Models of both individual and interconnected neurons will provide an unprecedented level of structural and functional detail and complexity. The group is extending previous modeling efforts by other researchers by breaking each neuron into smaller membrane elements and by including active, nonlinear conductances and long-term biochemical processes in the model. Jeffrey Chu , a Boston University freshman, is a biomedical engineering major working with Professor Edward Egelman in the Department of Cell Biology and Neuroanatomy. Chu is using three-dimensional reconstructions from electron micrographs to understand molecular motions in protein polymers. The research is generating a wealth of structural information that is advancing the understanding of the function of these molecular assemblies.
Proteins are biological macromolecules containing thousands of atoms.
Therefore, protein structural data is important to all aspects of molecular biology, especially the area of computer-assisted drug design. Dana Goodman , a University of Minnesota junior, is a mathematics major working with Professor David Yuen of the Department of Geology and Geophysics. She is working on determining the fractal dimensions of deformed line boundaries in turbulent convection. She is calculating fractal dimension as a function of time for the deformed boundaries. This will yield valuable information concerning the style of mixing in thermal convection with complicated rheologies.