Goldman Lab

Amy Weil, PhD
Post doctoral fellow
 amygum@sas.upenn.edu
 215-573-7997

Amy is investigating the mechanisms of eukaryotic translation elongation using a purified eukaryotic in vitro translation system.  Amy's major area of interest is understanding the mechanism of translational readthrough of premature termination codons, which are linked to over 200 genetic disorders.

Publications click here:

Matt Caporizzo, PhD
Post doctoral fellow in Insitute for Medicine and Engineering
 mcaporizzo@gmail.com
 610.742.9987

Composto Polymer Research Group/Department of Material Science (NIH T32 through the Institute for Medicine and Engineering: PI Peter Davies, PhD) and Pennsylvania Muscle Institute/Department of Physiology

Matt focuses on bridging the gap between materials science and single molecule biophysics.  Matt's projects range studying how charged nanoparticle can alter actin structure and molecular motor activity, to investigating how myosins and other cytoskeletal proteins contribute to single cell viscoelasticity.  Currently, Matt is working on understanding how the orientation of the coil-coil domain in myosin X, the most up-regulated molecular motor in cancer, leads to altered processivity.  Matt is also extending single-molecule super-resolution techniques towards understanding particle diffusion in crowded/caged environments.

Publications click here:

Vijay Singh, Ph.D.
Post doctoral fellow
 vijaysin@mail.med.upenn.edu
 267-934-6403

Vijay is investigating the elongation cycle dynamics of the Ribosome by using an in-vitro translation system. The major focus of his research work is to investigate the correlation of distance changes between EF-G and tRNA or subunit protein L11 measured by smFRET and rotational dynamics of EF-G.

Publications click here.

Vishakha Karnawat
Post doctoral fellow
 vishakha.karnawat@gmail.com
 215-898-4247

My project involves understanding the chemomechanical mechanism of the dynein motor protein using single molecule polarized TIRF microscopy.  My work focuses on determining the orientation and rotational motions of the dynein motor domains tagged with nanorods while moving along microtubules.  Understanding domain changes in dynein is key to determining the dynein stepping mechanism.

Publications click here.

Lisa Lippert
Graduate Student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
 llippert at mail.med.upenn.edu
 215-898-4247

Lisa is developing a polarized fluorescence imaging technique for simultaneous detection of position and orientation of fluorescence molecules and methods to functionalize semiconducting nanoparticles for attachment to proteins. Lisa is using these techniques to study ring domain rotations of cytoplasmic dynein as it walks along microtubules.

Ryan Jamiolkowski
MD, PhD Student in Bioengineering
 ryanjam@mail.med.upenn.edu
 215-898-4247

Ryan is using single molecule techniques to study ribosome dynamics during translation, as well as nanofabricating new tools for single molecule study.

Michael Woody
Graduate student in Biochemistry and Molecular Biophysics
 mwoody at mail.med.upenn.edu
 215-898-4247

Michael develops and uses advanced optical trapping methods to study force production of single molecules.  He is currently trying to observe and understand ultra-fast mechanical transitions and force dependence in beta cardiac myosin.

Claire Fishman
Undergraduate in Chemistry
 fishmanc@sas.upenn.edu
 215-898-4247

Claire is an undergraduate interested in majoring in Biological Basis of Behavior and Chemistry.  She is collaborating with Matt in studying the processivity of the molecular motor myosin X.

Kevin Chen
Undergraduate in the Department of Physics and Biochemistry
 chekevin@sas.upenn.edu
 510-676-7592

Kevin is a Physics major in the College interested in exploring the field of biophysics, particularly optics and single molecule techniques. He is helping Ryan develop a protocol for nanofabricating zero mode waveguides, which will allow single molecule experiments on actively translating ribosomes at physiologic concentrations. In his spare time, he enjoys collecting and tasting different varieties of teas, eating new (or free) foods, and attempting to cook.

Jeffrey Hallock
B.S.E. Material Science, Physics, Mathematics
 jhallock7@gmail.com
 215-898-4247

Jeffrey's primary responsibility is conducting independent control experiments and measurements in support of a primary lab project applying a novel microscopy technique to study molecular motors. Of particular interest was obtaining a precise measurement of the streptavidin content of in-house-made quantum rods. A MATLAB analysis program was written to heuristically determine relevant data parameters. Jeffrey also assisted in optimizing quantum rod water-solubilization and streptavidin coating methods, and also seeded an extension of the project to a different molecular motor.