Physics Colloquium: Stuck on you: the physics of proteins at surfaces

NOTE: There will be no ZOOM for this colloquium.

Research Interests and Bio
Kevin Plaxco, a Distinguished Professor at the University of California, Santa Barbara,
holds appointments in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry and the Biological
Engineering Graduate Program. Prior to joining UCSB in 1998 Dr. Plaxco received his
Ph.D. from Caltech and performed postdoctoral studies at Oxford and the University of
Washington. Dr. Plaxco’s research focus is on the physics of biomolecular folding and its
engineering applications. A major aim of the group’s applied research is to harness the
speed and specificity of folding in the development of sensors, adaptable surfaces, and
smart materials. Dr. Plaxco has co-authored more than 250 papers and a dozen patents on
protein folding, protein dynamics, and folding-based sensors. He serves on the scientific
boards of a half dozen biotechnology firms, several of which are commercializing
technologies developed by his group, and has also written a popular science book on
Astrobiology.