Seth Fraden
Professor of Physics
Ph.D., Brandeis University, 1987
The focus of Seth Fraden and his group is to understand the relation between interparticle interactions and phase transitions in colloidal suspensions such as genetically engineered viruses, latex, proteins, and polymers. Combining experiment, computer simulation, and theory, Fraden examines the role of entropy in driving disorder-to-order transitions. Other major objectives are to understand the physics of protein crystallization and the development of microfluidic based high throughput crystallization devices.
Recent Ph.D. Students
Fei Huang (2008) "Interactions and Collective Behavior of Attractive Colloidal Rods and Microspheres Grafted with Filamentous Bacteriophage"
Jung-uk Shim (2007) "Novel Approach to Protein Crystallization; Control of the Phase Behavior of Aqueous Solutions Using Microfluidics." Present Position: Research Fellow, Cambridge University
Joshua Blouwolff (2006) "Experimental Investigations of Interactions and Collective Behavior in Protein/Polymer Mixtures and Granular Rods" Present Position: Staff Scientist, US Genomics
Kirstin R. Purdey (2004) "Liquid Crystal Phase Transitions of Mono- disperse and Bidisperse Suspensions of Rodlike Colloidal Virus" Present Position: Visiting Assistant Professor, Claremont McKenna College, Joint Sciences Department, Claremont, CA
Sample of Recent Publications
Selimovic, Seila, Jia, Yanwei, Fraden, Seth. "Measuring the Nucleation Rate of Lysozyme using Microfluidics." Crystal Growth & Design (2009). (forthcoming)
Boukellal, H., Selimovic, S., Jia, Y. W., Cristobal, G., Fraden, S.. "Simple, robust storage of drops and fluids in a microfluidic device." Lab on a Chip 9. 2 (2009): 331-338.
F. Huang, K. Addas, A. Ward, N. T. Flynn, E. Velasco, M. F. Hagan, Z. Dogic, S. Fraden. "Pair Potential of Charged Colloidal Stars." Phys. Rev. Letts. 102. (2009): 108302.
Blouwolff, J., Fraden, S.. "Crystallization conditions of membrane protein CLC-ec1: An example outside the crystallization slot." Journal of Crystal Growth 303. 2 (2007): 546-553.
Purdy, K. R., Fraden, S.. "Influence of charge and flexibility on smectic phase formation in filamentous virus suspensions." Physical Review E 76. 1 (2007): Art. No. 011705.
Shim, J. U., Cristobal, G., Link, D. R., Thorsen, T., Fraden, S.. "Using microfluidics to decouple nucleation and growth of protein crystals." Crystal Growth & Design 7. 11 (2007): 2192-2194.
Shim, J. U., Cristobal, G., Link, D. R., Thorsen, T., Jia, Y. W., Piattelli, K., Fraden, S.. "Control and measurement of the phase behavior of aqueous solutions using microfluidics." Journal of the American Chemical Society 129. 28 (2007): 8825-8835.
Varga, S., Fraden, S.. "Smectic ordering in athermal systems of rodlike triblock copolymers." Journal of Chemical Physics 127. 15 (2007).
Bloustine, J., Virmani, T., Thurston, G. M., Fraden, S.. "Light scattering and phase behavior of lysozyme-poly(ethylene glycol) mixtures." Physical Review Letters 96. 8 (2006).
Blouwolff, J., Fraden, S.. "The coordination number of granular cylinders." Europhysics Letters 76. 6 (2006): 1095-1101.
Dogic, Z., Fraden, S.. "Ordered phases of filamentous viruses." Current Opinion in Colloid & Interface Science 11. 1 (2006): 47-55.
Fraden, S., Dogic, Z.. "Phase Behavior of Rod-Like Viruses and Virus-Sphere Mixtures." Soft Matter, vol. 2: Complex Colloidal Suspensions. vol. 2 Ed. Gompper, G., Schick, M.. Weinheim: Wiley-VCH, 2006