UR - Biophysics Biological Physics Profs. Foster, Knox Most research of this group involves the interaction of radiation with biological systems, studied primarily at the molecular level. During PDT, laser light is absorbed by exogenously administered, tumor localizing molecules, and the resultant photoproducts include an excited state of oxygen that causes cell death. Using both theory and experiment, Foster's group studies the balance between the oxygen- consuming photochemistry and the diffusional supply of ground state oxygen in tissue and in model multicell systems in vitro.
Recent work includes studies of light propagation in highly scattering media.
Prof. Knox's research interest is photosynthesis, the process by which plants and other organisms convert solar energy into chemical energy. His group studies the physical processes by which the energy of absorbed photons is transported to the initial site of chemical reactions.