Apratim Chatterji
Associate Professor
Physics
Statistical physics, soft condensed matter, phase transitions, microfluidics
+91-20-25908084
apratim@iiserpune.ac.in
Apratim Chatterji completed PhD from IISc in 2002, where he worked on developing models of self-assembling polymers. In 2002-2005, he was in Mainz-Germany developing multi-scale algorithms to investigate the electrophoresis of highly charged Brownian particles. After a brief stint in Uni-Toronto, he was in FZ-Juelich-Germany using multiscale-simulations to study shear of soft-particles. He joined IISER-Pune in 2009, and since 2017 I have been using physics to understand life-processes.
Research
Statistical physics of Soft and Living Matter
Dr. Apratim Chatterji uses statistical physics to develop an understanding of the principles involved in the self-organization / self-assembly in typical soft matter systems (particles of micron-nano length scales). What are the resultant patterns formed due to interaction between macromolecules?
He has recently begun to use physics to understand self emergent shape and structure formation within the living cell, particularly the DNA. The bigger question, of course, is : How do physics processes (structure and dynamics) enable the cell to "live" ??
Dr. Chatterji uses computer simulations to explore and model the systems of interest.
Selected Publications
Mitra D., Chatterji A., (2021), Spontaneous helix formation in semiflexible polymers without confinement effects. J. Phys.: Condens. Mat., 33, 044001.
Agarwal T., Manjunath G.P, Habib F., Chatterji A (2019), Bacterial chromosome organization II: few special cross-links, cell confinement, and molecular crowders play the pivotal roles. J. Chem. Phys. 150, 144909.
Agarwal T., Manjunath G.P, Habib F., Chatterji A (2018), Origin of spatial organization of DNA-polymer in bacterial chromosomes. Europhys. Lett., 121, 18004.
Abraham A., Chatterji A. (2018), Self Assembly of linear semiflexible polymeric chain using spherically symmetric potentials., J.Chem.Phys. 148, 154901.
Shaikh M. Chatterji A. (2015), Heirarchical self assembly: Self organized nano-structures in a nematically ordered matrix of self assembled polymeric chains, Phys. Rev. E, 91, 032602.
Singh S.P., Chatterji A., Gompper G., Winkler R.W., (2013), Dynamical and rheological behaviour of ultrasoft colloids under shear flow, Macromolecules, 46, 8026.
Chatterji A., Horbach J. (2007), Electrophoretic properties of highly charged colloids., J. Chem. Phys., 126, 064907.
Chatterji A., Pandit R. (2001), Semiflexible equilibrium polymers: A self assembling molecular model, Europhys. Lett., 54, 213-219.