Aleksei Aksimentiev has a background in soft matter physics and now deploys computational methods to investigate physical phenomena at the interface of solid-state nanodevices and biological macromolecules. The focus of his current research program includes systems comprising silicon-based synthetic membranes and biomolecules - DNA, proteins, and lipids - assembled into novel silicon circuits that can act as sensors, tweezers, and scaffolds for assembly of biosynthetic complexes. His theoretical work on DNA translocation through nanopores is recognized as the first computational study of that kind. He is an expert in modeling membrane proteins and molecular motors. Within the NIH Center for Macromolecular Modeling and Bioinformatics (UIUC), he directs development of the software solutions for computer modeling in biotechnology, which are used by many researchers worldwide.
Aleksei Aksimentiev

 

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