| The biological sciences currently undergo
a scientific revolution, comparable to the revolution in physics in the
1920's. This revolution is characterized by a tremendous increase of information
about biological systems, in particular atomic-level structural information
and complete genomic information for many species. The challenge for scientists
lies in intellectually mastering the available information.
Our group focuses on relating the geometrical structure
of molecules, proteins, and protein assemblies to their biological functions.
In our pursuit, we are guided by the realization that all biological function
ultimately relies on the laws of physics properly harnessed by biological
assemblies of atoms. Physical modeling, i.e., applying the laws of physics
to determine the static, elastic, energetic, electrostatic, quantum properties
of proteins as well as the interactions between proteins furnishes unique
insights that complement those gained by comparative or experimental approaches.
While we are engaged in formulating theories and conducting
computations for biological processes, our measure for success for any
given project is whether we can arrive at experimentally verifiable predictions
that are acknowledged and tested by biological scientists. Students and
postdocs with a good background in physics or computational biology who
are interested in a truly interdisciplinary research experience and like
challenging research are welcome to join us. |
