Areas of Research Interest

Overview
- BSI members are involved in a wide range of interdisciplinary groupings which can be divided into four key areas: Quantified-Imaging and Visualisation; Bioactive Chemistry; Biological Modeling and Biological Soft Matter.
Quantified-imaging and Visualisation
- Imaging and Visualisation tools are developed and applied to the Life Sciences to further our understanding of complex biological processes.
Bioactive Chemistry
- Components of natural systems are characterised and their interactions observed at molecular through to atomic levels of resolution. Molecules and materials are designed and synthesised to mimic, interrogate or manipulate biological systems.
Biological Modelling
- Mathematical and fundamental physical principles are used to derive models explaining complex biological processes. These models are then combined with experimental data to gain a better understanding of biological systems.
Biological Soft Matter
- With close links to the Durham Centre for Soft Matter, BSI members model biological systems and prepare new molecules with biological properties with a view to studying their assembly into higher order structures.
Technologies and Methodologies
- The development of technologies, methodologies and their applications in biology is a dynamic area of research in the BSI. For more information please click here.

Selected Biophysical Sciences Research

New Multiscale Tools for Protein Physics

Researchers within the BSI are using multiscale approaches to investigate the role of dynamics in protein function. This work is contributed to by theoretical physicists, computational chemists, structural biologists, and biochemists. Current projects include: New Multiscale Tools for Protein Physics: Thermal Protein Dynamics in Signalling and Allostery. This project investigates how dynamics underpins protein allostery and how this knowledge can be used to engineer proteins for the biotechnology industry.

New Multiscale Tools for Protein Physics project page.

Modelling the Vertebrate Eye Lens

Through the development of a model of the growth of a vertebrate eye lens, the multidisciplinary team aims to provide a framework to incorporate the wealth of data available for molecular and spatial modifications linked to ageing lenses, and to develop understanding of lens pathologies and eye evolution.

Biomimetic 'Soft' Sensors

Biomembrane models and cells at an interface between two aqueous phases, each phase mimicking either extra or intra cellular fluids, are studied for characterising the interactions of molecules with bilayer lipid membranes (BLMs) and for assembling 'soft' implantable sensing materials.

Biomimetic 'Soft' Sensors project page.

Areas of Research Interest

Overview

BSI members are involved in a wide range of interdisciplinary groupings which can be divided into four key areas: Quantified-Imaging and Visualisation; Bioactive Chemistry; Biological Modeling and Biological Soft Matter.

Quantified-imaging and Visualisation

Imaging and Visualisation tools are developed and applied to the Life Sciences to further our understanding of complex biological processes.

Bioactive Chemistry

Components of natural systems are characterised and their interactions observed at molecular through to atomic levels of resolution. Molecules and materials are designed and synthesised to mimic, interrogate or manipulate biological systems.

Biological Modelling

Mathematical and fundamental physical principles are used to derive models explaining complex biological processes. These models are then combined with experimental data to gain a better understanding of biological systems.

Biological Soft Matter

With close links to the Durham Centre for Soft Matter, BSI members model biological systems and prepare new molecules with biological properties with a view to studying their assembly into higher order structures.

Technologies and Methodologies

The development of technologies, methodologies and their applications in biology is a dynamic area of research in the BSI. For more information please click here.

Selected Biophysical Sciences Research

New Multiscale Tools for Protein Physics

Modelling the Vertebrate Eye Lens

Biomimetic 'Soft' Sensors

Current Funding Calls

Industrial Partnerships

Proud member of N8 Research Partnership