Charles M. Schroeder
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Dr. Schroeder joins our faculty August 2008.
Assistant Professor
B.S., Carnegie Mellon University, 1999
Ph.D., Stanford University, 2004
Postdoctorate, Harvard University, 2004-2007
Postdoctorate, University of California at Berkeley, 2007-2008
Molecular Bioengineering and Biophysics
Single molecule techniques represent a new paradigm to study biological and physical processes. In our group, we apply novel molecular-based methods to address key problems in biotechnology and soft materials. Specifically, we design and implement integrated microdevices for high-throughput screening of biomolecules for medical analysis, study the action of natural and evolved enzymes at the molecular level, and investigate the non-equilibrium dynamics of soft materials. Our research is highly interdisciplinary and lies at the interface of biology, engineering, and biotechnology.
Integrated Microdevices for Biotechnology
The genomics age has ushered in a wealth of genetic-based information. As we begin to build a molecular-based understanding of human health, there exists a continuing need for miniaturized microdevices for medical analysis. In our research, we are developing novel integrated devices for biotechnology based on the analysis of single molecules with several applications: disease diagnosis, prediction of drug response, and personalized medicine. The goal of this research is to improve human health by developing and demonstrating high-throughput analysis of single DNA molecules and proteins in microdevices.
Molecular Biophysics
Molecular-based understanding of biological mechanisms – including viral infection pathways, enzymatic reactions, or metabolism – is oftentimes the key to precipitating major advances in bioengineering. We use single molecule techniques to study the behavior of biological systems and processes, including catalysis mechanisms by natural and evolved enzyme systems. We are currently developing new screening tools for protein engineering and studying the action of nucleic-acid enzyme processes, including DNA replication. Observation of single proteins and enzymes allows for characterization of real-time dynamics, molecular subpopulations, and heterogeneous biological behavior.
Soft Materials: Polymer Dynamics
Polymers are ubiquitous in modern technology and represent an interesting example of soft matter. Biopolymers such as DNA, RNA, and proteins store vital information in cells and perform essential tasks to ensure survival of an organism; synthetic polymers are commonly encountered in a multitude of industrial applications. In our group, we develop and synthesize new materials and biopolymers and study them at the molecular level. We use fluorescence microscopy to directly observe single polymer conformations in flow and to characterize the individualistic dynamical behavior of polymers under highly non-equilibrium conditions.
Selected Publications
C.M. Schroeder, P.C. Blainey, S. Kim, X.S. Xie, "Hydrodynamic Flow-stretching
Assay for Single Molecule Studies of Nucleic Acid-Protein Interactions,"
in Single Molecule Techniques: A Laboratory Manual, T. Ha and P. Selvin
(eds.), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press (2007).
S. Kim, P.C. Blainey, C.M. Schroeder, and X.S. Xie, "Multiplexed
Single-molecule Assay for Weak Enzymatic Activity on Flow-stretched DNA," Nature
Methods, 4, 397-399 (2007).
C.M. Schroeder, R.E. Teixeira, E.S.G. Shaqfeh, S. Chu, "The Dynamics
of DNA in the Flow-Gradient Plane of Steady Shear Flow: Observations and Simulations," Macromolecules, 38, 1967-1978 (2005).
C.M. Schroeder, R.E. Teixeira, E.S.G. Shaqfeh, S. Chu, "Characteristic
Periodic Motion of Polymers in Shear Flow," Physical Review Letters, 95, 018301 (2005).
C.M. Schroeder, E.S.G. Shaqfeh, S. Chu, "Effect of Hydrodynamic
Interactions on DNA Dynamics in Extensional Flow: Simulation and Single Molecule
Experiment," Macromolecules, 37, 9242-9256
(2004).
C.M. Schroeder, H.P. Babcock, E.S.G. Shaqfeh, S. Chu, "Observation
of Polymer Conformation Hysteresis in Extensional Flow," Science, 301,
1515-1519 (2003).
