My research is in theoretical and computational biophysics, chemical biology, and physical chemistry. Our interdisciplinary research program utilizes and develops a range of novel and powerful techniques that spans fields from modern physical chemistry, biophysics, biophysical chemistry and soft condensed matter physics. The driving force in the advances of our research program is our close collaboration with experiments groups. A number of areas of current interest to us include (i) single molecule studies on the ribosome; (ii) chemical biology of DNA flexibility in vivo; (iii) polyelectrolyte behavior of DNA and RNA, (iv) dynamics of supercooled liquids and glasses, and (v) stochastic process of rare events.

Representative Key Publications:

"Structure Without Evolution: Acquisition of Compact Folds By RNA with Randomly Generated Sequences," Schultes, E.; Spasic, A.; Mohanty, U.; Bartel, D. Nature and Structural Biology 2005, 12, 1130-1136.

"Polyelectrolyte Behavior and Kinetics of Amino-acyl-tRNA on the Ribosome," Spasic, A.; Sitha, S.; Korchak, M.; Chu, S.; Mohanty, U. J. Phys. Chem. B, 2008, 112, 4161-3.

"DNA on a Tube: Electrostatic Contribution to Stiffness," Guo, Z.; Taubes, C.H.; Oh, J.E.; Maher, L. J.; Mohanty, U. J. Phys. Chem. B. 2008, 112, 16163-9.