BCB Faculty Member in the Physics and Astronomy Department

Research Interests:

Computational Molecular Biology and Mathematical Biology--Theoretical models and simulations (including all atomic MD) of phospholipids and interactions of phospholipids with proteins. Signaling phospholipids (PIP2). Electrostatic properties of biological systems (theoretical).
Description: The research in my group focuses around two main topics:

1) Properties of phospholipids: What determines the phase diagram of phospholipids and, in particular, the influence of ions in solution. We are particularly interested in phospholipids such as Phophatidic acid and Phosphatidyl-Inositol Bisphosphate, which play a critical role in transducing signals.

2) Self assembly of soft matter systems (polymers, colloids, liquid crystals) and its relation to biological systems.

Selected Publications:

“Folding 19 proteins to their native state and stability of large proteins from a coarse-grained model”, A. Kapoor and A. Travesset, Proteins 82, 505 (2014)
“Dynamics and Statics of DNA-programmable Nanoparticle Self-Assembly and Crystallization”, C.D. Knorowski, S. Burleigh and A. Travesset, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 215501 (2011).
“Materials Design by DNA-programmed Self-Assembly”, C.D. Knorowski and A. Travesset, Curr. Opin. In Solid State and Mat. Science. 15, 262 (2011).
“Ion Specific Induced Charges at Aqueous Soft Interfaces”, W. Wang, R. Park, A. Travesset and D. Vaknin, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 056102 (2011).
“Phosphatidic Acid Domains in Membranes: Effect of Divalent Counterions” J. Faraudo and A. Travesset, Biophys. J. 922806 (2007).
“Self-Assembly and Crystallization of Hairy (f-star) and DNA grafted Nanocubes’’,  C. Knorowski and A. Travesset, JACS 136, 653 (2014)
 “General purpose molecular dynamics simulations fully implemented on graphics processing units”, J.A. Anderson, C.D. Lorenz and A. Travesset, J. Comput. Phys, 227, 5342 (2008).
“Charge inversion at minute electrolyte concentrations”, J. Pitler, W. Bu, D. Vaknin, A. Travesset, D.J. McGillivray and M. Loesche, Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 46102 (2006).
“Grain Boundary scars and spherical crystallography” A.R. Bausch, M. Bowick, A. Cacciuto, A. Disnmore, M. Hsu, D. Nelson, M. Nikolaides, A. Travesset and D. Weitz, Science  299, (2003) 1716-1718.
“The Statistical Mechanics of Membranes” Bowick and A. Travesset, Phys. Rep. 344 (2001) 255.