Biophysics

Biophysics utilizes quantum mechanics, statistical mechanics, and thermodynamics to probe biomolecular architectures and yield physical insight into molecular processes important to life. Results of biophysical analysis can be exploited for advances in medicine. Biophysics in the department employs cutting-edge instrumentation and methodology to perform state-of-the-art experiments, and also new theoretical frameworks to understand many biomolecular systems important to the development of therapeutics for neurodegenerative diseases, cancer, and HIV/AIDS.

Areas of Focus

Instrumentation • Mass spectroscopy • Magnetic resonance spectroscopy • Molecular dynamics simulations • Optical spectroscopy

Affiliated Faculty

Michael Gross
Biological and Biophysical Chemistry, Mass Spectrometry, Structural Proteomics, Protein Footprinting, FPOP, HDX, Native MS, Crosslinking, Ion Mobility

Dewey Holten
Physical and Biophysical Chemistry, Primary Reactions of Photosynthesis, Tetrapyrrole Photophysics, Ultrafast Optical Spectroscopy
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Meredith Jackrel
Biochemistry and biophysics; protein folding, misfolding, and neurodegenerative disease; protein engineering and directed evolution; protein disaggregases and molecular chaperones

Yusuke Okuno
Biophysical Chemistry, Solution-state NMR, Protein-ligand/protein-protein interactions, Protein hydration, Neurodegenerative diseases

Gary Patti
Biochemistry; Metabolism; Metabolomics; Mass Spectrometry; LC/MS; Mass Spectrometry-Based Imaging; Cancer Metabolism; Cell-Cell Interactions; Metabolic Flux Analysis; Enzyme Kinetics; Stable Isotope Tracing; Organismal Metabolism of Model Animals (Zebrafish)

Jay Ponder
Computational chemistry, Molecular Dynamics Simulation, Force Fields, Biomolecular Structure, Drug Design, Electrostatics in Biology

Courtney Reichhardt
Biochemistry, Physical Chemistry, Solid-State NMR,Confocal Laser Scanning Microscopy, Electron Microscopy, Biofilms

lab equipment
WashU has not only the most beautiful campus but also tremendous analytical resources, including NMR, circular dichroism (CD) and thorough kinds of mass spectrometers like Bruker MaXis Q-Tof, Waters Synapt G2, Thermo Q-Exactive Orbitrap, Thermo EMR, Thermo Linear Ion Trap coupled with Fourier Transformer Analyzer (LTQ-FT), MALDI and Bruker 12T FT-Ion Cyclotron Resonance. The Mass Spectrometry Resource, supported by National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) of the National Institute of Health (NIH), provides great collaborations from other top academic labs to leading companies such as Genentech and Bristol Myer Squibb. These resources developed my scientific way of thinking but also had perspectives from a larger scope. In addition, I feel so inspired working with Dr. Michael Gross, who provides guidance in research and beyond. ― Mengru Zhang PhD Candidate, Gross Lab