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P. Nandakumar

Professor

Biophysics, Optics and Microscopy, Quantum Optics
Department of Physics
BITS Pilani, K. K. Birla Goa Campus
Goa -403736

Office: Room No. D-315

Optics Laboratory

We are interested in different aspects of quantum optics, laser spectroscopy and microscopy, nonlinear optics, and its applications in various fields. Currently we are putting our efforts on developing different optical microscopic techniques suitable for biomolecular imaging. These include confocal fluorescence microscopy, multi-photon microscopy and photothermal microscopy using metallic nanoparticles as bimolecular label. Recently we developed a two-photon excitation based photothermal microscope which is capable of detecting single BaTiO3 nanoparticle labels with high sensitivity. We use the confocal and multiphoton microscopes to study biomolecular transport so as to understand the mechanism of transport through nuclear membranes. We hope to use the photothermal microscope for live tracking of biomolecules in a cell nucleus.

Group Members

  • Dr. P. Nandakumar
  • Dr. Geetha K. Varier 
  • Gorav (Ph.D. Student)
  • Manoj Kumar V. (Ph.D. Student)
  • Vrushali V. K. (Ph.D. Student)
Former Ph.D students
 
  • Dr. Shakhi P. K.
  • Dr. Bijeesh M. M, Currently at NTU, Singapore
  • (Late) Dr. Arun Karthick S. (Arun was a scientist at National Centre for Cell Sciences, Pune, when he succumbed to kidney related illness in the year 2022)

 

Sponsored Projects (Ongoing)

  • Noninvasive investigations on stem cell differentiation to neuron and induced morphogenesis using two-photon microscopy.

           Investigators: Indrani Talukdar, P. Nandakumar

           Funding Agency: BITS (CDRF)

            Amount: Rs 20 lakhs

Sponsored Projects (Completed)

  •  Studies on biomolecular transport through nuclear pore complexes using a dual fluorescence channel confocal microscope

          Principle investigator (PI): P. Nandakumar, 

          Co-PI:  Prof. Meenal Kowshik,

          Funding agency: Science and Engineering Research Board (SERB), DST. Govt. of India

          Amount: INR 44.04 Lakhs

          Duration:  2017 - 2020

 

  • Noninvasive investigation of stem cell differentiation using an in-house constructed two-photon fluorescence microscope

          Principle investigator(PI): Geetha K. Varier

           Funding agency:  DST 

          Amount: INR 32.01 Lakhs

          Duration:  2019 - 2022

 

  • Project Title:  Investigation on factors affecting nuclear accumulation of DNA studied using an   in-house constructed confocal microscope

          Principle investigator: Geetha K Varier

          Funding agency:  Department of Science and Technology, Govt. of India

 

  • Project title: Photothermal Imaging of Nuclear Transport

           Principle investigator: P. Nandakumar

           Co-PI: Meenal Kowshik, Geetha K. Varier

           Funding agency: Department of Biotechnology, Govt. of India

 

  • Project title: Studies on the optical nonlinearity of gold nanoparticle embedded BaTiO3 thin films

          Principle Investigator: P. Nandakumar

          Funding agency:  DRDO, Govt. of India