Profile

The Marcus group works in three primary research areas: i) biophysical studies of nucleic acids and protein-DNA interactions; ii) the development of novel approaches to molecular spectroscopy and imaging, including linear and nonlinear laser spectroscopy and single molecule fluorescence techniques, and iii) the exploration of molecular spectroscopy using quantum light sources. Our studies of the structure and dynamics of macromolecules in biological environments include the diffusive motions and internal structural changes of proteins in membranes and in living cells, as well as the conformational fluctuations of macromolecular machines that interact with and manipulate DNA. To elucidate the conformations of macromolecular complexes, and to monitor their time dependent behavior, we develop and apply spectroscopic methods that are sensitive to the electronic couplings between fluorescent chromophore labels. We also work towards extending these methods to perform experiments at the single-molecule level. Such experiments allow us to study kinetic processes in which biological macromolecules change their local conformations during chemical reactions. In collaboration with UO Chemistry Prof. Peter von Hippel, we are investigating the assembly and functional mechanisms of DNA replication complexes central to gene expression.