RYAN BENZ


Home Department
Chemistry

Thesis Advisor
Douglas Tobias - Chemistry

Co-thesis Advisor
Stephen White - Physiology and Biophysics

Email


Ryan Benz is performing and studying molecular dynamics simulations of lipid bilayer systems and their relationship to experimental data. As computing power continues to increase and simulation techniques evolve, many questions arise about how one can properly compare simulation data to the results seen experimentally (ex. What simulation quantities can be unambiguously compared to experiment? How well do current simulation force fields describe experimental results? How does the size of the simulation cell affect the results of the simulation?). He is working with Dr. Douglas Tobias in the Department of Chemistry and with Dr. Stephen White in the Department of Physiology & Biophysics in the college of Medicine. Under the joint supervision of these mentors Ryan is performing neutron and x-ray diffraction experiments simulations to bridge these techniques. Ultimately, he would like to extend this work to study more complex lipid-peptide systems.

Conference Proceedings

Molecular Dynamics (MD) Simulation of a DOPC Bilayer at Low Hydration: Statistical Analysis and Comparison with Experimental Data, Francisco Castro-Roman, Ryan W. Benz, Douglas J. Tobias, Stephen H. White, Biophysical Journal Annual Meeting Abstracts, 2003, Vol. 84, Num. 2, 47a.

Time dependence of the electrostatic properties of phospholipid membranes, Bing Wang, Ryan Benz, Stephen H. White, Dianna Murray, Douglas J. Tobias, Biophysiccal Journal Annual Meeting Abstracts, 2003, Vol. 84, Num. 2, 46a.