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Zvonimir Dogic

Associate Professor of Physics
Ph.D., Brandeis University, 2001

The research interests of Zvonimir Dogic and his group lie in elucidating rules that govern self-assembly of materials, with a particular emphasis being placed on the role the particle's shape and chirality play in these assembly processes.  We strive to create very simple model systems in which precise control is possible over all the relevant parameters.  This enables a rigorous and detailed comparison with theoretical predictions.  The particles we use have very simple hard core repulsive interactions.  Despite the apparent simplicity of these building blocks, we have demonstrated that through a careful choice of particle shape and chirality it is possible to assemble at least half a dozen unique structures.  By necessity our research is highly interdisciplinary.  To accomplish our goals, in addition to a host of experimental techniques, we also utilize theoretical statistical mechanics, computer simulations, biochemistry, various protein purification techniques and molecular cloning.

CV and list of publications

Sample of Recent Publications

Reconfigurable Self-Assembly through chiral control of interfacial tension,  T. Gibaud, E. Barry, M. Zakhary, M. Henglin, A. Ward, Y. Yang, C. Berciu, R. Oldenbourg, D. Nicastro, R. Meyer and Z. Dogic
Nature  481, 348-351(2012). [PDF] [Supp.]

Cilia-Like Beating of Active Microtubule Bundles,  T. Sanchez, D. Welch, D. Nicastro and Z. Dogic
Science 333, 456-459 (2011). [PDF] [Supp.]

Entropy Driven Self-Assembly of Non-Amphiphilic Colloidal Membranes, E. Barry and Z. Dogic
PNAS 107, 10348-10353 (2010).[PDF] [Supp]

Circularization, photo-mechanical switching and a supercoiling transition of actin filaments, T. Sanchez, I. Kulic and Z. Dogic
Phys. Rev. Lett.  104, 098103 (2010). [PDF]