Biophysics is an emerging subfield in physical sciences. While many different areas fall into that category, the Biophysics Lab in the Physics Department at Loyola University is devoted to cellular biophysics, and specifically to physical mechanisms of membrane transport, such as ion channels. Ion channels are proteins in cellular membranes that control the exchange of ions between a cell and its surroundings. It is known that ions such as potassium, sodium, or calcium play a fundamental role in important physiological processes, e.g. neuron signaling or muscle contraction.
Biophysics research combines experiments, computations, and theoretical analysis. Student researchers in the Biophysics lab can choose between doing experiments (preparing biological samples, performing patch-clamping experiments) and computational work (analysis of raw experimental data generated from patch-clamping experiments, simulation of ionic currents, and building models of channel gating kinetics).
Both theoretically and observationally cosmology gas grownin stature over the last decade or so. Still several puzzling questions remain: How did it all start, did our universe emerge from a singularity? Was there a beginning of time, or can one trace time all the way back to –infinity? What about dark matter and dark energy, what are they made of? My research tries to address these questions. One of my current project involves looking at cyclic cosmologies where the universe undergoes periodic phases of expansions and contractions. I have found that exchange of energy between different forms of matter can lead to such oscillatory behavior and they may provide viable cosmological paradigms. However, to make sure that we are consistent with all the known observations, one needs to study in more details the dynamics of the universe along with how the different matter densities evolve in time. This would involve numerical calculations. In essence, one would need to solve differential equations involving the relevant variables. This part of the project should therefore be definitely accessible to any student majoring in Physics, Math, or Chemistry.
In another project I am starting to look at thermal fluctuations in the early universe (that is when the universe was really really hot , around 1028 degree Kelvin). Could these tiny fluctuations in the early universe ultimately become the galaxies and galaxy clusters that we see in the sky today? It is clear that with conventional matter or radiation this idea does not work, but in the early universe we may have had more exotic particles. This project will involve exploring these different options. It will connect usual thermodynamical analysis with cosmology and possibly involve some numerical work, again readily accessible to science students. So, if you are interested in any of the projects, you are welcome to join the band wagon:)
My research is concerned primarily withstudies of mathematical models of spacetime and its various structures. This is closely related to Einstein's theory of general relativity, its presently known inadequacies leading to speculation on various alternatives to the standard Einstein equations. The participation of most undergraduates is generally centered on learning the necessary mathematical tools to enter and make contributions to this field.
Condensed matther physics is the branch of physics that studies the properties of matter in the solid state through methods such as quantum mechanics, classical mechanics, thermodynamics, electromagnetism and crystallography. The research focus of the condensed matter lab in the Physics Department at Loyola University concentrates on the experimental measurement of transport properties of materials. Theoretical models are also formulated from fundamental physical laws that predict transport property behavior and are then compared to experimental results. This coupled approach utilizing theory, experimentation, and analysis allows valid scientific predictions to be made with respect to enhancing (or degrading in some cases) material properties. Therefore, student participation in active condensed matter research can lead to important contributions to various applications of enhanced materials such as alternative energy, green material development, electronics augmentation, etc.
The condensed matter lab at Loyola University is led by Prof. Garrity and incorporates various experimental methods to measure transport properties. Student researchers may contribute to experimental studies by using novel techniques such as Dynamic Electron Scattering or focus on theoretical and computationsl work associated with both numerical results as well as experimental data.