Computational Biology and Biophysics

The Varma lab develops and utilizes physics- and informatics-based computer simulation methods to study biological mechanisms at the molecular scale. The lab is particularly interested in understanding the details of how cell membranes function, such as how they respond to extrinsic constraints and how they regulate the selective transport of solutes. It is also looking closely at how individual proteins aggregate to form larger functional assemblies, including fibers, and how proteins interact with each other during signal transduction. These studies will shed light on the fundamental physical principles that underlie a variety of physiological processes, ranging from nutrient uptake, locomotion, gene regulation and volume homoeostasis in single cells to nerve conduction, muscle regulation, tissue formation and immune response in eukaryotes.