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Scholarly Interest Report
         
Volker Schweikhard
Lecturer
Research Assistant Professor
 
e-mail:Volker.Schweikhard@rice.edu
 
  • Ph.D. Physics (2009) University of Colorado at Boulder, Boulder, Colorado
  • Diplom Physics (2001) University of Stuttgart, Germany
 
Primary Department
   Department of Bioengineering
Picture
 
 
Research Areas
 Development of quantitative, optics-based techniques for biophysics and cell biology. Integrating single-molecule and cellular-level assays of transcriptional and epigenetic regulation. High-content, high-resolution microscopy approaches to cell and tissue analysis.
 

Research Statement

 

My research is focused on the development of sensitive and quantitative approaches to cell biology and multicellular systems. To this end, I am working to combine high-content optical imaging approaches (multiplexed immunofluorescence microscopy, superresolution microscopy, coherent Raman microscopy), novel optical materials (such as quantum-dot and plasmonic nano-sensors) and single-molecule assays with a suite of emerging molecular biology techniques from the fast-growing field of mammalian synthetic biology (e.g., construction of mammalian gene regulatory circuits, and novel genome editing tools). 


Applications include the epigenetic pathways controlling cell state transitions that are fundamental to both healthy development and disease.  For example, in the early stages of cancer metastasis, individual cells break loose from tightly adherent epithelial tissues, then enter into the bloodstream or the lymphatic system, and under certain conditions can take root and form metastatic tumors in other parts of the body.  The combination of tools outlined above will enable us to follow these processes by probing large sets of molecular markers with high spatiotemporal resolution.

 
Selected Publications
 Refereed articles
 

E. B. Samson, J. Zimak, E. Mace, J. Orange, M. R. Diehl*, and V. Schweikhard*. *co-corresponding-authors. "IQGAP1 plays dual and simultaneous roles in the development of epithelial cell polarity ." Under review at the Journal of Cell Biology (2016) Submitted

 
 

V. Schweikhard*, K. L. Frieda*, C. García-García*, and S. M. Block. *co-first-authors. "Cotranscriptional and thermodynamic aspects of gene regulation by a translationally acting adenine riboswitch ." To be submitted to Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2016)In Progress

 
 

"Transcription factors TFIIF and TFIIS promote transcript elongation by RNA polymerase II by synergistic and independent mechanisms",

V. Schweikhard, C. A. Meng, K. Murakami, C. D. Kaplan, R. D. Kornberg, and S. M. Block

Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 111, 6642-47 (2014).


http://www.pnas.org/content/111/18/6642.abstract?sid=042d6dda-9c76-45b1-bd47-67f269c6e699
 
 

“Coherent Multiphoton Photolectron Emission from Single Au Nanorods: The Critical Role of Plasmonic Electric Near-Field Enhancement”, A. Grubisic , V. Schweikhard, T. A. Baker, and D. J. Nesbitt. ACS Nano 22, 87 - 99 (2013).


http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/nn305194n
 
 

“Multiphoton Photoelectron Emission Microscopy of Single Au Nanorods: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study of Rod Morphology and Dielectric Environment on Localized Surface Plasmon Resonances.” A. Grubisic , V. Schweikhard, T. A. Baker, and D. J. Nesbitt. PhysChemChemPhys 15, 10616-27 (2013).


http://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlepdf/2013/cp/c3cp44385j
 
 

“Single-molecule studies of RNAPII elongation”, V. Schweikhard*, J. Zhou*, and S. M. Block. Review, part of a themed issue on “The biochemistry and structural biology of RNA polymerase II transcript elongation”, in BBA Gene Regulatory Mechanisms 1829, 29-38 (2013).


http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2012.08.006
 
 

“Polarization Dependent Scanning Photoionization Microscopy: Ultrafast Plasmon-Mediated Electron Ejection Dynamics in Single Au Nanorods”, V. Schweikhard, A. Grubisic, T. A. Baker, I. Thomann, and D. J. Nesbitt. ACS Nano 5, 3724-3735 (2011)

 
 

“Multiphoton Scanning Photoionization Imaging Microscopy for Single-Particle Studies of Plasmonic Metal Nanostructures”, V. Schweikhard, A. Grubisic, T. A. Baker, and D. J. Nesbitt. J. Phys. Chem. C 115, 83–91 (2011)


http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bbagrm.2012.08.006
 
 

“Vortex Proliferation in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Regime on a Two-Dimensional Lattice of Bose-Einstein Condensates”, V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 030401 (2007)

 
 

“Dispersive and classical shock waves in Bose-Einstein condensates and gas dynamics”, M. A. Hoefer, M. J. Ablowitz, I. Coddington, E. A. Cornell, P. Engels, and V. Schweikhard. Phys. Rev. A 74, 023623 (2006)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v74/e023623
 
 

“Observation of Vortex Pinning in Bose-Einstein Condensates“, S. Tung, V. Schweikhard, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 240402 (2006)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v97/e240402
 
 

“Observations on Sound Propagation in Rapidly Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates”, T. P. Simula, P. Engels, I. Coddington, V. Schweikhard, E. A. Cornell, and R. J. Ballagh. Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 080404 (2005)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v94/e080404
 
 

"Vortex-Lattice Dynamics in Rotating Spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates”, V. Schweikhard, I. Coddington, P. Engels, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. Lett. 93, 210403 (2004).


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v93/e210403
 
 

“Experimental studies of equilibrium vortex properties in a Bose-condensed gas”, I. Coddington, P. C. Haljan, P. Engels, V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. A 70, 063607 (2004)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v70/e063607
 
 

“Vortex Lattice Dynamics in a Dilute Gas BEC”, P. Engels, I. Coddington, V. Schweikhard, and E. A. Cornell. J. Low Temp. Phys. 134, 683-688 (2004)


http://springerlink.metapress.com/content/wn30715k0321r6r4/fulltext.pdf
 
 

“Rapidly Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates in and near the Lowest Landau Level“, V. Schweikhard, I. Coddington, P. Engels, V. P. Mogendorff, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. Lett. 92, 040404 (2004)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v92/e040404
 
 

“Observation of Long-Lived Vortex Aggregates in Rapidly Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates”, P. Engels, I. Coddington, P. C. Haljan, V. Schweikhard, and  E. A. CornellPhys. Rev. Lett. 90, 170405 (2003)

 
 

“Observation of Tkachenko Oscillations in Rapidly Rotating Bose-Einstein Condensates“, I. Coddington, P. Engels, V. Schweikhard, and E. A. Cornell. Phys. Rev. Lett. 91, 100402 (2003)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRL/v91/e100402
 
 

“Intense source of cold Rb atoms from a pure two-dimensional magneto-optical trap”, J. Schoser, A. Batär, R. Löw, V. Schweikhard, A. Grabowski, Yu. B. Ovchinnikov, and T. Pfau. Phys. Rev. A 66, 023410 (2002)


http://link.aps.org/abstract/PRA/v66/e023410
 
 Refereed conference papers
 

“Probing Vortex Pair Sizes in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Regime on a Two-Dimensional Lattice of Bose-Einstein Condensates.” V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, G. Lamporesi, and E. A. Cornell. “Laser Spectroscopy - Proceedings of the 18th International Conference (ICOLS 2007).“ L. Hollberg, J. Bergquist, and M. Kasevich (eds.), (World Scientific, Singapore, 2008), pp. 3-10.

 
Presentations
 Conference Paper
 

Multi-scale imaging approach identifies novel roles for the scaffold protein IQGAP1 in epithelial cell development, SPIE Photonics West (BiOS), San Francisco, CA

 
 Invited Talks
 

Dissecting the roles of the scaffold protein IQGAP1 in epithelial cell biology, International Conference on Synthetic Biology, Houston, TX

 
 

Damon Runyon Fellows Retreat, San Jose, CA, October 3-6, 2012. V.Schweikhard, K. Murakami, C. Kaplan, R. Kornberg, and Steven M. Block. Invited Talk: “High-resolution studies of transcription and its regulation – one molecule at a time”

 
 

Think and Drink Seminar Series, Department of Biology, Stanford University, June 8, 2012. V. Schweikhard, K. Frieda, C. García-García, and S. M. Block. Invited talk: “Riboswitch folding kinetics as a determinant of gene regulation by a translationally acting riboswitch”

 
 

2011 Tri-Lab Meeting, Waltham, MA, June 17 – 19, 2011. V. Schweikhard, K. Frieda, C. García-García, and S. M. Block. Talk: “Direct observation of co-transcriptional and thermodynamic aspects of a translationally acting adenine riboswitch”.

 
 

2010 Tri-Lab Meeting, Madison, WI, August 20 – 22, 2010; V. Schweikhard, J. Zhou, and S. M. Block. Talk: “A single-molecule study of the roles of TFIIS and TFIIF in elongation by Pol II”.

 
 

Weekly Seminar, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, MIT-Harvard Center for Ultracold Atoms, Boston MA, Oct. 30, 2007. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: “2D Josephson junction arrays in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless regime”

 
 

Condensed Matter Brown Bag Lunch Seminar, CU Boulder Physics Department, Apr. 26, 2007. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: “Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless Crossover on a 2-d Lattice”

 
 

Conference "Recent progress in the studies of quantum gases: theory and experiments", Institut Henri Poincare, Paris, France, June 26-30, 2007. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: "Kosterlitz-Thouless Crossover on a 2D Lattice of Josephson-Coupled BECs"

 
 

Annual Meeting, Divison of Atomic, Molecular, and Optical Physic (DAMOP) 2007, Calgary, Canada, June 4-9, 2007. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: “Vortex Proliferation in the Berezinskii-Kosterlitz-Thouless regime on a 2D lattice”

 
 

Conference on Strong Correlations in Ultra-Cold Fermi Systems, Aspen Center for Physics, Jan. 15-21, 2006. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: “Rotating BECs meet rotating lattices”


 
 

UC Berkeley AMO Physics Seminar, University of California at Berkeley, Apr. 26, 2006. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Invited talk: “Fun with vortices in rotating optical lattices”

 
 

Workshop “Ultracold trapped atomic gases”, Aspen Center for Physics, May/June 2005. V. Schweikhard, I. Coddington, P. Engels, S. Tung, and E. A. CornellInvited talk: “Rotating BECs in periodic potentials”

 
 

“International Symposium on Quantum Fluids and Solids 2004”, Trento, Italy, July 5-9, 2004. V. Schweikhard, I. Coddington, P. Engels, S. Tung, and E. A. CornellInvited talk: “Experiments on highly rotating BECs”

 
 

Workshop “Exploring the interface between cold atom and condensed matter physics”, Aspen Center for Physics, June/July 2003. V. Schweikhard, I. Coddington, P. Engels, S. Tung, and E. A. CornellInvited talk: “Experiments with rapidly rotating BECs”

 
 Posters
 

Local and non-local roles for the scaffold protein IQGAP1 in the regulation of epithelial cell junctions

Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology 2015, San Diego, CA

 
 

Gordon Research Conference “Single-Molecule Approaches to Biology”, Mount Snow Resort, VT, July 15 – 20, 2012. V. Schweikhard, K. Frieda, C. García-García, and S. M. Block. Poster: “Kinetic trapping affects gene regulation by translationally-acting adenine riboswitches”

 
 

Biophysical Society, 56th Annual Meeting, San Diego, CA, Feb 25 – 29, 2012. V. Schweikhard, K. Frieda, C. García-García, and S. M. Block. Poster: “Riboswitch folding kinetics can affect gene expression by a translationally acting riboswitch”

 
 

Excited State Processes in Electronic and Bio Nanomaterials, Santa Fe, CA, June 29 – July 02, 2009. T. A. Baker, V. Schweikhard, and D. J. Nesbitt. Poster: “Scanning Photoionization Microscopy of Plasmonic Nanostructures”

 
 

Conference “BEC 07 - Frontiers in Quantum Gases”, Sant Feliu de Guixols, Spain, Sept 15 – 20, 2007. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Poster: “Two-Dimensional Josephson junction arrays: Vortex Proliferation in the BKT regime”

 
 

“International Conference on Atomic Physics 2006”, Innsbruck, Austria, July 16 – 21, 2006. V. Schweikhard, S. Tung, and E. A. Cornell. Poster: “Bose-Einstein Condensates in Rotating Lattices: Vortex Pinning and Josephson Junction Arrays”

 
 

“Euro Summer School: Quantum Gases in Low Dimensions”, Les Houches, France, Apr 15 – 25, 2003. V. Schweikhard, P. Engels, I. Coddington, P. C. Haljan, and  E. A. Cornell. Poster: “Highly Rotating BECs: Towards the Lowest Landau Level”

 
 Seminar Speaker
 

Probing epithelial cell communities with new biophysical tools, Faculty Candidate Seminar, Bioengineering Department, Northeastern University, Boston, MA

 
Editorial Positions
 Other, Phys. Rev. Lett. and Phys. Rev. A . (2004 - 2013)

 Other, The EMBO Journal . (2011 - 2013)

Awards, Prizes, & Fellowships
 Postdoctoral fellowship , Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation (07/2010-06/2013)

 Three-year postdoctoral fellowship, Jane Coffin Childs Memorial Fund

 Artur Fischer Prize , Department of Physics, University of Stuttgart, Germany (2002)

 Guenter Felke Prize , Herzog-Johann-Grammar School, Simmern, Germany (1995)