The Biophysics research community at Dartmouth draws together faculty from a wide variety of disciplines and departments at the interface between biology, physics, chemistry, and computational methods. Over the past half century, biophysical studies have provided dramatic insights into cellular assembly and dynamics, membrane biology, the organization of genetic information, and the principles governing protein function, reflecting the importance of physical approaches and insights in understanding biological systems. The goal of the program is to support and foster interdisciplinary interactions focused on biologically and medically important problems. Major research areas include:
- Structural biology: X-ray crystallography, electron microscopy, NMR
- Computational methods for drug design and protein engineering
- Studies of cytoskeletal, mitotic, respiratory, synaptic and transcriptional machineries
- Laser spectroscopy and fluorescence imaging of molecular interactions and cellular processes
- Medical imaging technologies
- Theoretical analysis of macromolecular interactions
Faculty associated with the program are drawn from the Departments of Biochemistry & Cell Biology, Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Engineering, Genetics, Mathematics, Pharmacology&Toxicology, and Physiology and Neurobiology. Many are affiliated with the Graduate Programs in Molecular and Cellular Biology (MCB), Chemistry, and Engineering, and with the Program in Experimental and Molecular Medicine (PEMM). Many are also affiliated with the Institute of Biomolecular Targeting (BioMT), an NIH-funded Center of Biomedical Research Excellence. Students interested in pursuing undergraduate or graduate studies in Biophysics are encouraged to contact the individual faculty members listed below, or to apply to one of the affiliated Departments or Programs.