About Macromolecular and Biophysical Chemistry

The physical chemistry of polymers is an area of great traditional strength at Wisconsin. Experiments in our Department probe the dynamics of polymer motions on time scales ranging from picoseconds to days! State-of-the-art techniques include fast laser pulse pump-probe experiments, neutron and light scattering, transient grating spectroscopy, and viscoelasticity and flow birefringence measurements. The systems of interest are bulk polymers, polymer solutions, and glasses.

Biophysical chemistry is a growing field at Wisconsin. Both experimental and theoretical efforts aim to understand the physical chemistry of nucleic acids and proteins, including the physical basis of gene expression. Two dimensional NMR techniques provide uniquely detailed structural information about noncovalent interactions between proteins and carbohydrates. These interactions are the basis of antigen-antibody recognition, cell-cell communication, and maintenance of the extracellular matrix.