Biophysics
	Prof. Giovanni Zocchi Nanotechnology for Protein Control
	Nanotechnology means different things to different people, but one interesting direction is certainly to build devices at the nanometer scale, that is, the scale of molecules. The living cell is full of such molecular devices, namely proteins which act as controllable catalysts, transport systems, polymer synthesizers etc.; one worthwhile goal is to control these devices in ways different from what the cell does. We have recently developed a mechanical approach to the control of proteins, using molecular springs to externally modify a protein's conformation. For this project, we will perform certain measurements concerning such mechanical control of the activity of an enzyme molecule.
	Prof. Katsushi Arisaka Ultra-fast Imaging of Live Cells
	Bio-physicists are beginning to address the most fundamental question of dynamical behavior of a single molecule in a live cell. Based on 20 years experience on advanced photon detectors, Prof. Katsushi Arisaka is developing an innovative imaging device, capable of detecting such a behavior with unprecedented sensitivity. An REU student will first evaluate the new device at Physics Department, then will study various biological systems such as neural networks in brains and hair cells in ears at the Medical School. Through this process, a student will learn the exciting new fields of bio-physics and its application.