Picture courtesy of
Dr. Edward Arnold (Rutgers University)

Center for Molecular Biophysics
& Biophysical Chemistry
Rutgers University
610 Taylor Road
Piscataway, NJ 08854

Phone: 732/445-6376

Fax: 732/445-1493

Helen M. Berman
Board of Governors Professor of Chemistry, Rutgers University
(732) 445-4667
Wright-Rieman Laboratories, Room 113

Our goal is to understand the structural properties of biological molecules and to relate these structures to their biological functions. Our work on nucleic acids has focused on the effects of base modification of the structure and on the interrelationships of hydration structure, crystal packing, and conformation. Our studies of nucleic acid-protein complexes will help to elucidate the principles that underlie interactions between these macromolecules. Studies on collagen peptides have allowed us to define the structure of the triple helix at atomic resolution and to understand the role of water in mediating intermolecular interactions. The database of nucleic acid containing structures (NDB) is widely used as a research tool for integrative studies of these three dimensional structures.