Welcome to the Zuckerman Lab

The Zuckerman group uses physics-based computational methods to study molecular, meso- and cell-scale systems. Starting from force laws for individual atoms, molecular simulation can provide a detailed picture of nano-scale biological behavior and aid rational drug design. The group develops and applies simulation methods to access important biological timescales and behaviors –such as protein conformational changes associated with ligand binding. The group also uses kinetic models to study "meso-scale" molecular machines, with a focus on the rotary ATPases which remarkably can act as proton pumps or ATP synthases. A new area of interest is modeling complex cellular morphologies and behaviors observed in cancer cells. All the group's work is underpinned by statistical physics and thermodynamics, which govern nano- to micro-scale biology.