ABSTRACT
The functional properties of materials are closely connected with their structures and the forces animating such structures, with the latter particularly important for biomolecules. Precise knowledge of biomolecular structure and force is thus critical to elucidating physical origins of biomolecular behaviors. We have a long-standing interest in how the force/structure-function relationships are manifested in the diverse family of nucleic acids, known as the blueprints of life. In this talk, I will introduce our main technique of x-ray/neutron scattering and how it is used to measure nucleic acids structure and force, and then discuss a few selective applications from systems such as densely packed DNA arrays in vitro and in viro, semi-dilute short DNA solutions, DNA-carbon nanotube hybrids, and oligomeric chromatin.
BIOGRAPHY
Dr. Qiu received BS in Physics and BE in Computer Science from University of Science and Technology of China in 1999 and obtained PhD in Condensed Matter Physics from Michigan State University in 2004. He then worked as a postdoc at Cornell University from 2004 to 2007 and as a research fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 2007 to 2010. In 2010, Dr. Qiu joined George Washington University as an assistant professor of physics and now is an associate professor with tenure. His main research interest is to apply experimental techniques of physics, particularly x-ray and neutron scattering, to study the structure, function, and dynamics of biological molecules, supramolecular assemblies, and materials of technological importance.
George Washington University, USA
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