Kenneth Rothschild
Professor Emeritus, Physics
The Molecular Biophysics Laboratory develops advanced biophysical methods in vibrational spectroscopy combined with advanced techniques in biomolecular engineering to understand the molecular mechanisms of membrane protein function. The group focuses primarily on rhodopsins, a large family of integral membrane proteins involved in animal vision and photo-sensing and ion transport in bacteria and algae. One important application of this work is the development of optogenetic proteins for use in neuroscience research, such as elucidating the functioning of complex neural circuits and understanding the basis for neurodegenerative diseases.