Other links:
Other links:
Assistant Professor Research, Biology
Ph.D, CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical BiologyAbhishek Mazumder is a biophysicist who uses single-molecule approaches to uncover how dynamic molecular machines control gene expression and cellular behavior. His research operates at the interface of physics, chemistry, and biology, with a strong focus on inventing new technologies that allow biomolecules to be observed in action rather than interpreted from static snapshots.
The Mazumder laboratory develops advanced fluorescence strategies, including single-particle tracking and single-molecule FRET, to follow structural changes of proteins in real time and increasingly inside living cells. By integrating molecular engineering, high-resolution microscopy, and quantitative analysis, the group exposes transient states, kinetic pathways, and hidden heterogeneity that are invisible to conventional methods. This ability to directly visualize molecular decision-making is transforming how we understand regulation in bacteria and beyond.
At Ashoka University, the lab is pushing these innovations toward problems of urgent biomedical relevance. By mapping how transcription complexes and coupled molecular machines operate in native environments, the group seeks to uncover mechanistic vulnerabilities that can seed entirely new therapeutic ideas. The lab offers a deeply interdisciplinary training environment where students gain expertise in microscopy, chemical biology, and data-intensive research while working on frontier questions in molecular science.
1. Mukherjee, P., Alim, Sk., Shahu, S., Mandal, S., Chattopadhyay K., Ganji, M., Mazumder, A.* (2026) Single-molecule experiments reveal NusG displaces transcription initiation factor σ⁷⁰ from mature elongation complexes. Nucleic Acids Research, Volume 54, Issue 2, 27 January. *Corresponding Author
2. Wang, A., Fletcher, A., Mukherjee, P., Grainger, D., Mazumder, A.*, Kapanidis, A.N.* (2025). The displacement of the σ70 finger in initial transcription is highly heterogeneous and promoter dependent. Nucleic Acids Research, (accepted, in press). *Corresponding Author
3. Mukherjee, P., and Mazumder, A.* (2024) Crowding results in opposite effects on two critical sub-steps of transcription initiation. FEBS Letters, 598, 1022-1033. *Corresponding author.
4. Kümmerlin, M., Mazumder, A.*, Kapanidis, A.N.*(2022) Bleaching-resistant single-molecule fluorescence and FRET monitoring based on fluorophore exchange via transient DNA binding. ChemPhysChem (cover article). *Corresponding author.
5. Mazumder, A*, Ebright, R.H., Kapanidis, A.N.* Transcription initiation at a consensus bacterial promoter proceeds via a “bind-unwind-load-and-lock” mechanism. (2021) Oct 7, Elife; *Corresponding author.
6. Mazumder, A*, Wang, A., Uhm, H., Ebright, R.H., Kapanidis, A.N.* (2021) RNA polymerase clamp conformational dynamics: long-lived states and modulation by crowding, cations and non-specific binding. Nucleic Acids Res; Mar 21, 49,2790–2802; *Corresponding author.
7. Mazumder, A., Lin, M., Kapanidis, A., Ebright, R.H. (2020). Closing and opening of the RNA polymerase trigger loop. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA, 2020 Jul 7;117(27):15642-15649.
8. Lin, W., Das, K., Degen, D., Mazumder, A., Duchi, D., Wang, D., Ebright, Y.W., Ebright, R.Y., Sineva, E., Gigliotti, M. et al. (2018) Structural Basis of Transcription Inhibition by Fidaxomicin (Lipiarmycin A3). Molecular Cell, 70, 60-71 e15.
2022 DBT-India Alliance Intermediate Fellowship (Basic Biomedical Sciences).
2020 Ramalingaswami Re-entry Fellowship, DBT, India.
2013 Charles and Johanna Busch Postdoctoral Award, Rutgers University, USA.
2007 Senior Research Fellowship, CSIR, India.
2005 Junior Research Fellowship, CSIR, India.
2003 Satish Sinha Memorial Award, University of Calcutta, India.
