PFRDG Examining “How the Molecular Vibrations of Water May Prevent Skin Cancer”

Brian Van Hoozen Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor in the Chemistry & Physics Department in NSU’s Halmos College of Arts & Sciences. He received a President’s Faculty Research and Development Grant (PFRDG) for his project “How the molecular vibrations of water may prevent skin cancer.”

 

Tell me about your recent grant-funded project.

This grant focuses on understanding a mechanism by which skin cancer may be prevented. In my lab we are using computer software to simulate chemical reactions specifically investigating the behaviors of vibrations moving from DNA to water molecules. The goal is to see how often this occurs and if this is a common mechanism by which skin cancer is avoided.

 

Who is working with you on this project?

This project is a collaboration with Dr. Maria Ballester whose role is taking experimental measurements of the vibrational frequencies of the model systems for DNA we are simulating using FTIR spectroscopy. Several undergraduate students have also contributed to the project by performing simulations and taking FTIR spectra.

 

What expertise do you each bring?

This project requires conducting spectroscopic measurements and performing molecular simulations. My expertise is in performing molecular simulations. Dr. Maria Ballester’s expertise is in performing the spectroscopic measurements. Together we can advance both components of this project.

 

How does this grant intersect with your work at NSU?

I am trying to connect this work with my teaching by using similar simulations in computational labs. These labs teach the students how to perform a molecular simulation and how to analyze the data that was generated.

 

What advice do you have for other grant seekers at NSU?

The PFRDG is a great grant to start with for early-career researchers.

 

What is the next grant proposal or project on your agenda?

I have received two grants from the National Science Foundation under the Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment program. One focuses on this project. The other focuses on a related project that examines proton transfer in DNA by conducting molecular simulations. In the future I hope to publish our findings and extend this work from utilizing model systems into full DNA base pairs.