Energy production in biology
Simple physical mechanisms are behind the flow of energy in all forms of life. Energy comes to living systems through electrons occupying high-energy states, either from food (respiratory chains) or from light (photosynthesis). Life's ability to transfer electrons over large distances with nearly zero loss of free energy is puzzling and has not been accomplished in synthetic systems. We study how this energetic efficiency is realized.
Electrostatics of interfaces and molecular mobility
Electrostatics of interfaces are fundamentally different from electrostatics of bulk dielectrics. It affects solvation, enzymatic reactivity, and mobility of molecules and colloidal particles. Hydration water around biomolecules extends to a broad region with unique structure and physical properties (biological water). We develop formal theories of interfacial polarization and biomolecular mobility and test them by computer simulations and analysis of experimental data.
Electron transfer
Electron transfer is the elementary process of under-barrier electron tunneling between electronic states at the donor and acceptor molecules. This reaction is the basis of nearly all redox chemistry and is a fundamental step in the cross-membrane charge transport in biology. Formal theories are developed and large-scale computer simulations are performed to construct predictive theories for the kinetics of electron transfer and transport.