The Shell(link is external) group uses molecular simulations and statistical mechanics to investigate coupled folding, self-assembly, and self-organization processes in peptides and small proteins. Recent projects in this area are aimed at understanding the thermodynamic balance underlying peptide sequences with high-fidelity self-assembly, the physiochemical interactions governing nanotube-forming synthetic peptides, and the design of peptide-polymer conjugates that functionalize therapeutic soft nanoparticles.

The Mills(link is external) group leverages protein engineering and synthetic biology tools to investigate the molecular driving forces that underpin various types of protein-driven spatial organization in nature. Projects in this area include high-throughput screening of protein assemblies to generate protein assembly fitness landscapes, and the development of cell-free systems for the investigation of the liquid-liquid phase separation (LLPS) of proteins.