"Without photons, there would be absolutely no knowledge of anything,” said Seemesh Bhaskar between sips of coffee at the Etc. Coffeehouse—a place he frequents for a break from the lab. “The ability to perceive and understand the world is fundamentally linked to light, and this profound connection sparked my interest in studying light in depth.”

As a Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology Fellow, Bhaskar is a researcher in Professor Brian Cunningham’s (CGD) Nanosensor’s group where he explores how light can be harnessed to advance fundamental science and enable applications including biosensing and diagnostics. With over 50 peer reviewed publications and countless hours spent in the lab and studying scientific literature, Bhaskar seeks to establish himself as an expert in his field, with hopes to start his own research lab in the future. 

Growing up in India, Bhaskar remembers developing a fascination of colors and light through painting. “From an early age, I was always fascinated by the properties of light and how it evolves when interacting with different materials. I’m a good artist, and colors were always my attraction, even from childhood,” he said. “Then when I was in undergrad, I saw people working with huge lasers that could be tuned to specific wavelengths, and I thought they were super cool.” 

Bhaskar earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in chemistry from the Sri Sathya Sai Institute of Higher Learning. While he was there, hands-on experiences like examining butterflies and cockroaches using electron microscopes, as well as multiple laboratory internships, pulled him into the world of photonics. This led Bhaskar to pursue a PhD program through the same university, where he performed research on plasmonic nanomaterials. With each step in his academic journey, his excitement only continued to grow.

“If a scientific paper is interesting, I just can’t resist reading the whole paper end to end—including the references. I think it’s like a hunger for me, especially if it really grabs my attention.”

Back in the coffeehouse, this passion and deep knowledge was hard to miss as Bhaskar described the wave-particle duality of light and the differences in light’s behavior in our large macroscopic world compared to its properties on the nanoscale level. He then pulled a freshly printed textbook out of his bag and passed it across the table. “It feels very good for the book to be done and printed,” he said. 

The front cover read “Nano-engineering at Functional Interfaces for Multidisciplinary Applications.” Below the title, Bhaskar’s name was listed with his fellow editors Sai Sathish Ramamurthy and Narendra Reddy. 

In 2021, Ramamurthy, Bhaskar’s PhD advisor, approached him with the idea to write a book as Bhaskar was in the process of finishing up his thesis work and applying to labs for postdoctoral training. Along with their co-editor Reddy, a professor at the Jyothy Institute of Technology, Bhaskar and Ramamurthy aspired to provide a comprehensive overview of nanomaterials and their diverse applications, spanning multiple fields of research. 

“We wanted it to be as instructive as possible where anybody who picks up the topic should be able to understand it,” Bhaskar said. Importantly, they also aimed to write the book through the lens of the one health perspective. One health is the idea that researchers should ensure the nanomaterials they develop do not cause harm to living cells or contaminate the environment.

With the nanoengineering book still in its early stages as he interviewed for postdoctoral positions, Bhaskar hoped to find an advisor who was an expert in the field of photonics, while also being supportive of his personal academic pursuits. After interviews with numerous research groups, he chose to join Cunningham’s Nanosensors group at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

“I told Brian about the book while I was interviewing for the postdoc, and he was very supportive,” said Bhaskar, who moved to Illinois in 2022. “His mentorship has been crucial in shaping the direction of my research and the development of the book.” Cunningham eventually ended up writing the foreword to the volume, and Bhaskar’s research colleagues collaborated on one of its many chapters. Now, the textbook is published online, and hard copies will soon be available for purchase. Throughout its 600 pages, readers can dive into the fundamental principles of nanomaterials and their electrochemical, photoplasmonic, antimicrobial, and anticancer applications.

“It has been inspiring to witness the editors’ commitment to bringing together a diverse range of scientific perspectives, integrating contributions from leading experts across 15+ countries,” wrote Cunningham in the foreword. “It will undoubtedly serve as an invaluable resource for researchers, practitioners, engineers, policy makers, manufacturers and students alike, guiding future explorations and inspiring new breakthroughs in this exciting field.”

As this chapter ends with the publication of their book, Bhaskar celebrates reaching this milestone in the way he knows best—by starting another book. Aiming to publish in 2025 or 2026, Bhaskar and Cunningham teamed up with esteemed scientists from India, Italy, and the United States to develop an informative volume on photo-plasmonic modalities. Beyond his writing endeavors, Bhaskar also continues to push the boundaries of science in the lab and takes full advantage of the academic and professional development opportunities associated with being an IGB fellow.

“I am deeply grateful to the IGB, its staff, and especially to IGB Director Gene Robinson for the immense support and resources provided,” Bhaskar said. “Thanks to Professor Robinson's vision, IGB fellows have access to a vast array of opportunities, ranging from organizing symposiums to forging national and international collaborations.”

And when Bhaskar finally needs to take a break from his immense workload, he would likely be found playing volleyball—his passion outside of research—or having a coffee with friends at the Etc. Coffeehouse.  

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Bhaskar, Ramamurthy, and Reddy dedicated their book to Bhagawan Sri Sathya Sai Baba on his 100th birthday, in joyous celebration of his message—Love All and Serve All. The book can be found at https://doi.org/10.1016/C2023-0-00018-8