How gene transcription navigates roadblocks

September 20, 2022

RNA polymerase is an enzyme that catalyzes gene transcription, the first step in the process of turning a DNA sequence into proteins, the components of cellular machinery and structure. The journal, FEBS Letters, featured research led by Professor of Physics, Laura Finzi, showing how RNA polymerase navigates “roadblocks” along template DNA, that are composed of wraps and loops in the DNA created by DNA-binding proteins. … More How gene transcription navigates roadblocks

Bigger, better bubbles: Physicist seeks ultimate formula for fun

August 16, 2022

When he’s not conducting high-level research on fluid dynamics and granular materials, physics professor Justin Burton is on an ever-expanding quest: testing formulas and techniques to make the ultimate giant soap bubbles. Emory News recently interviewed Prof. Burton and his family on his quest to make the biggest bubble. Read more: https://news.emory.edu/features/2022/08/esc_quest-for-bigger-better-bubbles_01-08-2022/index.html

Professor Connie Roth Receives NSF Special Creativity Award

April 19, 2022

Professor Connie Roth is awarded an NSF Special Creativity grant in 2022 for her unique research into polymer material properties at the local nanoscale level. The National Science Foundation (NSF) Special Creativity Award is a two year extension of funding on an existing research grant “to offer the most creative investigators an extended opportunity to … More Professor Connie Roth Receives NSF Special Creativity Award

Physics Department Announces New Quantum Information Degree Option

April 19, 2022

The Emory Department of Physics is pleased to announce the creation of a new concentration in Quantum Information! This concentration is an optional path that our Physics Bachelor of Science degree students can choose to follow. It includes electives and advanced lab experiments tailored towards the rapidly growing field of quantum information and quantum computing. … More Physics Department Announces New Quantum Information Degree Option

Physics for All at the Atlanta Science Festival Expo

April 19, 2022

The Society for Physics Students (SPS) spearheaded “Physics For All” at the 2022 Atlanta Science Festival Expo! They were joined by Prof. Justin Burton and Undergraduate Program Coordinator, Susan Cook. Piedmont Park was packed with STEM-interested students and members of the general public. The theme was “levitation”, from Bernoulli levitation of a beach ball, to … More Physics for All at the Atlanta Science Festival Expo

Prof. Daniel Sussman is awarded an NSF CAREER grant

April 19, 2022

What makes a material a solid? Crystalline materials have their atoms and molecules organized into neatly repeating patterns — breaking up these repeating patterns costs energy, and the result is a material that resists deformation, that is, one that is solid. Glassy materials — which can be made from silica as in ordinary window glass … More Prof. Daniel Sussman is awarded an NSF CAREER grant

Daniel Weissman earns NSF CAREER award to study pathogen evolution

January 31, 2022

Assistant professor Daniel Weissman has received an NSF CAREER grant to study how pathogens evolve. Dr. Weissman’s group will use dynamical data from the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic to infer how viral mutations interact and will use sequencing data from the bacterium Staphylococcus aureus to determine how gene exchange among different strains of bacteria drives their adaptation. … More Daniel Weissman earns NSF CAREER award to study pathogen evolution

Density fluctuations in granular piles traversing the glass transition…

January 31, 2022

Density fluctuations in granular piles traversing the glass transition: A grain-scale characterization via the internal energy Stefan Boettcher, in collaboration with Paula Gago from Imperial College of London, used simulations of a cylindrical granular pile with 60000 spheres to achieve a grain-level understanding of the compaction dynamics. Its static configurations are rearranged via brief “taps” … More Density fluctuations in granular piles traversing the glass transition…

Emory Physics Graduate Students Selected as Laney EDGE Ambassadors

December 13, 2021

The Emory Physics Department is proud to recognize two of our graduate students, Rajpreet Kaur (left) and Satya Spandana (right), who have been selected as Ambassadors for the Emory Diversifying Graduate Education program (EDGE). EDGE Fellows and Ambassadors will primarily work with the Assistant Dean of Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement to help recruit, maintain … More Emory Physics Graduate Students Selected as Laney EDGE Ambassadors

New Method Reveals Minimum Heat for Levitating Drops

September 20, 2021

When water is sprinkled into an extremely hot frying pan, the droplets levitate just above the pan’s surface, sliding across it on vapor layers. This odd physical phenomenon, known as the Leidenfrost effect, was first described nearly three centuries ago, but many mysteries remain about its characteristics. Emory Physics graduate student Dana Harvey and Associate … More New Method Reveals Minimum Heat for Levitating Drops