About

Amit Basu is a Professor of Chemistry at Brown University and serves as the Director of Undergraduate Studies for Chemistry, as well as a Concentration Advisor for the ScB Chemical Biology track. His research interests lie at the interface of chemistry, biology, and materials science, with a particular focus on fundamental studies of how carbohydrates, which are present on every cell surface, engage in molecular recognition within biological systems. His work explores the significance of these recognition events in cell-cell communication, the formation of multi-cellular assemblies, and their roles in various pathologies. The Basu lab investigates glycochemistry and glycobiology, including the synthesis and application of novel polymers and nanomaterials, as well as the development of new sensors and diagnostic agents. His research includes studying carbohydrate-carbohydrate interactions and carbohydrate hydration using NMR techniques, with current projects involving the glycochemistry of plant cell walls and identifying small molecules that interfere with bacterial cell wall dynamics to serve as potential leads for new antibiotics. Dr. Basu earned his Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1996 and his B.A. from Reed College in 1992.

Research topics

• Biochemistry
• Combinatorial chemistry
• Quantum mechanics
• Chemistry
• Organic chemistry
• Optoelectronics
• Physics
• Condensed matter physics
• Materials science

Selected publications

• Quantum interference in a twisted high-Tc SQUID senses emergent interfacial order

  ArXiv.org · 2026-03-12

  articleOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Engineering artificial systems by twisting and stacking van der Waals materials has proven to be an excellent platform for exploring emergent quantum phenomena that can be significantly different from the constituents. Recent advances in the fabrication of high-quality twisted interfaces provide a unique opportunity to study the little-explored interfacial superconducting order in twisted cuprate superconductors. In our work, we fabricate superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) that utilize the twisted interface of $\mathrm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}}$, a high-Tc cuprate superconductor. By measuring the magnetic field modulation of switching current and differential resistance, we find a $\mathrmπ$ phase difference between the two Josephson junction arms of the SQUID reflecting chiral superconducting order -- a crucial aspect inaccessible to single Josephson junction devices of the past. Our observations also indicate co-tunneling of the Cooper pairs and a time-reversal symmetry-broken emergent superconducting order. Additionally, these SQUIDs are well suited for use as state-of-the-art flux sensors close to 77 K, achieving a flux noise sensitivity of $\sim$1.5 $\mathrm{μΦ_0/\sqrt{Hz}}$. Stabilizing new superconducting orders using twisted interfaces and probing them using quantum interference opens new avenues to understanding the microscopic origin of unconventional superconductors. Our SQUID architecture is suitable for investigating the charge transport mechanisms and the symmetry of superconducting order at the interfaces of other systems, reflecting the broad applicability beyond cuprate superconductors.

  PublisherOA PDF

• A maize GT14 family glycosyltransferase affects cell wall composition and carbohydrate export from source leaves

  Journal of Experimental Botany · 2026-04-22

  article

  Sucrose translocation from photosynthetic leaves to distant parts of the plant, such as seeds and roots, is a critical aspect of plant growth and development and a major determinant of crop yield. To identify genes contributing to this process in maize (Zea mays), we isolated four allelic mutants, carbohydrate partitioning defective7, 48, 49 (cpd7, cpd48, cpd49) and a UniformMu insertion (mu1049954), all of which exhibited reduced growth and fertility and hyperaccumulation of starch and soluble sugars in mature leaves. Consistent with carbohydrate accumulation, cpd7 mutants exhibited reduced sucrose export from mature leaves. Cpd7 encodes a Golgi-resident glucuronosyl transferase belonging to the Glycosyltransferase14 (GT14) family, which is involved in decoration of type II arabinogalactan proteins. No previously described GT14 mutants exhibit reduced sucrose transport or carbohydrate partitioning defects. Additionally, we show that mature leaves of cpd7 mutants have reduced cellulose content and an altered cell wall composition. Further, cpd7 mutants exhibit ectopic phloem lignification likely as a compensatory mechanism for reduced cell wall integrity. Collectively, our data suggest that Cpd7 functions to facilitate cell wall development in the phloem, which is required for efficient sucrose export from mature maize leaves.

  PublisherDOI

• Quantum interference in a twisted high-Tc SQUID senses emergent interfacial order

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-03-12

  preprintOpen access1st authorCorresponding

  Engineering artificial systems by twisting and stacking van der Waals materials has proven to be an excellent platform for exploring emergent quantum phenomena that can be significantly different from the constituents. Recent advances in the fabrication of high-quality twisted interfaces provide a unique opportunity to study the little-explored interfacial superconducting order in twisted cuprate superconductors. In our work, we fabricate superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUID) that utilize the twisted interface of $\mathrm{Bi_2Sr_2CaCu_2O_{8+δ}}$, a high-Tc cuprate superconductor. By measuring the magnetic field modulation of switching current and differential resistance, we find a $\mathrmπ$ phase difference between the two Josephson junction arms of the SQUID reflecting chiral superconducting order -- a crucial aspect inaccessible to single Josephson junction devices of the past. Our observations also indicate co-tunneling of the Cooper pairs and a time-reversal symmetry-broken emergent superconducting order. Additionally, these SQUIDs are well suited for use as state-of-the-art flux sensors close to 77 K, achieving a flux noise sensitivity of $\sim$1.5 $\mathrm{μΦ_0/\sqrt{Hz}}$. Stabilizing new superconducting orders using twisted interfaces and probing them using quantum interference opens new avenues to understanding the microscopic origin of unconventional superconductors. Our SQUID architecture is suitable for investigating the charge transport mechanisms and the symmetry of superconducting order at the interfaces of other systems, reflecting the broad applicability beyond cuprate superconductors.

  PublisherDOI

• New frontiers in quantum science and technology using van der Waals Josephson junctions

  ArXiv.org · 2026-04-16

  articleOpen access

  Over the last decade, the development of Josephson devices based on van der Waals (vdW) materials has advanced rapidly, representing a paradigm shift driven by the advent of 2D materials. The diverse vdW materials library, combined with advanced fabrication techniques, enables the integration of materials with vastly disparate properties for scientific exploration. The vdW Josephson junctions (JJs) offer a unique route to explore novel functionalities and associated physics that remain inaccessible in conventional JJs, which have reached an industrial level in terms of fabrication. Beyond material diversity, vdW crystalline materials offer fundamental new control over device symmetries, enabling the realization of Hamiltonians unique to 2D systems. Furthermore, the long relaxation times of myriad excitations in 2D heterostructures open possibilities for creating exquisite quantum sensors, with the 2D material itself acting as an efficient bus for transmitting excitations to the active sensing element. This creative explosion in vdW-based superconducting electronics is rapidly growing, and our review highlights the resulting devices and physics. The confluence of vdW JJs with twistronics and topology has the potential to redefine superconducting quantum technology, enabling applications from quantum computation to ultra-sensitive hybrid sensors. While opportunities abound with vdW JJs, the challenge of scalability must be surmounted for translation into real-world devices. This review synthesizes current developments and offers a roadmap for researchers navigating this burgeoning field.

  PublisherOA PDF

• New frontiers in quantum science and technology using van der Waals Josephson junctions

  arXiv (Cornell University) · 2026-04-16

  preprintOpen access

  Over the last decade, the development of Josephson devices based on van der Waals (vdW) materials has advanced rapidly, representing a paradigm shift driven by the advent of 2D materials. The diverse vdW materials library, combined with advanced fabrication techniques, enables the integration of materials with vastly disparate properties for scientific exploration. The vdW Josephson junctions (JJs) offer a unique route to explore novel functionalities and associated physics that remain inaccessible in conventional JJs, which have reached an industrial level in terms of fabrication. Beyond material diversity, vdW crystalline materials offer fundamental new control over device symmetries, enabling the realization of Hamiltonians unique to 2D systems. Furthermore, the long relaxation times of myriad excitations in 2D heterostructures open possibilities for creating exquisite quantum sensors, with the 2D material itself acting as an efficient bus for transmitting excitations to the active sensing element. This creative explosion in vdW-based superconducting electronics is rapidly growing, and our review highlights the resulting devices and physics. The confluence of vdW JJs with twistronics and topology has the potential to redefine superconducting quantum technology, enabling applications from quantum computation to ultra-sensitive hybrid sensors. While opportunities abound with vdW JJs, the challenge of scalability must be surmounted for translation into real-world devices. This review synthesizes current developments and offers a roadmap for researchers navigating this burgeoning field.

  PublisherDOI

• Mapping the moiré potential in multi-layer rhombohedral graphene

  ArXiv.org · 2025-10-10

  preprintOpen access

  Rhombohedral graphene (rG) aligned with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) has been shown to host flat bands that stabilize various strongly correlated quantum phases, including Mott insulators, integer, and fractional quantum anomalous Hall phases. In this work, we use scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy (STM/STS) to visualize the dispersion of flat bands with doping and applied displacement fields in a hBN-aligned rhombohedral trilayer graphene (rtG)/hBN moiré superlattice. In addition to the intrinsic flat bands of rtG induced by the displacement field, we observe low-energy features originating from moiré potential-induced band folding. Real-space variations of the spectroscopic features allow us to quantify the spatial structure of the moiré potential at the rtG/hBN interface. Importantly, we find that accurately capturing the moiré site-dependent spectra requires incorporating a moiré potential acting on the top graphene layer with a sign opposite to that of the bottom layer into the continuum model. Our results thus provide key experimental and theoretical insights into understanding the role of the moire superlattice in rG/hBN heterostructures.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Modulation of quantum geometry and its coupling to pseudo-electric field by dynamic strain

  ArXiv.org · 2025-12-31

  articleOpen access

  Two-dimensional materials are a fertile ground for exploring quantum geometric phenomena, with Berry curvature and its first moment, the Berry curvature dipole, playing a central role in their electronic response. These geometric properties influence electronic transport and result in the anomalous and nonlinear Hall effects, and are typically controlled using static electric fields or strain. However, the possibility of modulating quantum geometric quantities in real-time remains unexplored. Here, we demonstrate the dynamic modulation of Berry curvature and its moments, as well as the generation of a pseudo-electric field using time-dependent strain. By placing heterostructures on a membrane, we introduce oscillatory strain together with an in-plane AC electric field and measure Hall signals that are modulated at linear combinations of the frequencies of strain and electric field. Our measurements reveal modulation of Berry curvature and its first moment. Notably, we provide direct experimental evidence of pseudo-electric field that results in an unusual dynamic strain-induced Hall response. This approach opens up a new pathway for controlling quantum geometry on demand, moving beyond conventional static perturbations. The pseudo-electric field provides a framework for external electric field-free anomalous Hall response and opens new avenues for probing the topological properties.

  PublisherOA PDF

• A Lyt at the end of the tunnel? Unraveling the complex interactions of the <i>N</i> -acetylglucosaminidase LytG in cell wall metabolism

  RSC Chemical Biology · 2025-01-01

  articleOpen access

  knockout, which does not exhibit these phenotypes. Cell-wall labelling with a fluorescent d-amino acid and muropeptide analysis has highlighted a functional connection between LytG, the carboxypeptidase DacA, and d,d-endopeptidases. These results highlight the use of chemical probes such as masarimycin to inform on the biological function of autolysins by providing insight into the role LytG plays in cell growth and division.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Standard Kidney Biopsy Results and Impacts on Organ Use

  American Journal of Transplantation · 2025-08-01

  article
  PublisherDOI

• Changes in Arabidopsis thaliana seedling cell wall assembly induced by treatment with Yariv reagent – Molecular features &amp; visualization with immunocytochemistry and a fluorescent Yariv reagent

  Journal of Structural Biology · 2025-10-17 · 1 citations

  articleSenior author
  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• Chemical Probes for Studying Plant Arabinogalactan Proteins

  NSF · $499k · 2016–2021

• Glycolipid Interactions in Melanoma Adhesion

  NSF · $397k · 2005–2009

• Structural and Functional Studies of Carbohydrate-Carbohydrate Interactions

  NSF · $410k · 2009–2013

Frequent coauthors

• Henkie P. Tan

  Hunan University

  202 shared

• Ron Shapiro

  Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

  134 shared

• Abhay Vats

  118 shared

• Ibrahim Batal

  Columbia University Irving Medical Center

  117 shared

• C. Morgan

  Australian National University

  102 shared

• Zachary Franco

  University of Pittsburgh Medical Center

  101 shared

• Jonathan L. Hecht

  100 shared

• P. B. Farmer

  University of Leicester

  100 shared

Labs

• Basu LabPI

Education

• PhD

  University of Illinois

  1996

• BA

  Reed College

  1992