Scottish Universities Physics Alliance Peer-Reviewed ... - SUPA

Current Research
Research over the last 5 years have led to a significant revision of the structure and thermodynamics of
liquid mixtures relevant to biological macromolecules and their self-assembly. In alcohol-water
solutions in particular, combinations of neutron diffraction and computer simulations have revealed for
the first time unexpected and complex local structuring which established the importance of
hydrophobic interactions in such a simple system. The observation also contradicted the prevailing
view dating from 1945 that water is significantly restructured in these important model mixtures.
The results motivated a new and successful theory to account for the origin of the anomalous
thermodynamic properties of these systems which did not involve water restructuring. Largescale
computer simulations of short peptide fragments have also revealed evidence for complex and
persistent local structure motifs having remarkable similarities to bonding patterns in protein beta
sheets and to so-called “buried water” trapped in the interior of proteins. Ongoing work combining
experiment and simulation is focussing on structure and properties of biophysically interesting and
technologically relevant systems such as viral inhibitors and anti-microbial peptides. Other work
involves applications of DNA nanoswitches which have been designed and now demonstrated to be
highly discriminating sensors of nucleic acids with potentially significant impact in biotechnology. The
devices employ an unusual method of molecular recognition in which the optically detected switch
characteristics are modified when bound to a specific nucleic acid target. Computational work in
collaboration with IBM in the US has led to the development of new simulation algorithms for
materials simulation implemented on emerging computer architecture.
Craven, AJ
Alan Craven
Academic
University of Glasgow
14 records
Spectrum imaging and three-dimensional atom probe studies of fine particles in a vanadium
micro-alloyed steel
Craven, AJ; MacKenzie, M; Cerezo, A; Godfrey, T; Clifton, PH
MATERIALS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
Volume: 24 Issue: 6 Pages: 641-650 (2008)
Quantitative electron energy-loss spectroscopy (EELS) analyses of lead zirconate titanate
Harkins, P; MacKenzie, M; Craven, AJ; McComb, DW
MICRON
Volume: 39 Issue: 6 Pages: 709-716 (2008)
Gallium oxide and gadolinium gallium oxide insulators on Si delta-doped GaAs/AlGaAs
heterostructures
Paterson, GW; Longo, P; Wilson, JA; Craven, AJ; Long, AR; Thayne, IG; Passlack, M; Droopad, R
JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS
Volume: 104 Issue: 10 Article Number: 103719 (2008)
Near-simultaneous dual energy range EELS spectrum imaging
Scott, J; Thomas, PJ; MacKenzie, M; McFadzean, S; Wilbrink, J; Craven, AJ; Nicholson, WAP
ULTRAMICROSCOPY
Volume: 108 Issue: 12 Pages: 1586-1594 (2008)
Column ratio mapping: A processing technique for atomic resolution high-angle annular
dark-field (HAADF) images
Robb, PD; Craven, AJ
ULTRAMICROSCOPY
Volume: 109 Issue: 1 Pages: 61-69 (2008)
80