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Vandana MIshra

John Hopkins School of Medicine

Vandana is a structural biologist who studies how proteins work at the atomic level and why they matter in health and disease. She views proteins not just as molecular machines but as characters with stories full of quirks and complexity. She completed her Ph.D. at IIT Bombay, India, where she studied aspartic proteases in the malaria parasite, enzymes that help the parasite digest hemoglobin and investigated how peptidomimetic compounds can block them. During her postdoctoral work at the NIH in Bethesda, she explored how serine protease clear DNA-protein crosslinks and how mitochondrial membrane proteins enable mitochondria to fuse together using structural methods such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-electron microscopy and cryo-electron tomography alongside biochemical and biophysical assays. Her research connects molecular details to broader biological questions with a focus on understanding mechanisms that can guide future therapies. She enjoys communicating science through writing and outreach. Outside the lab, she likes hiking, photography, vegan food science, poetry, and science humor.

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Articles by Vandana MIshra

Microscopy and Imaging | Protein Expression and Analysis

Mass Photometry: An Easy Way to Determine Protein Oligomerization and Heterogeneity
ByVandana MIshra

Mass photometry (MP) is a fast, label-free way to check protein oligomerization, heterogeneity, and complex formation using only ~10 µL of sample at 10–50 nM. It detects single molecules as they land on a glass coverslip, converts scattering contrast to molecular mass using standards (e.g., BSA), and outputs a histogram where peaks reveal monomers, dimers, higher oligomers, and aggregates with their relative abundance. MP supports quick go/no-go decisions and sample quality control before cryo-EM, crystallography, or binding studies. Good prep (clean coverslips, calibration, filtering/spinning, and ≥90–95% purity) keeps peaks sharp and interpretable. Know the limits: <30 kDa proteins and complexes may be missed.

Read More Mass Photometry: An Easy Way to Determine Protein Oligomerization and Heterogeneity