Prof Subramania Ranganathan received his BSc, and MSc (1957), both from Madras University. After a brief stint in the Biochemistry Department at Central Leather Research Institute (CLRI), Chennai, he pursued his doctoral studies at the Ohio State University where he held the Sloan Kettering Foundation Fellowship for three years. He received PhD (1962) under the guidance of Prof Harold Shechter, then worked with Prof R B Woodward (Nobel Laureate) at Harvard University (1962-64) and also at Woodward Research Institute (1964-66), Basel, Switzerland. While working with Woodward, he played a key experimental role in the development of Woodward-Hoffmann Rules in the course of Vitamin B12 synthesis. He completed the total synthesis of Cephalosporin-C, which was the Nobel Lecture delivered by Woodward. Prof Ranganathan’smajor research contributions involve organic synthesis, reaction mechanisms, protein engineering, crafting of new reagents and design of new reactions, non-covalent self assembly, protein evolution, role of zinc in molecular biology and biosilicification, covering over 200 publications. He also co-authored over a dozen books.
Proferssor Ranganathan joined the Chemistry Department, IIT Kanpur in 1966 and held various positions, Professor, Head of the Chemistry Department, and Dean (Professor-in-Charge), before retiring in 1994. He was INSA Senior Scientist (1994-99), first at RRL Trivandrum and then at Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT), Hyderabad, where he has been Honorary Scientist since.
He is survived by a son, Dr AnandRanganathan, ICGEB, New Delhi.
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(wrote on 26th Jan, 2016)
Put simply, Professor Ranganathan was a legendary teacher, educating and inspiring, both!!! His books ‘Art in Organic Synthesis-Part-I and Part-II’ were referred to in the Nobel Prize lecture of E. J. Corey. Woodward also cited these books in his lectures. His other book ‘Fascinating Problems in Organic Reaction Mechanism’ has been used by organic chemists of many generations, all over the World. Almost always dressed elegantly in blue, a master of the English language, Ranga was held in such a high esteem by the students that his mere sight was considered motivating! Ranga liked to dress in blue to emulate his pos-doc advisor, the legendary synthetic chemist R. B. Woodward. Ranga had a picture of Woodward in his office nicely portrayed on a board, just next to his desk; sight of this was stimulating to anyone passing by Ranga’s office, on the fourth floor of the faculty building. Ranga’s passion for chemistry was both inspiring and contagious. Over the course of about three decades at IIT Kanpur, his inspiration helped launch successful careers in chemistry of countless students, who ever came in contact with him.
While I was writing my thesis (1978), I used to visit Ranga’s house in type VI, where Ranga, Darshana, and I used to work until late at night. This routine continued for weeks until the thesis was all written up and sent out to examiners. I wonder if Ranga had any other interests besides chemistry.
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(wrote on 13th Jan, 2016)
We the CSIR-NIIST members mourn on the sad demise of Prof. Ranganathan, who was a former associate of this institute. May the departed soul rest in peace.
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(wrote on 15th Jan, 2016)
I am saddened by the demise of Prof. Ranganathan. He taught us organic chemistry in 1992 in the first semester of our 2 yr. M.Sc. course. I still remember the lectures especially the Woodward-Hoffman rules.
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(wrote on 30th Jan, 2016)
Message for Ranganathan family: I will always fondly remember Ranga as an inspiring teacher.
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(wrote on 2nd Feb, 2016)
Message for family: Message condolences. wonderful person, great teacher and inspiring scientist.
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(wrote on 2nd Feb, 2016)
It was a privilege to have taken classes from Prof. Ranganathan, who as Woodward's post-doc at Harvard played a key role in the total synthesis of Vitamin B-12 and completed the synthesis of Cephalosporin-C (which won the Nobel for Woodward.) Perhaps the most fitting tribute to his memory is the quotation from Woodward's Cope Award Lecture where Woodward says, "AND NOW, I approach the climax of my narrative. During 1963 and early 1964, as a superbly gifted member of my post-doctoral group...Dr. Subramania Ranganathan was investigating ..our objective of effecti ng the total synthesis of Vitamin B-12. Many of you will recognize him, not only for his subsequent original work, but also as the author of those delightful books ---Art in Organic Synthesis, Fascinating Problems in Organic Reaction Mechanisms, and Challenging Problems in Organic Reaction Mechanisms."
With my deepest sympathy to his family and colleagues...May his Soul rest in peace.
Prof. Rama (swami) Viswanathan,
Long Beach, CA (M.Sc., IITK, 1975)
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(wrote on 4th Feb, 2016)
Prof Ranganathan taught us Organic Chemistry during our MSc in 1973-75 at IIT Kanpur. He taught us love this subject - he was passionate about it. My condolences to his grieving family.
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(wrote on 14th Sep, 2016)
Professor Ranganathan was my idol 1 I used to listen to his lectures with rapt attention trying to absorb the high level of synthetic organic chemistry that he discussed with amazing fluidity and clarity. India has lost one of its best synthetic organic chemists ever !
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