Skip to main content
        
        U.S. flag
                An official website of the United States government
                    Here’s how you know
                Here’s how you know**Official websites use .gov**
                        
                        A **.gov** website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
            **Secure .gov websites use HTTPS**
                        
                        A **lock** (
                        Locked padlock icon
                        ) or **https://** means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.Search
    Menu

        Search for Information from NIDDK
            
            Entire Site
                Research & Funding
                Health Information
                News
                About NIDDKSearch

Home
            Research & Funding
                                Expand Research & Funding
                                Current Funding Opportunities
                                                    Research Programs & Contacts
                                                    Human Subjects Research
                                                    Funding Process
                                            Research Training & Career Development
                                                    Funded Grants & Grant History
                                                    Research Resources
                                            Research at NIDDK
                                                    Technology Advancement & Transfer
                                                    Meetings & Workshops
                        Health Information
                                Expand Health Information
                                Health Topics
                                                                                                    Diabetes
                                                    Digestive Diseases
                                                    Kidney Disease
                                                    Weight Management
                                                    Liver Disease
                                                    Urologic Diseases
                                                    Endocrine Diseases
                                                    Diet & Nutrition
                                                    Blood Diseases
                                                    Diagnostic Tests
                                            La información de la salud en español
                                                    Health Statistics
                                                    Healthy Moments Radio Broadcast
                                                    Clinical Trials
                                            For Health Professionals
                                                    Diabetes Discoveries & Practice Blog
                                                    Community Health & Outreach
                        News
                                Expand News
                                News Archive
                                                    For Reporters
                                            Meetings & Workshops
                                                    Media Library
                                            Follow Us
                        About NIDDK
                                Expand About NIDDK
                                Meet the Director
                                                    Offices & Divisions
                                                    Staff Directory
                                                    Budget & Legislative Information
                                            Advisory & Coordinating Committees
                                                    Strategic Plans & Reports
                                                    Research Areas
                                                    FAQs
                                            Jobs at NIDDK
                                                    Visit Us
                                                    Contact Us Home
                    Research & Funding
                    Research at NIDDK
                    Labs & Branches
                    Laboratory of Chemical Physics
    Laboratory of Chemical Physics
        
            Photo of Robert TyckoRobert Tycko, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator
        Acting Chief
            robert.tycko@nih.gov

        Studying experimental, theoretical, and computational problems in the structure, dynamics, and function of biological macromolecules and their relevance to human disease, including Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and sickle cell diseases.
                About the Lab
        
Lab Menu

    Lab Sections
            About the Lab
        NMR Groups
Lab Sections & Chiefs
    Biophysical Chemistry Section
                    William A. Eaton, M.D., Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator
                Biophysical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Section
                    Adriaan Bax, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator
                Computational Biophysics Section
                    Robert B. Best, Ph.D.
                Section of Molecular and Structural Biophysics
                    G. Marius Clore, M.D., Ph.D., FRS, NIH Distinguished Investigator
                Section of Nanoscale Single-Molecule Dynamics
                    Quan Wang, Ph.D., Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator
                Single-Molecule Biophysics Section
                    Hoi Sung Chung, Ph.D.
                Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Biomolecular Physics Section
                    Robert Tycko, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator
                Ultrafast Biophysical Chemistry Section
                    Philip Anfinrud, Ph.D.
Biophysical Chemistry Section
        William A. Eaton, M.D., Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator,
Section Chief
    Research in this section for many years was concerned with the thermodynamics, kinetics, and mechanism of fiber formation of hemoglobin S, and its relation to the pathophysiology and therapy of sickle cell disease. The expertise developed in this research is now being used to develop sensitive and high throughput assays on sickle red cells to screen for compounds that could be used as a specific drug for sickle cell disease. The initial screen is focused on drug libraries that have already been tested in clinical trials.
    
        Visit Section Staff ListBiophysical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Section
        Adriaan Bax, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator,
Section Chief
    The Biophysical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy Section develops new techniques and approaches for determining the structure and dynamics of bioactive molecules. Specific projects focus on developing methods for improving the accuracy of biomolecular structures determined by NMR data. Work in this area emphasizes the development of better measurement techniques for interproton distances and dihedral angles from NOEs and J couplings. We are also developing a quantitative relation between molecular structure and chemical shifts/chemical shift anisotropy.
    
        Visit Section PageComputational Biophysics Section
        Robert B. Best, Ph.D.,
Section Chief
    Molecular simulations, together with theory, are a very promising tool for obtaining mechanistic information about protein folding and misfolding and the function of both folded and intrinsically disordered proteins. For this purpose, the Computational Biophysics Section develops coarse-grained and all-atom simulation models, as well as methods for enhancing simulation efficiency. These models can be applied to help interpret experiments, supplying detailed information that would be difficult to determine from experiment alone.
        Visit Section PageSection of Molecular and Structural Biophysics
        G. Marius Clore, M.D., Ph.D., FRS, NIH Distinguished Investigator,
Section Chief
    The Section of Molecular and Structural Biophysics studies the structure and dynamics of proteins, protein-protein complexes, and protein-nucleic acid complexes using multidimensional nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy, and we develop and apply novel NMR and computational methods to aid in these studies. Special emphasis is placed on complexes involved in signal transduction and transcriptional regulation, and on AIDS and AIDS-related proteins. Recent focus has been on the development of novel NMR methods to detect, visualize, and characterize transient, sparsely populated states of macromolecules. Such states, which are invisible to conventional biophysical techniques, including crystallography, electron microscopy and single molecule spectroscopies, play a critical role in macromolecular recognition, allostery induced fit, conformational selection, and molecular assembly.
    
        Visit Section Staff ListSection of Nanoscale Single-Molecule Dynamics
        Quan Wang, Ph.D., Stadtman Tenure-Track Investigator,
Acting Section Chief
    The section of nanoscale single-molecule dynamics develops new techniques to visualize a diverse array of biological processes at the level of individual molecules. Rapid feedback control is used to hold single biomolecule still in aqueous solution (the ABEL trap) for studying biochemical dynamics unlimited by diffusion. Scientific interests include structural heterogeneity of biomolecules, assembly/disassembly of multi-subunit enzymes and post-translational modifications. By pushing the limits of current single-molecule modalities and expanding the dimensionality of measurements, detailed observations are provided of biomolecule actions and interactions in real-time, one molecule at a time. Quantitative physical modeling and simulations are conducted to understand these rich datasets with the goal of revealing biophysical principles that underpin biological function.
    
        Visit Section PageSingle-Molecule Biophysics Section
        Hoi Sung Chung, Ph.D.,
Section Chief
    The Single-Molecule Biophysics Section studies protein conformational dynamics using single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy. Understanding molecular mechanisms of biochemical reactions involving macromolecules such as proteins and nucleic acids requires characterization of conformational diversity in a process in addition to thermodynamics and kinetics. We develop and use multi-color single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopic and imaging methods to study heterogeneity in various processes including folding, binding, and aggregation of proteins.
    
        Visit Section PageSolid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Biomolecular Physics Section
        Robert Tycko, Ph.D., NIH Distinguished Investigator,
Section Chief
    The Solid State Nuclear Magnetic Resonance and Biomolecular Physics Section, directed by Robert Tycko, develops solid-state NMR methods for structural studies of biopolymers and applies these methods to problems in biophysical chemistry and structural biology.  This section also investigates structures of protein assemblies, such as amyloid fibrils, with electron microscopy and develops new technology for high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging.
    
        Visit Section PageUltrafast Biophysical Chemistry Section
        Philip Anfinrud, Ph.D.,
Section Chief
    The Ultrafast Biophysical Chemistry Section investigates the relationships between protein structure, dynamics, and function using ultrafast time-resolved laser spectroscopy and X-ray crystallography. These experimental techniques employ an ultrashort laser "pump" pulse (shorter than 10-13 seconds) to trigger a photophysical or photochemical reaction and a variably delayed "probe" pulse that measures the spectral or structural evolution of the protein. This pump-probe technique provides the means to acquire "snapshots" of a protein as it executes its designed function. By monitoring the changes that occur over time, from femtoseconds to milliseconds, we aim to build a foundation for understanding how proteins execute their designed tasks with high efficiency and selectivity. Researchers in the section use this technique to study various model systems, including ligand-binding heme proteins and their mutants, bacteriorhodopsin, and photoactive yellow protein. Using a microfocusing femtosecond spectrometer that is capable of probing protein dynamics in small crystals, researchers can compare dynamics in solution and crystals. This allows us to assess the extent to which crystal contacts influence protein dynamics. Moreover, ultrafast studies of protein photophysics have led to more efficient protocols for chromophore photoactivation, thereby improving the quality of time-resolved X-ray structures.
    
        Visit Section Staff List
    
        Last Reviewed April 2024 Contact Us
**Hours:** 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET, Monday - Friday**Email:** healthinfo@niddk.nih.gov**Phone:** +1-800-860-8747**TTY:** +711
Chat
Live Chat Available8:30 a.m - 5 p.m. ETMonday - Friday
Follow Us
LinkedIn
X
Facebook
YouTube
InstagramNIH... Turning Discovery Into Health ®
Privacy Policy
    Freedom of Information Act
    Accessibility
    Disclaimers
    Copyright
    Vulnerability Disclosure Policy
Site Map
    For Staff Only
    Get Email Updates
U.S. Department of Health and Human Services
    National Institutes of Health