Gavin King, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy, and members of the King Lab are collaborating with the University of Tennessee’s department of biochemistry to study the action mechanism of pore forming peptides. These small proteins spontaneously insert into membranes and cause uncontrolled leakage, an activity that has potential applications in the pharmaceutical arena.

In addition, King and Suchi Guha, a professor in the department of physics and astronomy, organized a National Science Foundation sponsored workshop on ice lithography, a novel approach to high precision patterning. The workshop, which was virtual due to the COVID-19 pandemic, was highly successful with more than 90 attendees from the U.S. and Europe.