[3dem] Alok Mitra

[Yeager, Mark (my3r)]

Alok was my first postdoctoral fellow, and it was truly an exceptional day when he recorded his first high-resolution electron diffraction pattern of 2D crystals of AQP1 in vitrified, aqueous buffer, made possible by his impressive fortitude, expertise and scientific rigor. And for sure, the project came to fruition because of Anchi and Gary Ren.

Alok had to bear the heavy burden of substantial health issues throughout his adult life. Nevertheless, this had no effect on his deep passion and love of science. I will always see his broad smile and hear his laughter.

My sincere condolences to his family, friends and to all of us that were so fortunate to know him.

Mark Yeager


From: 3dem <3dem-bounces at ncmir.ucsd.edu> on behalf of Masahide Kikkawa <mkikkawa at gmail.com>
Date: Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 8:05 PM
To: "3dem at ncmir.ucsd.edu" <3dem at ncmir.ucsd.edu>
Subject: Re: [3dem] Alok Mitra

Dear 3DEM members,

 I am very sad to hear that Alok passed away.
Although we have not published a paper together, we tried to solve helical structures together around ~2010.
I regret I did not contact him in the recent years...

His contribution to aquaporin, together with Anchi, is monumental in cryo-EM field.

Masa Kikkawa


On Jul 15, 2021, at 9:50, Anchi Cheng <acheng at nysbc.org<mailto:acheng at nysbc.org>> wrote:

Dear 3D-EM community,
It is with great sadness that I heard that Alok Mitra passed away early in July.
Alok, an X-ray crystallographer by training, was one of the early adopters of 3D structure determination using electron microscopy. From two-dimensional crystallography, to filament structure, to single particle analysis, he tackled them all.
I was fortunate enough to be his first postdoc at what was then The Scripps Research Institute in 1995.  Alok was always kind and patient.  He was also passionate about the field, and rigorous about the work. Our countless discussions on what our 6 Å aquaporin-1 structure meant are some of my favorite moments in science.
After he moved to the University of Auckand, New Zealand, he continued to contribute to the field and guided many students and postdocs.  Many of us remain in the 3DEM field, a tribute to his mentorship.
Alok’s generosity and energy for his work did not change. I was told that he still spoke enthusiastically about the papers he was working on, his research, and how proud he was of his students and members of his lab, even to the last days of his illness.
I will certainly miss him as will so many in our community.

Best regards,
Anchi Cheng
Senior Staff Scientist
Simons Electron Microscopy Center
New York Structural Biology Center

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