Faculty: Drs. Jamel Ali, Samuel Grant, Jingjao Guan, Yan Li, Leonardo Liu, Hadi Mohammadigoushki and Ayyalusamy Ramamoorthy
Self-assembly and aggregation of biomolecules resulting in the formation of droplets, liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS), biofilms, and amyloid aggregates are implicated in the pathology of many devastating diseases including neurological disorders, type-2 diabetes, and bacterial and viral infections. Understanding the molecular processes and structural transitions underlying the pathology of these diseases is crucial to develop biomedical approaches for prevention and treatment. Topics of current interest in this multidisciplinary area include: development of biophysical (theoretical, computational, and experimental) and imaging approaches, atomic-resolution structures of molecular aggregates, kinetics and mechanisms of self-assembly, rheology of self-assembly, evaluation of toxicity to cells and animal models, and drug development and drug delivery.
Our research teams enjoy collaborations with other disciplines including Neuroscience, Biophysics, Biological Sciences, Chemistry, Medicine, Pharmacy, and the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory.