The best outcomes from research come from the personal motivation to translate knowledge into something meaningful for the real world !

Sumanta Samanta (PhD), our next pathbreaker, Research Scientist at GlucoModicum Ltd (Helsinki, Finland), works towards the company’s vision of delivering the first needle-free glucose monitoring solution for people with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes.

Sumanta talks to Shyam Krishnamurthy from The Interview Portal about broadening his knowledge from the field of materials chemistry and extending it to translational biomedical research !

For students, finding a way to apply your theoretical & extensive academic knowledge (in any natural science stream) for practical solutions – is what one can best thrive for !

Sumanta, what were your initial years like?

I was born and brought up in a small village called Raina in West Bengal. I did my entire schooling there (up to class XII), then I moved to the town, called Burdwan (now Purba Barddhaman) for my undergraduate studies. Looking back now, I had an extremely challenging yet satisfying time throughout. It was very tough as I belonged to a lower-middle-class family. My father had a small shop in the village, which he eventually had to close due to financial crises, ended up working as a security guard in a factory, and finally as a laboratory chemist in a private company. Amidst all the difficulties, and although my parents couldn’t provide me with the best support (if I compare myself to others only), both constantly encouraged me and my sister to try hard and do our best so that we can live a better life. A lot of credit goes to my mother, especially for her support, safeguarding mentally in difficult times, and constant encouragement. 

As a young boy, I wished to be a pilot flying in the sky, which gradually evolved into a desire to be a scientist as a more practical option given my background and resources. Cricket, like millions of other young people, was and still is my breath of fresh air. I recall having to run to the ground right after school, no matter what. I’ve been following the game since I was eight, and despite all the complaints about it happening too much, I still like it, and I’m a part of it in a different way, which I’ll explain later.  

What did you do for graduation/post-graduation?

I studied Chemistry during my undergraduate studies and decided to go for a master’s in applied chemistry, which wasn’t a very popular choice in my state. Most students and in fact, all my colleagues from college days studied for master’s in chemistry from all over India including IITs and they are extremely successful now.  I studied applied chemistry because I was hoping to secure a job somehow. Applied chemistry had a very interesting subject combination that allowed me to study more materials sciences (including polymer sciences) rather than traditional inorganic, organic, or physical chemistry. I was fortunate enough to fund all my studies with the help of different scholarships including Inspire Fellowships during my undergraduate & postgraduate studies. 

Subsequently, I also did my MTech in Material Sciences & Engineering (IIT Kharagpur) and PhD (Faculty of Medicines and health technology ) from Tampere University, Finland.

What were some of the factors that led you to such an offbeat, unconventional, and uncommon career?

I was studying for my MSc in one of the best possible places I could have ever imagined at that stage. I did my MSc from Ramakrishna Mission Vidyamandira, Belur Math, Howrah. The fact that I couldn’t secure a rank in JAM to study for my master’s in those top IITs was such a blessing in disguise. At Vidyamandira, I spent the best two years of my life with divine wisdom, learned the basics of life, and decided to pursue something harder. My journey as a researcher began here during my MSc thesis involving polymers for energy harvesting applications, which was a collaborative work with Presidency University, Kolkata. I can’t take one name, the entire event of doing my MSc at Vidyamandira was the turning point of my life.

I was so determined to do well, find a job and not go for further studies, though I ended up securing a decent rank in GATE. Our revered Principal Maharaj kept telling me, “Why don’t you study M. Tech in one of the IITs and you’ll have a much better prospect of a decent job?”. So, my job hunt continued, and instead of a PhD, I did my second master’s, MTech in Materials Sciences and Engineering from IIT Kharagpur.

Tell us about your career path.

I started an altogether different life at IIT (I would never compare that to that at Ramakrishna Mission as both have their charms in opposite ways) with high hopes. The plan was to secure a job during placement. Over the next year, my supervisor convinced me to travel to Dresden, Germany for my thesis with the DAAD fellowship to widen my knowledge and tap into the possibilities I would have never dared to imagine when I started my undergraduate studies. I (or we as a family) still haven’t traveled outside West Bengal for a leisure trip. Funny as it may sound to many of you, it was a dream come true moment for me to be onboard a flight. After a very productive experience in Dresden, Germany, I came back and defended my MTech. thesis which was a collaborative work between Leibniz Institute of Polymer Research Dresden and IIT Kharagpur. I was still working in the areas of nanomaterial-reinforced polymer nanocomposites for energy harvesting applications. My thesis there was focused on thermoelectric energy materials for waste to heat conversion. As part of that thesis, I had the opportunity to work with graphene derivatives. This experience proved to be handy as I managed a job as well in Bengaluru in a start-up company then.  

Everything was set, I even figured out my accommodation (as a PG) at Bengaluru. Two days before my train to Bengaluru, I got an email from my current PhD supervisor that my application for a Marie-Curie co-funded project was selected for funding and that I could pursue doctoral research at Tampere, Finland. I openly discussed the offer with the CEO of the company, and they happily let me go although I signed a binding contract. So, this was the moment when I switched my field from energy to healthcare. I had experience with diverse materials synthesis and characterizations from my two master’s degrees (both theoretical and hands-on); however, I last studied biology during the 10th standard.  

I had the choice to stay in my field where I was developing my expertise gradually, but I strongly felt drawn towards solving healthcare challenges. Additionally, an opportunity within a Marie-curie-funded project was overwhelming at that point, and I decided to embark on a new journey. All I wanted was to improve my family situation, and eventually, get into a position where I could earn decent money (I dare say enough money if I look back at where I belonged) and still pursue my childhood dream of being a scientist. I must admit that my supervisor at IIT Kharagpur suggested that I pursue a research career, and I got an offer from the University of Melbourne to work on solar cells before signing a contract with the company in Bangalore, to work on batteries. I denied that offer and decided to join the company. Yet the PhD opportunity changed all my decisions. I consider it my destiny that I’m now in Finland.

In July 2017, I moved to Finland and started my doctoral research journey on tissue engineering applications. Primarily, I was leveraging my expertise in materials, and synthesizing functional hydrogel scaffolds (made of natural polymers) for different applications, e.g., corneal tissue regeneration, macrophage modulation for improving wound healing, and polymeric nanoparticles for glioblastoma (brain tumor) therapy. It was indeed yet another very interesting and productive four-year phase in my life as I had to learn biology literally from scratch. I’m no expert in these biomedical fields, but thanks to my doctoral research, I can define myself as a Biomedical engineer (with a biomaterials specialization).

So, I have broadened my knowledge of materials and extended it to the biomedical field. And that’s the kind of expertise/profile GlucoModicum was looking for. At GlucoModicum, we have a very diverse team of data scientists, software and hardware engineers, physicists, biotechnologists, regulatory experts, analytical chemists, and biosensor experts. I brought in my knowledge of materials chemistry and hydrogels which are key to our device operation and continuous R&D improvements. 

How did you get your first break?

I agree to some extent that finding an industrial position in a startup in Europe can be difficult, only if one’s approach is scattered. You have to identify the gap that you can fill in with your expertise, the job application is not merely about fulfilling the advertised criteria, it is rather a proactive research about the company where you want to apply and presenting your cover/application letter stating how the company will benefit from your expertise. In my experience, companies simply don’t want to know your expertise, they are more interested in your approach to utilizing that expertise to successfully grow their company. And that’s the biggest difference compared to applying in academia, where your expertise might be enough to secure you a position. It is more about personal growth in a very stimulating environment in a good lab or good institute, whereas in a company the growth needs to be mutual. 

What were some of the challenges you faced? How did you address them?

I started my doctoral research, I got married, and when everything seemed to be getting better slowly, my father passed away after a sudden massive heart attack at his workplace at the age of 60. He didn’t have a single health issue. Life went on and I had several other setbacks in my personal life (it won’t be appropriate to discuss them all in the public forum). I was devastated, but I was lucky enough to have my wife standing firm beside me, helping me to overcome all those setbacks. 

Even before that, during my high school and early college days, it was so uncertain how far I could study with a complete financial disaster at my home, and so I approached several individuals to help me with bare minimum contributions. A lot of people did help me, and their contributions immensely supported me.

I have faced several difficulties up until now. All I’m saying is that if you think you are struggling and need to break that ice ceiling, just stay in the present, and work hard with passion and dedication. 

Where do you work now? Tell us about your current role

I work as a Research Scientist – Biomaterials at GlucoModicum, a EU-funded MedTech company based in Helsinki, Finland. My work contributes directly to the company’s vision of delivering the first needle-free glucose monitoring solution for people with diabetes or at risk of developing diabetes. My main responsibility in the company is to further develop and optimize the biocompatible skin-sensor interface by leveraging my knowledge of functional hydrogels, materials science, and biotechnology that I have acquired in all my past academic stints.

The very fact that I’m Type-2 diabetic (was diagnosed at the age of 26) and I’m working towards addressing the problems associated with it, I couldn’t have asked for a better start for my professional career. Every morning, I come to work for a direct cause.

What is a typical day at work?

A typical day at work for me means conducting laboratory research, supervising technicians on our team, and participating in R&D and product development meetings with various teams within our company and with external partners. I am in a very unique spot where I can’t compare myself to a normal academic/post-doc researcher, yet my task requires significant brainstorming, and continuous effort to stay up-to-date with the ever-evolving MedTech market. My task is no longer restricted to laboratory R&D only, I also contribute to the big picture of our company.

How does your work benefit society? 

Diabetes is one of the top 10 causes of death globally and there is a significant upsurge of diabetic patients all over the world. I’m not going to talk here about the root causes, but I can assure you that we need ongoing blood sugar monitoring to lead a healthy life. Lifestyle obviously plays a big part in diabetes. The important question at present is how a patient or at-risk patient can decide on their own what works better for their diabetes management. Here comes the concept of continuous glucose monitoring (CGM), where you’re not solely relying on fingerprick blood glucose values (which is still the gold standard but doesn’t represent the dynamic changes throughout the day). We want to empower people to live healthier by enabling accurate, convenient, and affordable glucose monitoring with our device. 

Tell us an example of a specific memorable work you did that is very close to you!

I have had many research outcomes that are very close to me, but I won’t pick them as memorable as none have been translated into applications. I strongly believe my current work will give me that opportunity soon. So, fingers crossed!

Your advice to students based on your experience?

Finding a way to apply your theoretical & extensive academic knowledge (in any natural science stream) for practical solutions – is what one can best thrive for. We often get advice to follow/pursue what we like/love – in general we never think about how that knowledge translates into something meaningful. Unfortunately, in academia (especially in any natural science stream), we are not trained to identify problems/research gaps/market demand at a young age. And that’s what I’d like to suggest to all aspiring young individuals – the sooner you identify why you are studying, the more the chance of ending up on a satisfying career path if not a very successful one.

Also, I must advise you to be engaged in something else other than your professional career. At times, you will require a diversion to free up your mind, or rather boost your energy and get your head in the right place. Figure out your ways of how you can be more productive (it can be anything), remember it is all about working smarter and not harder. For me it is cricket. I’m a management team member of the Finnish Cricket Association (FCA). Cricket is hell different in these small associate countries if you compare it against the big names like India, Australia, etc. I’m trying to be involved with the development of the game here in Finland. Besides, I’ve done certifications in umpiring, and other than my status as an elite panel umpire in FCA, I managed to officiate a few T20 internationals (ICC games) in the past as well. This is another dimension of me who has a keen interest in umpiring at the highest level. 

Future Plans?

I do not have a solid answer for you. First & foremost, I see myself working towards solving any MedTech issue, either in regenerative medicine or in the biosensing field. It is possible to work towards that cause either from academia or industry. As long as I’m developing my personal and professional knowledge and I see that leading to my own and organizational growth wherever I’m working, I am happy to put my best foot forward. In a nutshell, I’m exploring and happy to see what lies ahead in the future!