Professor Jiban Kanti Dattagupta (1945–2026)

Professor Jiban Kanti Dattagupta, a nationally and internationally acclaimed crystallographer, passed away peacefully at his residence in Newtown, Kolkata, on January 22, 2026. A visionary scientist and dedicated educator, he leaves behind a profound legacy in the field of structural biology. He is survived by his beloved wife, Mrs. Sagarika Dattagupta, his daughter, son-in-law, and grandchildren.

Early Life and Education

Born on May 1, 1945, in Brahmanbaria (in pre-independence, undivided Bengal), Prof. Dattagupta was the youngest son of the late Mr. Jagadish Chandra Dattagupta and Mrs. Mrinmoyee Dattagupta. He spent his formative years in Hailakandi, Assam, where he completed his early education.
His academic journey was marked by excellence:

• Undergraduate: Physics, Scottish Church College, Kolkata.
• Post-Graduation: Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur.
• Doctorate: Ph.D. in Crystallography from the Saha Institute of Nuclear Physics (SINP), Kolkata, under the mentorship of Prof. N.N. Saha.

A Pioneer in Protein Crystallography

Prof. Dattagupta’s career was defined by his role as a pioneer. After a productive tenure (1972–1976) with the renowned crystallographer Prof. Wolfram Saenger in Göttingen, Germany, he returned to India to join the faculty of the Crystallography and Molecular Biology Division at SINP.
In a landmark contribution to regional science, he established the first protein crystallography laboratory in Eastern India. His international collaborations continued throughout his career, including a two-year stint as a visiting fellow at Edgar Meyer’s laboratory, Texas A&M University (USA), between 1981 and 1983. Even after his formal retirement, he continued to serve the scientific community as an Emeritus Professor of CSIR at SINP.

Leadership and Scientific Legacy

Prof. Dattagupta’s research primarily focused on structure-based protein engineering. His work was widely published in prestigious, peer-reviewed journals, including EMBO J, Nucleic Acids Research, Journal of Molecular Biology, and Biochemistry.
His leadership extended to several national and international bodies:

• Indian Crystallographic Association (ICA): Founder Secretary (2001–2003), Vice President (2004–2007), and President (2008–2010).
• Fellowships: Fellow of the National Academy of Sciences (Allahabad) and the West Bengal Academy of Science and Technology.
• International Membership: Active member of the International Union of Crystallography (IUCr).

Prof. Jiban Kanti Dattagupta will be remembered not only for his scientific brilliance and the institutions he helped build but also for his lifelong commitment to mentoring generations of students in the intricacies of protein crystallography.