Research Themes

• The MMA builds on the relevant research strength of campus-based faculty who are positioned at the interface of chemistry, biology, physics, and engineering to address fundamental and applied questions at the frontier of life sciences research at the molecular level. Our faculty-led campus-based research groups are solving basic research problems with applications in human health, energy, agriculture, and materials science using three distinct but related strategies: discovery of structure-function relationships for molecular machines, simulation of macromolecular structures, and bio-inspired design of functionally robust assemblies. Our macromolecular targets include proteins, nucleic acids, lipids, carbohydrates, and their associated complexes. Our technologies include computational biology, molecular and cell biology, bio(nano)technology, synthetic biology, structural biology, and photophysics. Specific research goals are enumerated in the Research Goals tab of the Home section.