Eminent structural biologist M. Vijayan, DAE Homi Bhabha Professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), passed away in Bengaluru on Sunday morning. Prof. Vijayan, who was instrumental in the development of macromolecular crystallography in India, was 80.
Born in Cherpu, Thrissur, in 1941, Prof. Vijayan graduated from the Kerala Varma College, and continued his studies in Allahabad University, before pursuing his PhD in X-ray Crystallography from IISc, Bangalore. His main research areas covered protein structures, lectins, and interactions of mycobacterial proteins.
“One of the foremost crystallographers of India, Prof. Vijayan successfully established & expanded macromolecular crystallography in the country. He also mentored several successful researchers in his laboratory at MBU, IISc. He will be deeply missed and fondly remembered forever,” the Molecular Biophysics Unit (MBU), IISc, tweeted on Sunday.
