Biomolecular Dynamics & Structural Biology

It’s well-known that biomolecules are highly dynamical and featured with motions that span multiple temporal and spatial scales. Appropriately taking these dynamical features into consideration is therefore essential to the proper and accurate interpretation of data from structural biology techniques such as X-ray diffraction and scattering.

We have been closely collaborating with colleagues in the Biochemistry Department, especially Professor George Phillips, to explore effective means to consider harmonic and anharmonic motions in the interpretation of data from X-ray diffraction in the crystal environment and scattering in solution. These studies have potentially profound impact on the refinement of X-ray structures of biomolecules in different media.