Apurba Paul - About Me

About Me

I am an experimental physicist specializing in optical manipulation, nanoscale sensing, advanced microscopy, and scientific instrumentation. As a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Department of Electrical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame, I work with Prof. Gregory Timp at the intersection of physics, engineering, and biology.

My research at Notre Dame spans optical assembly of photonic metamaterials, nanopore and nanopipette sensing, and electron and optical microscopy. I combine precision experiments with instrument development and quantitative data analysis to investigate nanoscale materials and biological systems.

Previously, I was a Postdoctoral Fellow in Physics and Astronomy at Clemson University, working with Joshua Alper, Kimberly Paul, and Lukasz Kozubowski. My projects explored biomolecular-bond dissociation, trypanosome motility and surface-protein dynamics, and septin organization.

I received my Ph.D. in Physics from the Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, under Prof. Vasant Natarajan. My doctoral research used optical tweezers to study the biomechanics of malaria-infected red blood cells.

Work Experience

Nov 2020 - Now: Postdoctoral Research Associate, Department of Electrical Engineering, University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, IN, USA
Jan 20019 - Nov 2020: Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Clemson University, Clemson, SC, USA
March 2017 - Dec 2018: Research Associate, Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India.

Research Highlights

Optical Assembly & Photonic Metamaterials

I use optical gradient forces to organize nanoparticles into three-dimensional architectures. Time-shared standing-wave optical traps provide programmable particle assembly, while hydrogel scaffolds immobilize the structures. Repeating and joining these assemblies offers a route toward larger, heterogeneous photonic metamaterials.

[Research image placeholder: nanoparticle array or standing-wave assembly figure]

Nanopore & Nanopipette Single-Molecule Sensing

I develop and apply nanoscale electrical sensing approaches to investigate peptides, proteins, and biological samples. My work brings together solid-state nanopores and nanopipettes, high-bandwidth current measurements, and computational event analysis to characterize molecular signatures.

[Research image placeholder: nanopore micrograph and representative ionic-current trace]

Advanced Microscopy & Biological Imaging

I use complementary electron and optical microscopy to characterize nanostructures and biological systems. My work includes low-dose STEM imaging of biological specimens, alongside electron and fluorescence microscopy and quantitative image analysis. These approaches connect nanoscale structure with biological organization and dynamics.

[Research image placeholder: STEM, liquid-cell, or fluorescence micrograph]

Selected Earlier Research

Optical Tweezers Force Spectroscopy

At Clemson University, I used optical-tweezers force-ramp assays to investigate the dissociation of biological bonds. This work combined controlled optical manipulation with quantitative measurements of molecular unbinding.

[Research image placeholder: force-ramp trace or optical-trapping schematic]

Trypanosome Biophysics

I investigated trypanosome motility and the dynamics of variant surface glycoprotein (VSG) on the cell surface. These projects used optical microscopy and quantitative analysis to explore cellular motion and surface-protein transport.

[Research image placeholder: trypanosome micrograph or tracked cell trajectory]

Septin Organization

I studied the role of different septin proteins in ring and collar formation during cell division. The project explored how individual protein components contribute to higher-order cellular organization.

[Research image placeholder: fluorescence image of septin rings or collars]

Malaria & Red-Blood-Cell Biomechanics

My doctoral research at the Indian Institute of Science used optical tweezers to investigate the mechanical properties of malaria-infected red blood cells and changes in neighboring uninfected cells. This work combined precision optical manipulation with biological sample preparation and quantitative biophysical measurements.

[Research image placeholder: red-blood-cell trapping image or mechanical-response figure]

Education

2017: Ph.D. Department of Physics, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore India
2008: M.Sc. (Physics), Department of Physics, Kalyani University, Kalyani, WB, India
2006: B.Sc. (Honours in Physics), Kandi Raj College, Kandi, WB, India

Synergistic Activity

Mar 2024: Session chair, APS March meeting 2024: Acted as a session chair in the following three sessions in the conference:
1. f AA06: V: General Physics I
2. f M04: Properties of Multi-Moiré Materials
3. f NN00: Virtual Poster Session III
2023 - 2024: Member, Leadership Committee, NDnano Graduate Student and Postdoc Group.
2019-2020: Treasurer for the Clemson University Postdoctoral Association (CUPDA).
2019: Poster and Presentation Judge for the Clemson Biological Sciences Annual Student Symposium (CBASS).
2013: Served as one of the volunteers in the International Conference on Quantum Computation and Quantum Information (ICQIQC).
2010-1016: Each year served as a volunteer at the Open Day, IISc. I have done science demos as well as crowd management.
2011-2014: Each year I was one of the volunteers to help manage local transportation and accommodation of the student in the Vijyoshi National Science Camp by KVPY.
2007-2008: General Secretary, Hall Day Committee, PG-III Hostel, University of Kalyani, to organize the annual hall day and reunion program of the hostel.
2007-2008: Auditor, PG-III hostel, University of Kalyani, to audit the monthly expenditure of the hostel.
2006-2007: General Secretary, Departmental reunion committee, Department of Physics, University of Kalyani, to organize the annual reunion.

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