Pushkar Lele is currently an Assistant Professor at Texas A&M University.

Education

  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark DE, 2010

  • Bachelor, Chemical Engineering, UDCT, Mumbai, India, 2005

Professional Positions

  • Assistant Professor, Chemical Engineering, Texas A&M University, College Station TX, 2015-present

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular and Cellular Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge MA, 2010-2015

  • Teaching Assistant, Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark DE, 2007-2008

  • Graduate Research Assistant, Chemical Engineering, University of Delaware, Newark DE, 2005-2010

Publications

Biomolecular/Biophysics (*corresponding author)

  • P. P. Lele*, T. Roland, A. Shrivastava, Y. Chen, H. C. Berg, “The flagellar motor of Caulobacter crescentus generates more torque when a cell swims backward”, Nature Physics, doi:10.1038/nphys3528. In the news:

  • P. P. Lele*, A. Shrivastava, T. Roland, H. C. Berg, “Response thresholds in bacterial chemotaxis”, Science Advances, DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1500299.

  • A. Shrivastava, P. P. Lele, H. C. Berg, “Gliding is driven by a rotary motor”, Current Biology (2015), 25 (3), 338-341. In the news:

  • P. P. Lele* & H. C. Berg, “Switching of Bacterial Flagellar Motors Triggered by Mutant FliG”, Biophysical Journal (2015), 108 (5), 1275-1280.

  • P. P. Lele, Basarab G. Hosu, H. C. Berg, “Dynamics of mechanosensing in the bacterial flagellar motor”, Proceedings of the National of Academy of Sciences, USA (2013), 110 (29), 11839-11844. In the news: 

  • P. P. Lele, R. W. Branch, V. Nathan, H. C. Berg, “Mechanism for adaptive remodeling of the bacterial flagellar switch”, Proceedings of the National of Academy of Sciences, USA (2012), 109 (49), 20018-20022.

  • J. Wu, N. Shekhar, P. P. Lele, T. P. Lele, “FRAP analysis: accounting for bleaching during image capture”, PLoS ONE (2012), 7(8): e42854.

Nanotechnology/Soft-Matter

  • P. P. Lele, J. W. Swan, J. F. Brady, N. J. Wagner, E. M. Furst, “Colloidal diffusion and hydrodynamic screening near boundaries”, Soft Matter (2011), 7, 6844-6852.

  • P. P. Lele, E. M. Furst, “Assemble-and-Stretch method for creating two- and three-dimensional structures of anisotropic particles,” Langmuir (2009), 25, 8875-8878.

  • J. P. Singh, P. P. Lele, et al, “One and two dimensional assembly of colloidal ellipsoids in AC electric fields”, Physical Review E (2009), 79, 050401-050404.

  • P. P. Lele, M. Mittal, E. M. Furst, “Anomalous particle rotation and resulting microstructure of colloids in AC electric fields,” Langmuir (2008), 24(22), 12842-12848.

  • M. Mittal, P. P. Lele, E. W. Kaler, E. M. Furst, “Polarization and interactions of colloidal particles in AC electric fields”, Journal of Chemical Physics (2008), 129 (6), 064513-064519.

Awards

  • Best poster award, 20th Annual Boston Bacterial Meeting, Cambridge, MA (2014).

  • Semifinalist, Burroughs Wellcome Fund Careers at the Scientific Interface (2013).

  • Robert Macnab award for Outstanding presentation by a young investigator, Bacterial locomotion and Signal transduction Conference, New Orleans, LA (2011).

  • Best poster award, 11th Tiger-Hen-Hawk (Princeton-Delaware-Lehigh) Rheology Symposium, Newark, DE (2008).

Select Invited Talks

  • P. P. Lele, “Bacterial mechanosensing: flagellar motors as mechanosensors”, Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Albany, NY (2014).

  • P. P. Lele, “Adaptation via remodeling of protein complexes in the bacterial flagellar motor”, MIT Parsons Microbial Systems seminar series, Cambridge, MA (2014).

  • P. P. Lele, “Dynamics of mechanosensing in the bacterial flagellar motor”, Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms, Gordon Research Conference, Ventura, CA (2014).

  • P. P. Lele, “Mechanosensing in molecular motors”, Sensory Transduction in Microorganisms, Gordon Research Seminar, Ventura, CA (2014).

  • P. P. Lele, “Dynamics of passive and active colloids”, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India (2011).

Select Presentations and Posters

  • P. P. Lele, A. Shrivastava, H. C. Berg, “Long-term memory in chemotaxis”, Boston Bacterial Meeting, June 12-13, 2014, Boston, MA.

  • P. P. Lele, R. W. Branch, V. Nathan, H. C. Berg, “Mechanism for adaptive remodeling of the bacterial flagellar switch”, Bacterial locomotion and Sensory Transduction XII Conference, Jan 20-25, 2013, Tucson, AZ.

  • P. P. Lele, R. W. Branch, H. C. Berg, “Turnover of FliM depends on conformation of FliG”, Gordon Research Conference (STIM), Jan 15-20, 2012, Ventura, CA.

  • P. P. Lele, V. Nathan, H. C. Berg, “Engineering a ligand-free molecular switch in the bacterial flagellar motor”, AICHE National Conference, Oct 19, 2011, Minneapolis, MN.

  • P. P. Lele, N J. Wagner, E. M. Furst, “Particle-wall hydrodynamic interactions in multi-particle ensembles”, Bacterial locomotion and Sensory Transduction XI Conference, Jan 16-21, 2011, New Orleans, LA.

  • P. P. Lele and E. M. Furst, “Particle-wall hydrodynamic coupling for multi-particle ensembles”, AICHE National Conference, Nov 16, 2009, Nashville, TN.

  • P. P. Lele and E. M. Furst, “Harnessing 2D assembly of isotropic particles for novel anisotropic particle arrays”, IACIS International Conference / ACS Colloid & Surface Sci. Symposium, June 18, 2009, New York, NY.

  • P. P. Lele and E. M. Furst, “Order to disorder transition due to anomalous rotation of particles in AC fields”, 11th Tiger-Hen-Hawk Rheology Symposium, April 19, 2008, Newark DE.