Professor EmeritusJill Trewhella

Jill is a biophysicist who uses physical methods to study bio-molecular structures as a basis for understanding their function. A major focus of her work has been on the structural biology of how bio-molecules interact and communicate in order to carry out functions that involve multiple molecular actors working in concert. This work requires a multidisciplinary approach using molecular biology, biochemistry, and biophysical tools. One of the biophysical tools she has frequently used is the small-angle scattering of x-rays and neutrons in order to probe the solution conformations of proteins and the complexes they form in a wide variety of conditions and states of activity. Her major current activity is on data and model validation for biomolecular complexes whose structures are solved using hybrid or integrative methods, with a particular focus on contributions from solution small-angle scattering.