Fatema Zahra Rashid

Dr. Fatema Zahra Rashid is a Research Associate at the Faculty of Science, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, affiliated with the Physics of Living Systems and LaserLaB - Molecular Biophysics departments. She holds a PhD in Molecular Biology and Microbiology from Leiden University (2021), following a Master's (2016) and Bachelor's (2014) in Biotechnology-related fields from the same institution. Her research focuses on prokaryotic chromosome organization, transcription regulation, and epigenetic mechanisms in bacteria, particularly involving nucleoid structure and histone-like proteins.

Her recent work explores environmental influences on chromatin dynamics and transcriptional regulation in Escherichia coli, as well as the functional roles of proteins like H-NS in nucleoid architecture. Collaborations span international teams studying prokaryotic genome organization and 3D chromatin modeling. She has contributed methodological advancements in bacterial protein analysis via ChIP-qPCR techniques.

Dr. Rashid’s publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of molecular biology and biophysics, addressing fundamental questions in bacterial gene expression and chromosome biology. She actively participates in shaping future research directions in prokaryotic chromosome fields through collaborative initiatives.