Biophysical and Computational Chemistry

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Group leader
Photo of John Torsten
Torsten John
Assistant Professor of Physical Chemistry
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Specific themes and goals

We are committed to advancing the understanding of biomolecular behavior and leveraging this knowledge to engineer bionanomaterials.

  • Elucidating Mechanisms of Self-Assembly: We explore the principles of peptide self-assembly, focusing on how biomolecules organize in solution and at interfaces like nanoparticles and membranes. We aim to develop predictive models of self-assembly that inform the design of programmable nanomaterials.
  • Understanding Biomolecular Interactions at Interfaces: Interfaces, particularly those mimicking biological membranes, play a pivotal role in many of the systems we study. Our research focuses on how biomolecules, such as peptides, interact with these interfaces and how these interactions drive processes like antimicrobial activity or viral infection enhancement.
  • Engineering Bionanomaterials: Our work aims to control and manipulate the structural properties of bionanomaterials. This includes designing materials for targeted drug delivery, biosensing, and modulating cell interactions.

A unique aspect of our lab is the synergy between theory and experiment to achieve a deeper molecular-level understanding of biomolecular systems and improve the design of functional nanomaterials. Many of our research goals are aligned with addressing critical challenges in health and medicine, ranging from neurodegenerative diseases to viral infections and antimicrobial resistance.

Highlights and impact
  • Research Contributions: Torsten John has contributed molecular-scale models that explain how interfaces influence peptide self-assembly, a key process in understanding neurodegenerative diseases and antimicrobial effects. His work, conducted at the Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering, Monash University, MIT, and the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research, has potential implications for biomedical applications.
  • Awards and Recognitions: John has received prestigious awards and fellowships, including the Feodor Lynen Fellowship from the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation (2021–2024), the CAS/SciFinder Future Leaders Program (2017), and recognition on IUPAC’s Periodic Table of Younger Chemists (2018). His contributions have also earned him Early Career Researcher Awards from the Royal Australian Chemical Institute (2016) and the Leibniz Institute of Surface Engineering (2020). He was selected as a Young Scientist for the 70th and 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings (2020–2022).
Group composition & projects/funding

The John Lab is led by Prof. Dr. Torsten John who is currently establishing a research group in biophysical and computational chemistry.

Selected publications

▪ Hayn, M.; John, T.; Bandak, J.; Rauch‐Wirth, L.; Abel, B.; Münch, J. Hybrid Materials From Peptide Nanofibrils and Magnetic Beads to Concentrate and Isolate Virus Particles. Adv. Funct. Mater. 2024, 34 (27), 2316260
https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.202316260

▪ John, T.; Rampioni, A.; Poger, D.; Mark, A. E. Molecular Insights into the Dynamics of Amyloid Fibril Growth: Elongation and Lateral Assembly of GNNQQNY Protofibrils. ACS Chem. Neurosci. 2024. 15 (4), 716–723
https://doi.org/10.1021/acschemneuro.3c00754

▪  John, T.; Piantavigna, S.; Dealey, T. J. A.; Abel, B.; Risselada, H. J.; Martin, L. L. Lipid Oxidation Controls Peptide Self-Assembly near Membranes through a Surface Attraction Mechanism. Chem. Sci. 2023, 14 (14), 3730–3741.
https://doi.org/10.1039/D3SC00159H

▪  John, T.; Adler, J.; Elsner, C.; Petzold, J.; Krueger, M.; Martin, L. L.; Huster, D.; Risselada, H. J.; Abel, B. Mechanistic Insights into the Size-Dependent Effects of Nanoparticles on Inhibiting and Accelerating Amyloid Fibril Formation. J. Colloid Interface Sci. 2022, 622, 804–818.
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcis.2022.04.134

▪  Jun, H.; Wang, X.; Parsons, M. F.; Bricker, W. P.; John, T.; Li, S.; Jackson, S.; Chiu, W.; Bathe, M. Rapid Prototyping of Arbitrary 2D and 3D Wireframe DNA Origami. Nucleic Acids Res. 2021, 49 (18), 10265–10274
https://doi.org/10.1093/nar/gkab762

▪  John, T.; Gladytz, A.; Kubeil, C.; Martin, L. L.; Risselada, H. J.; Abel, B. Impact of Nanoparticles on Amyloid Peptide and Protein Aggregation: A Review with a Focus on Gold Nanoparticles. Nanoscale 2018, 10 (45), 20894–20913.
https://doi.org/10.1039/C8NR04506B