Mostofa Ataur RohmanPhysical Chemist and Alexander von Humboldt Fellow, Technical University of Dortmund

• Single-molecule FRET (smFRET)
• Fluorescence spectroscopy
• DNA biophysics: G-quadruplex and i-motif
• Copper-free click chemistry
• Super-resolution imaging (DNA-PAINT)
• FCS, TIRF microscopy and TCSPC
• Molecular dynamics simulation
• Drug and protein interactions
• Self-healing fluorophore design

• Alexander von Humboldt Foundation · since December 2024

  Humboldt postdoctoral fellowship at TU Dortmund

  One of Germany's most competitive international research awards, held in the group of Prof. Thorben Cordes at the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

• 23journal articles
• 1book chapter
• 13+conference presentations
• 2manuscripts in preparation

• ChemPhysChem (Wiley-VCH) · 2026 · front cover, issue 8

  Single-Molecule Förster Resonance Energy Transfer with a Minimalistic 3D-Printed Setup and Dyes in the Blue-Green Spectral Region

  Moya Muñoz, G. G.; Luna Piedra, J. R.; Con, P.; Rohman, M. A.; Lu, S.; Peulen, T.-O.; Cordes, T. Vol. 27, e202500909. DOI 10.1002/cphc.202500909. A low-cost 3D-printed smFRET platform with blue-green dyes, from the Humboldt fellowship work at TU Dortmund.

• Journal of Physical Chemistry B · 2025

  How Do Molecular Crowders Influence Ligand Binding Kinetics with G-Quadruplex DNA? The Role of Bound Water

  Alam, P.; Chand, A. K.; Sahu, H.; Rohman, M. A.; Clovis, N. S.; Sardana, D.; Puri, S.; Sen, S. Vol. 129, pp 2958 to 2970.

• Journal of Physical Chemistry A · 2021

  Deciphering Spectroscopic and Structural Insights into the Photophysical Behavior of 2,2'-Dipyridylamine: An Efficient Environment Sensitive Fluorescence Probe

  Rohman, M. A.; Phanrang, P. T.; Chamlagai, D.; Mitra, S. Vol. 125, pp 6964 to 6975.

• New Journal of Chemistry · 2021

  Visible Light-Promoted Synthesis of Pyrrolidinone Derivatives via Rose Bengal as a Photoredox Catalyst and Their Photophysical Studies

  Dutta, A.; Rohman, M. A.; Nongrum, R.; Thongni, A.; Mitra, S.; Nongkhlaw, R. Vol. 45, pp 8136 to 8148.

• Journal of Photochemistry and Photobiology B · 2020

  Exploring the Interaction of Bioactive Kaempferol with Serum Albumin, Lysozyme, and Hemoglobin: A Biophysical Investigation

  Das, S.; Hazarika, Z.; Sarmah, S.; Baruah, K.; Rohman, M. A.; Paul, D.; Jha, A. N.; Roy, A. R. Vol. 205, 111825.

• Physical Chemistry Chemical Physics · 2020

  Targeting the Heme Protein Hemoglobin by (-)-Epigallocatechin Gallate: Polyphenol-Protein Association Using Multi-Spectroscopic and Molecular Docking Methods

  Das, S.; Sarmah, S.; Hazarika, Z.; Rohman, M. A.; Sarkhel, P.; Jha, A. N.; Roy, A. R. Vol. 22, pp 2212 to 2228.

• New Journal of Chemistry · 2019

  Fluorescence Solvatochromism and Modulated Anticholinergic Activity of Novel Coumarin Compounds in Human Serum Albumin Matrix

  Rohman, M. A.; Baruah, P.; Bhattacharjee, D.; Myrboh, B.; Mitra, S. Vol. 43, pp 18713 to 18725.

• Journal of Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics · 2019

  Fluorescence Modulation of ESIPT Probe 3-Formyl-4-Hydroxy Benzoic Acid Encapsulated in the Protein Binding Domain of Serum Albumins

  Rohman, M. A.; Saha, K.; Mitra, S. Vol. 37, pp 4737 to 4746.

• Book chapter · Nova Science Publishers, New York · 2019

  Application of Luminol as Solvatochromic Probe and Fluorescent Biomarker for Heterogeneous Media

  Moyon, N. S.; Singh, I. R.; Rohman, M. A.; Baruah, P.; Sonu, V. K.; Mitra, S. In Advances in Chemistry Research, Vol. 54, pp 177 to 245.

• Further papers

  Sixteen more journal articles

  In Applied Organometallic Chemistry, Chemical Physics, Journal of Molecular Liquids, ChemistrySelect, Spectrochimica Acta, Colloids and Surfaces B, Organic and Biomolecular Chemistry, BioImpacts and others.

Manuscripts in preparation

• Manuscript in preparation · 2026

  G-Quadruplex Stabilization and i-Motif Destabilization by Ligands: Essential for Gene Regulation

  Ligands that stabilise G-quadruplex DNA while destabilising i-motif DNA, and why that combined effect matters for gene regulation. Being prepared for journal submission.

• Manuscript in preparation · 2026

  Modular Copper-Free Click Chemistry as Strategy for Self-Healing Fluorophore Bioconjugation

  A modular copper-free click strategy for attaching self-healing fluorophores to biomolecules, from the Humboldt fellowship work at TU Dortmund. Being prepared for journal submission.

1. Humboldt Postdoctoral Fellow, Physical Chemistry

   Current

   Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Biology, Technical University of Dortmund, Germany · Prof. Thorben Cordes

   December 2024 to present · Alexander von Humboldt Foundation fellowship

   Designs and synthesises self-healing fluorophores with linker-attached photostabilisers to reduce photobleaching, develops copper-free click chemistry labelling for biomolecules, runs smFRET, ALEX, FCS, TIRF and TCSPC measurements on a MicroTime 200, and purifies DNA conjugates by reverse-phase chromatography.

   • Linker molecules that convert commercial fluorophores into tailored probes during biolabelling: synthesis, spectroscopic characterisation and biophysical applications.
   • Modular copper-free click chemistry for self-healing fluorophores in single-molecule studies.
   • Self-blinking fluorophore conjugation on DNA origami for super-resolution calibration.
   • Photoresponsive dye-caged imager strands for controlled super-resolution imaging in DNA-PAINT.

2. Visiting Fellow, School of Physical Sciences

   Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi · lab of Prof. Sobhan Sen

   February to September 2024

   Continued the G-quadruplex DNA dynamics and ligand-kinetics work in crowded conditions, extending the smFRET and FCS studies and collaborating on large-scale molecular dynamics publications.

3. Postdoctoral Fellow, School of Physical Sciences

   Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi · Prof. Sobhan Sen

   February 2022 to February 2024

   Project: conformational heterogeneity and ligand interaction kinetics of nucleic acid structures in cell-like crowded conditions. Studied G-quadruplex and i-motif DNA folding with home-built smFRET and dual-channel FCS setups, ran all-atom molecular dynamics including well-tempered metadynamics on ligand-DNA interactions, built and modified the dual-channel FCS setup, and used circular dichroism, UV-vis spectroscopy and AutoDock Vina for structural characterisation. Teaching assistant for postgraduate physical chemistry courses, July to December 2023.

4. Lecturer in Chemistry

   Ajmal College of Arts, Commerce and Science, Hojai, Assam

   September 2020 to February 2022

   Taught undergraduate chemistry and mentored a cohort of 30 students on research fundamentals, careers and scientific writing.

5. Doctoral Researcher

   Department of Chemistry, North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong · Prof. Sivaprasad Mitra

   October 2014 to January 2020

   Thesis: spectroscopic studies on some fluorescent organic molecules and their complexes with supramolecular hosts. Solvatochromism of fluorescent drugs and dyes; host-guest interactions in cyclodextrin, macrocyclic and protein environments; ESIPT excited-state dynamics measured with nanosecond TCSPC and femtosecond transient absorption; drug-protein binding characterised with circular dichroism, molecular docking and spectroscopic titration.

• Doctorate · 2014 to 2020

  PhD in Chemistry

  North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong. Supervisor: Prof. Sivaprasad Mitra, Department of Chemistry.

• Postgraduate · 2012 to 2014

  MSc Chemistry

  North-Eastern Hill University, Shillong

• Undergraduate · 2009 to 2012

  BSc Chemistry

  Gauhati University, Assam

• Poster · October 2026 · Berlin

  Tunable Linker Molecules to Establish New Self-Healing Dyes for Single-Molecule Imaging

  31st International Workshop on Single Molecule Spectroscopy and Super-resolution Microscopy. Rohman, Lantzius-Beninga, Köhler, Lu, Peulen, Herrmann, Cordes.

• Invited talk · July 2026 · IIT Mandi

  Expanding Self-Healing Dyes towards the Blue-Green Spectral Region via Modular Linkers

  Indian Institute of Technology Mandi, Himachal Pradesh. Invited lecture on the linker-based self-healing dye work from the Humboldt fellowship at TU Dortmund.

• Poster · January 2024 · BARC, Mumbai

  Kinetics of Rhodamine 6G and G-Quadruplex DNA Interaction: An Experimental and Simulation Study

  TSRP-2024. Rohman, Alam, Sahu, Chand, Sen.

• Poster · December 2023 · IISER Mohali

  Kinetics of Ligand Interaction with G-Quadruplex DNA Using FCS and MD Simulation

  FCS-2023. Rohman, Alam, Sahu, Chand, Sen.

• Poster · February 2023 · JNU, New Delhi

  Effect of Dehydrating Agent on the Kinetics of Ligand/G-Quadruplex DNA Interaction

  CRSI-2023. Rohman, Alam, Chand, Sahu, Sen.

• Oral · October to November 2019 · NEHU, Shillong

  Spectroscopic Studies of Substituted Coumarin Derivatives with Acetylcholinesterase Inhibition Activity in Human Serum Albumin Matrix

  RTC-2019.

• Invited talk · December 2017 · MGU Kottayam

  Intramolecular Proton Transfer in 3-Formyl-4-Hydroxy Benzoic Acid: Multiple Emissive Species in Protein Nano-Cavities

  ICMS. Six further posters at FCS-2018 (JNU), TSRP-2018 (BARC), FICS-2018 (IIT Guwahati), NSC3-2018 and ETC-2016 (NEHU) and ISRAC-2015 (NEHU).

• United Kingdom

  University of Bristol, School of Chemistry

  Prof. M. Carmen Galan

• Germany

  RWTH Aachen University

  Institute of Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, Prof. Dr Andreas Herrmann

• Ukraine

  Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, Kyiv

  Prof. Dr Semen O. Yesylevskyy, one co-authored publication

• India

  CSIR-Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, Hyderabad

  Dr Prakriti Ranjan Bangal, one co-authored publication

• India

  BITS Pilani

  Prof. Dr Dalip Kumar, one co-authored publication

• India

  NIT Shillong

  Dr Atanu Singha Roy, eight co-authored publications