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Mail Stop D454
Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico, 87545,
USA
(505) 665-2545 |
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Group leader: Chris
Wood
The Biophysics Group (P-21) was founded in
1988 with the goal of applying the scientific and technical resources of
Physics Division to the biosciences. The mission of P-21 is to apply physics
knowledge and techniques to increase our understanding of important biological
phenomena and to use biological systems to elucidate physical principles
of complex phenomena. The group has strengthened existing biological projects
within the Division and has initiated new bioscience efforts in a number
of directions. Group members are engaged in biophysical research over a
wide range of physical scales, including characterization of the structure
and dynamics of protein molecules and the implications of those qualities
for protein function; ultrasensitive detection and characterization of
individual molecules using laser fluorescence; design and implementation
of biologically inspired robots and adaptive digital hardware; development,
validation, and application of noninvasive techniques for the measurement
of human brain function; development of nonbiological applications of low-field
magnetic sensors; and development of three-dimensional computational models
of the human brain.
People:
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P-21
roster
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P-21
homepages
Projects:
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Low-Field
Magnetic Sensors
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R. Kraus
The Los Alamos Biophysics group is developing several
sensors for weak magnetic fields. These include: 1) a 120 sensor system
for the human brain; 2) a 12 sensor system for the human heart and other
organs; 3) a sensor system for Non-Destructive Evaluation and Corrosion
studies; 4) a small system for microstructure examination; 5) a HiTc SQUID
system for use with HiTc SQUIDs; and 6) a gravity gradiometer scheme. The
use of DSP chips in the SQUID circuits is also being implemented.
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Single-Molecule
Detection
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A. Castro
This project focuses on the development of laser-based
techniques for the detection and analysis of biological molecules. Applications
to molecular biology and medical diagnosis are being explored.
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Protein
dynamics and kinetic crystallography
J. Berendzen
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Protein dynamics is the study of the conformational
motions responsible for biological function and the underlying physics.
We use UV/Vis/IR spectroscopy in concert with cryogenic techniques and
X-ray crystallography to study the structural foundations of protein reactions.
Knowledge of the three-dimensional structures of intermediates in protein-ligand
reactions helps us understand the way proteins work and provides the groundwork
for manipulating and controlling biomolecules. This can potentially impact
many fields, including mechanism-based drug design and bioremediation.
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Brain
Imaging and Modeling
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J. George
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Work is focused in two major areas.
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We are involved in the development and application of
technologies for functional mapping of the human brain. The present
focus is on the development of experimental and computational methodologies
for integrated neuroimaging combining multiple complementary methods: Neural
Electromagnetic Methods, MEG and EEG; Anatomical MRI (to define computational
geometries), and functional MRI. This effort is supported by the
NIH-lead Human
Brain Project.
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The second area of research and development is in the
area of Advanced
Optical Imaging. The primary target application is imaging
of brain physiology and function, although the technologies are useful
in other contexts. Projects include: "Virtual Pinhole" Confocal
Microscopy; Confocal and Spectral Endoscopy; and Photon Migration
Tomography.
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Robotics and adaptive systems
J. Moses
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P-21 has begun investigations into the design, implementation,
and application of a variety of adaptive control systems. These include
development of biologically inspired, legged robotics with simple, highly
robust control circuits; applications of wavelets for feature recognition
and data compression; and support for advanced multi-channel data-acquisition
systems. This work promises to contribute both to an improved understanding
of robotic control and to a variety of applications in which robust, inexpensive
adaptive capabilities are required.
Events:
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Biomag
'96
Related Links:
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LANL pages:
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Los Alamos National Laboratory
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P-Division
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Theoretical Biology
and Biophysics (T-10)
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Bioscience
and Biotechnology (CST-4)
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Structural
Biology (LS-8)
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Center for Non-Linear
Studies (CNLS)
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Human Genome Project
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Medical
Data Analysis Projects
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Integrated Structural
Biology Resource
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Beamline X8C at
the National Synchrotron Light Source
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Medical
Physics and Imaging Resources
MST
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Comments to www@biophysics.lanl.gov