Richard Superfine Assoc. Chair; Professor Biological Physics, Condensed Matter Physics and Microscopy 168 Phillips Phone: (919) 962-1185 Email: Research Homepage Full Curriculum Vitae Publications
Research Interests
Dr. Superfine studies the nanoscale properties of molecules, nanotubes, molecular motors, DNA, viruses and cells. He develops and applies new techniques for these studies using optical, scanning probe, electron and magnetic force microscopes, all within his leadership of the NIH national center of Computer Integrated Systems for Microscopy and Manipulation (CISMM). Current experiments probe the mechanical properties of single molecules such as DNA, cells and cell cultures, while trying to understand force generation by the coupled motor systems that excite biological cilia. He leads the Virtual Lung Project, a collaboration of 15 senior investigators, to develop an integrated computational model of the lung. He collaborates with the School of Education in an outreach project that brings remote manipulation microscopy to K12 students. With the Computer Science Department, he has developed a Virtual-Reality enhanced interface for scanning probe microscopy, the "nanoManipulator,", now sold by 3rdTech, Inc. and the winner of an R&D 100 award in 2001.
Education
Ph.D. Berkley, 1991 B.S. Lehigh University, 1982