg, A. Sharma, A., 2010 Synthesis
of some N-heterocyclic analogs of vasicine IJPSR, 1(2), pp.78-87,
http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.1(2).78-87
4 Mahajan A., Rawal S., Bedi PMS., Mahajan N., Sharma A., 2010 Aromatase Inhibitors: A New
Hope for Breast Cancer Patients. IJPSR, 1(6), pp 27-40 http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-
8232.1(6).27-40
3 Rawal S., Sood R., Mahajan N., Sharma M., Sharma A., 2010 Current status and future
prospects for Tuberculosis. IJPSR, 1(5), pp 128-134 http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-
8232.1(5).128-34
2 Rawal S., Shashi A., Mahajan N., Mahor A., Joshi A., and Sharma P., 2010 Diabetic neuropathy:
Still a challenge in Pharmacology. IJPSR, 1(1), pp 12-27 http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-
8232.1(1).12-28
1 Sen, K., Goel, A., Rawal, S., Mahajan, N., Baboo, S. and Alok, S., 2010 Antimicrobial activity of
Basella rubra leaves. IJPSR, 1(2), pp.88-91, http://dx.doi.org/10.13040/IJPSR.0975-8232.1(2).88-
 91

Contributions to Science

Pygmanilines are new natural products that were discovered from Irish marine Lichen Lichina pygmaea after
screening 864 marine extracts. Pygmanilines are small, UV-absorbent molecules that are non-toxic to primary
monocytes and can be synthesized in a single step straight forward reaction with more than 90% yield.
Pygmanilines holds the commercial potential to be developed as sunscreen products and are currently under
investigations to find applications for UV-induced skin cancer.
In addition, I have discovered ten new natural products from Irish marine organisms, supervised four Master
and eight undergraduate research projects to completion, co-authored one book chapter, 14 publications,
presented science in four national and three international conferences. Also, I have communicated science to
the general public audience through Threesis and FameLab competitions, research blogs & scientific research
videos that are publicly accessible.

Conferences attended/Presentations
Talk Treasure from the Atlantic Ocean in Threesis competition at NUI Galway on Nov. 2 nd,
(Winner) 2016 Second position in the regional level

Talk Chemical treasure from Irish Waters in the final event of Beaufort Marine Biodiscovery
awards at Marine Institute, Galway on Jun 30th, 2016

Talk Novel immunomodulatory scaffolds from Irish lichen Lichina Pygmaea at XV MaNaPro
(International) conference held in Ceara, Brazil on Aug 29th, 2016

Poster Building Irish-Marine Natural Products Library (I-MNPs) for pharmaceutical applications
(Winner) at 1st Medicinal Chemistry Ireland Meeting held in Trinity Biomedical Science Institute,
Trinity College Dublin, on July 1st, 2016

Poster Towards the search of novel bioactive molecules from North Atlantic Ocean at 9th
(International) European Conference on Marine Natural Products held in Glasgow, Scotland from Aug.
30th till Sep. 2nd 2015

Poster Evaluation of Irish Marine Organisms against Osteoarthritis at 5th Beaufort Annual
(International) Researchers Meeting held in Queens University Belfast, on Dec. 15th and 16th, 2015

Poster Towards the discovery of Marine Natural Products as Anti-Osteoarthritis molecules at

4th Beaufort Annual Researchers Meeting in National University of Ireland, Galway on
Jan. 15th and 16th, 2014

Poster Self-medication: a challenge for drug discovery and development at a National Seminar
held Jamia Hamdard University, New Delhi, India, on Sep. 17th & 18th, 2011

Participant Attended conference Nano-colloidal carrier: site-specific and controlled drug delivery
held at ISFCP, Moga, India on Oct. 10th &11th, 2008

Participant Attended 12th Annual Indian Society of Pharmacognosy (ISP) convention on Current
Trends in Phytomedicine and Challenges Ahead held at ISFCP, Moga, India on Feb.
23rd & 24th, 2008

Participant Attended National Seminar on Newer extraction and standardization techniques for
herbal drugs and herbal formulations held at ISFCP, Moga, India, on March 10 th & 11th
2007