Biological Physics

Professors M. Loesche, J.F. Nagle and R.H. Swendsen

Biological Physics is one of the most exciting frontiers in physics today. In this field, we're challenged to explain the mechanisms by which complex biological molecules and assemblies operate. At the same time, biology offers the physicist unique opportunities to learn new physics on elegant, complex systems.

Problems we presently study at Carnegie Mellon include the structure of lipid bilayers, which are the essential components of biomembranes, the folding of proteins and the three-dimensional structure of cells. We use traditional tools of physics including x-ray scattering, optical microscopy, nuclear magnetic resonance and Monte Carlo and molecular dynamics simulations.

Students interested in this area may find advisors within the Physics Department or in other departments of Carnegie Mellon, particularly the NMR Center for Biomedical Research and the NSF Science and Technology Center for Light Microscope Imaging and Biotechnology.

Recent Ph.D.s and Post-Graduation Positions

Jinghua Yu (1999) "Solution Structure of Gluatamine-Binding Protein of Escherichiacoli by Multinuclear and Multidimensional Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Techniques", (Advisor: Chien Ho, Biology); University of California at San Francisco

Horia I. Petrache (1998) "Structure and Interactions of Fluid Phospholipid Bilayers Measured by High Resolution X-ray Scattering" (Advisor: Nagle); Research scientist at NIH

Nikolai Gouliaev (1998) "Monte-Carlo Simulations of Membrane Systems" (Advisor: Nagle); Financial business in Hong Kong.

Dazhen "Philip" Sun (1997) "Biophysical and Biochemical Studies of Structure-Function Relationships in Human Normal Adult, Recombinant Mutant, and Chemically Modified Hemoglobins"; (Advisor: Chien Ho, Biology); Financial Business, Boston MA

Wenjun Sun (1996) "X-ray Structural Investigations of Chain Ordered Lipid Bilayers"; (Advisor: Nagle); Postdoctoral Fellow, U. Cal. Berkeley

Zhen-Yu Sun (1996) "A Biophysical Investigation of the Structure and Kinetics of the Membrane-Associated D-Lactate Dehydrogenase of E. Coli"; (Advisor: Ho, Biology); Postdoctoral Fellow, Harvard Medical School

Ruitian Zhang (1995) "Lecithin Bilayers in Fluid Phases: Effect of Fluctuations in X-Ray Determination of Structure"; (Advisor: Nagle); Lucent

Daniel Fishman (1994) "Static and Dynamic Light Scattering Studies of Supercoiled and Single-Strand-Nicked DNA Plasmids"; (Advisor: Patterson, Chemistry); Research Staff, David Sarnoff Research Center

Nico Tjandra (1993) "Structural Studies of Glutamine-Binding Protein of Escherichia Coli Using Multinuclear and Multidimensional Magnetic Resonance"; (Advisor: Ho, Biology); Postdoctoral Fellow, NIH

Djamal Bouzida, (1991) "Efficient Monte Carlo Methods for Biomolecular Simulations"; (Advisor: Swendsen); Research Staff, Agouron Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Li Hou (1991) "Macromolecular Diffusion and Structural Modulation in Actin-Based Reconstituted Matrices;" (Advisor: Taylor, Biology)

Zheng-Yu Peng (1989) "Study of Slow Molecular Motions in Phospholipid Bilayers"; (Advisor: Ho, Biology); Professor, Dept. of Biochemistry, U. of Connecticut Health Center

Chian-Fan Zhang (1989) "Molecular Orbital and Two-Photon Spectroscopic Studies of Light-Adapted Bacteriorhodopsin"; (Advisor: Birge, Chemistry)

Michael C. Wiener (1988) "Specific Volumes and Structure of Fully Hydrated Phospholipid Bilayers"; (Advisor: Nagle); Assistant Professor, Dept. of Molecular Physiology and Biological Physics, U. of Virginia.

Aihua Xie (1987) "Flash Spectroscopy of Purple Membrane" (Advisor: Nagle); Associate Professor, Oklahoma State University