Nitufa Mulla

Senior Bioanalytical & Proteomics Scientist | Biopharma & Biotech R&D

Life sciences scientist with 10+ years of high-impact experience across premier research institutes and global industry leaders, including A*STAR (IMCB Singapore) and Thermo Fisher Scientific. Specialized in high-resolution mass spectrometry (HRMS), quantitative proteomics (DDA, DIA-SWATH), biotherapeutic antibody validation (900+ validated), and regulated lab operations.

10+
Years of R&D Experience
18+
Projects (Industry + Academia)
23.6
Max Journal Impact Factor
1st
US Patent Recognition
Nitufa Mulla - Life Sciences Scientist
๐Ÿงช
Thermo Fisher Scientific
Scientist II • 4.5 yrs
๐Ÿ”ฌ
A*STAR (IMCB Singapore)
Senior Research Officer • Proteomics
Core Expertise

Core Expertise

Mass Spectrometry & Proteomics

Comprehensive mastery of high-resolution LC-MS/HRMS systems (SCIEX 7600 Zeno-TOF, Waters Xevo TQ-S). Architect of qualitative and quantitative proteomic workflows (DDA, DIA-SWATH, DIA-NN) across complex biological matrices including plasma, tissues, cell lines, and cultivated alternative proteins.

SCIEX Zeno-TOF Waters Xevo TQ-S DIA-SWATH / DDA DIA-NN Metabolomics

Antibody Validation & Assay R&D

Led the end-to-end development of 100+ and validation of 900+ commercial antibodies for Thermo Fisher's flagship Invitrogen brand. Deep domain expertise in multi-parametric assays: Western blotting, ICC, IHC, flow cytometry, ChIP, and High-Content Screening (HCS).

900+ Validated Targets Cell-Based Assays High-Content Imaging Flow Cytometry ChIP / ICC / IHC

Scientific Management & Leadership Experience

Experienced scientific platform manager coordinating cross-functional projects across academic institutes (BII, SIgN) and biopharma industry partners (Meatiply). Proven track record in laboratory operations, SOP standardization, root-cause analytical troubleshooting, PPI/Kaizen operational excellence, and team mentorship.

Scientific Platform Management Cross-Functional Leadership SOP Standardization Kaizen / PPI GLP Systems Team Mentorship
Career Trajectory

Professional Experience

Proven impact across international biomedical research hubs, leading mass spectrometry platforms, antibody research, and proteomics.

๐ŸŒฑ Career Continuity & Current Status (Feb 2025 โ€“ Present)

Currently on a planned maternity leave and actively seeking to re-enter the workforce as a Proteomics / Bioanalytical Scientist in biotech and biopharma MNCs. Continuously engaged in modern proteomics software upskilling, emerging mass spec literature, and biopharmaceutical industry trends.

Senior Research Officer, Proteomics A*STAR โ€“ Institute of Molecular and Cell Biology (IMCB) Singapore
May 2023 โ€“ Feb 2025
  • Scientific Platform Manager: Managed core LC-MS platforms, driving complex proteomics, metabolomics, and bioanalysis projects for key internal institutes (BII, SIgN) and innovative industrial partners (Meatiply).
  • Singapore Food Agency (SFA) Project: Key analytical scientist supporting national R&D grant initiatives to build cutting-edge proteomics-based safety and quality assessment platforms for cultivated meat and alternative seafood.
  • Workflow Architect: Established robust qualitative and quantitative end-to-end workflows (DDA, DIA-SWATH) for allergen and protein identification across diverse matrices (chicken, fish, engineered cell lines, and processed food).
  • Sample Prep Optimization: Developed and validated 10+ novel sample preparation methods tailored for high-complexity biological matrices (plasma, tissue, cell lysates, and cell-cultivated food products).
  • Therapeutics & Small Molecules: Formulated targeted bioanalytical strategies for therapeutic targets, splice-switching oligonucleotides (SSOs), metabolites, and bio-functional peptides.
  • Instrument Ownership & Troubleshooting: Comprehensive operational oversight of state-of-the-art HRMS LC-MS systems, including SCIEX 7600 Zeno-TOF and Waters Xevo TQ-S, performing routine calibration, data interpretation, and primary instrument troubleshooting.
  • Bioinformatics Fluency: Conducted high-throughput data processing using DIA-NN, ProteinPilot, PEAKS Studio, SCIEX OS, MassLynx, and consulted UniProt, NCBI, PDB, and AllerCatPro databases.
Scientist II • Senior Scientist I • Scientist I Thermo Fisher Scientific Bangalore, India
Dec 2018 โ€“ Apr 2023 (4.5 Years)
Scientist II, Protein Biology • Apr 2022 โ€“ Apr 2023

Spearheaded cell-based and biochemical assay development for characterization and validation of antibody candidates in a regulated environment. Contributed to SOP authoring, quality assurance audits, and cross-functional project milestone execution.

Senior Scientist I, Protein Biology • Sep 2020 โ€“ May 2022

Developed 100+ and validated 900+ commercial antibodies under the Invitrogen portfolio across Western Blotting, ICC, Flow Cytometry, ChIP, and IHC. Mastered high-throughput imaging on iBright™ FL1500 and CellInsight CX7 LZR Pro HCS platforms.

Scientist I, Protein Biology • Dec 2018 โ€“ Sep 2020

Supported OEM validation pipelines and successfully launched 300+ fluorescent-tagged antibodies for high-content cell imaging. Delivered 20+ technical presentations to promote customer adoption and scientific engagement.

  • Recognized with the prestigious US Patent Recognition (2022) for innovating novel cell-penetrating peptides for advanced fluorescence imaging.
  • Honored with the R&D Life Saver Award (2021) for maintaining essential on-time delivery of critical diagnostic and research projects during the COVID-19 pandemic.
  • Actively championed Practical Process Improvement (PPI) and Kaizen operational frameworks to eliminate lab waste and streamline reagent supply chains.
Research Fellowships & International Training NIMHANS • Manipal University • University of Queensland India & Australia
2016 โ€“ 2018
Junior Research Fellow • National Institute of Mental Health & Neurosciences (NIMHANS) (May 2018 โ€“ Aug 2018)

Evaluated the oncogenic transcription factor Pax3 as a therapeutic target in pediatric solid tumors and investigated Pax3 molecular interactions across neuronal cell lines (Neuro2A, IMR-32, SHSY-5Y).

Junior Research Fellow • Manipal University (School of Life Sciences) (Nov 2016 โ€“ Jul 2017)

Investigated tumor progression in clinical breast cancer tissue samples via histopathology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), fluorescence microscopy, and photoacoustic spectroscopy. Resulted in high-impact publication in ACS Sensors.

Occupational Trainee • University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia (Mar 2016 โ€“ Aug 2016)

School of Molecular Biosciences: Engineered a Streptococcus-based protein subunit vaccine utilizing solid-phase peptide synthesis (SPPS), RP-HPLC purification, and mass spectrometry characterization.

Scientific Contributions

Publications & Intellectual Property

Peer-reviewed research across noninvasive diagnostics, translational peptide therapeutics, and antimicrobial countermeasures in high-impact journals.

Impact Factor: 23.6 Bioactive Materials (2026) • Under Review

Stem-cell-guided engineering of an ENO3-templated antimicrobial peptide for drug-resistant wound infection

Smarajit Chakraborty, C. S. Brian Chia, Ganesh Kannan Tay Gopal, … Nitufa J. Mulla et al.

Bioactive Materials, 2026.
Key Focus: Novel therapeutic peptide engineering templated on enolase-3 (ENO3) to combat multidrug-resistant pathogens in acute wound microenvironments.
Impact Factor: 13.9 Science Advances (2026) • Under Revision

Primed differentiating stem cells enable development of novel antimicrobial peptides against drug-resistant infections

Smarajit Chakraborty, C. S. Brian Chia, Ganesh Kannan Tay Gopal, … Nitufa J. Mulla et al.

Science Advances, 2026.
Key Focus: Harnessing stem cell secretome differentiation pathways to isolate and optimize bioactive antimicrobial peptide scaffolds effective against resistant bacterial strains.
Impact Factor: 10.9 ACS Sensors (2024) • Published

Machine Learning Enabled Photoacoustic Spectroscopy for Noninvasive Assessment of Breast Tumor Progression In Vivo: A Preclinical Study

Rodrigues, Jackson, Ashwini Amin, Subhash Chandra, Nitufa J. Mulla et al.

ACS Sensors, 2024. DOI / Preclinical Study.
Key Focus: Integration of photoacoustic spectroscopy with machine learning classifiers for noninvasive in vivo profiling of breast tumor boundaries and angiogenic progression.
US Patent Recognition (2022) Thermo Fisher Scientific

Novel Cell-Penetrating Peptides for Advanced Fluorescence & Cell Imaging

Inventorship Recognition awarded to Nitufa Mulla & R&D Innovation Team.

Thermo Fisher Scientific Global Intellectual Property Recognition.
Innovation: Engineered peptide formulations enabling efficient transmembrane transport of fluorophores and therapeutic probes into intact mammalian cells for high-resolution imaging.
Technical Competencies

Instruments, Workflows & Methodologies

Hands-on mastery of cutting-edge analytical hardware, computational proteomics pipelines, and molecular assays.

Mass Spectrometry & Chromatography

SCIEX 7600 Zeno-TOF Waters Xevo TQ-S High-Resolution MS (HRMS) DDA & DIA-SWATH LC-MS Method Development RP-HPLC Purification Biomarker Discovery PK & Metabolite Bioanalysis Solid-Phase Peptide Synthesis (SPPS) Sample Preparation (10+ Matrices)

Bioinformatics & Analytical Software

DIA-NN ProteinPilot PEAKS Studio SCIEX OS MassLynx UniProt Knowledgebase NCBI Databases Protein Data Bank (PDB) AllerCatPro Quantitative Proteomics Statistics

Protein & Molecular Biology

Antibody Validation (900+) Western Blotting & SDS-PAGE Immunocytochemistry (ICC) Immunohistochemistry (IHC) Chromatin IP (ChIP) Flow Cytometry (FACS) Cell-Based Bioassays Mammalian Cell Culture Protein Extraction & Quantitation

High-Content Imaging & Operations

CellInsight CX7 LZR Pro HCS iBright™ FL1500 Imaging EVOS Cell Imaging Systems GLP Systems & Lab Safety SOP Authoring & Standardization PPI / Kaizen Operational Excellence Project Management Foundations Technical Grant & Protocol Writing Cross-Functional Team Mentorship
Honors & Credentials

Awards, Certifications & Endorsement

Recognized for technical excellence, critical crisis project leadership, and continuous professional growth.

๐Ÿ† Awards & Certifications

US Patent Recognition

Thermo Fisher Scientific • 2022

Conferred for the successful development and patent filing of novel cell-penetrating peptides tailored for fluorescence imaging applications.

R&D Life Saver Award

Thermo Fisher Scientific • 2021

Awarded for exceptional commitment to serving mission-critical projects during the COVID-19 pandemic and driving successful on-time delivery.

Project Management Foundations

LinkedIn Learning • 2024

Formal training in scope definition, work breakdown structures, risk mitigation, and scientific milestone delivery.

Product Management Insights

LinkedIn Learning • 2023

Focus on product lifecycle management, user needs analysis, and cross-functional go-to-market strategies for biotech tools.

๐ŸŽ“ Academic Background

Master of Science (M.Sc.) โ€“ Medical Biotechnology

Manipal University, India • 2014 โ€“ 2016

GPA: 3.9 / 5.00 • First Class with Distinction

Specialization in molecular therapeutics, advanced bioanalysis, and translational medical research.

Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) โ€“ Biotechnology

Shivaji University, Kolhapur, India • 2011 โ€“ 2013

GPA: 4.1 / 5.00 • First Class with Distinction

Foundational training in biochemistry, microbiology, genetics, and analytical chemistry.
Professional Endorsement

“Nitufa is an exceptional scientist whose bioanalytical rigor and deep technical command in mass spectrometry and antibody characterization consistently elevated our team’s deliverables. Her ability to systematically troubleshoot complex assays, author robust SOPs, and collaborate cross-functionally makes her a tremendous asset to any high-performing biopharma R&D organization.”

SP
Dr. Sriram Parameswaran

Senior R&D Manager, Protein Biology • Thermo Fisher Scientific

Get in Touch

Let’s Connect & Collaborate

Interested in discussing a proteomics or bioanalytical role, consulting, or industry collaboration? Reach out directly.

Contact Information

Nitufa welcomes discussions regarding bioanalytical roles, proteomics platform leadership, and scientific collaborations.

LinkedIn Profile linkedin.com/in/nitufamulla
Email Address
Current Location Bangalore, India

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