Unsolved Mystery
Scientists like Francesco Arneodo and Lotfi Benabderrahmane
have spent decades searching for something they can’t see.
Research
Doctoral students in physics at NYU Abu Dhabi conduct research in a number of labs within the Division of Science. Physics at NYU Abu Dhabi is concentrated in the following areas:
Biophysics
Life may be complex, but it still follows the laws of physics. From the folding of single proteins and RNA molecules to the self-assembly of organelles and the emergence of multicellular structures, biophysics seeks to uncover how simple physical principles give rise to living complexity. At NYU Abu Dhabi, we study how molecules organize into dynamic compartments, how reaction networks with feedbacks generate spontaneous patterns, and how these processes scale up to orchestrate signalling, tissue formation, and collective behaviours across organisms and ecosystems. By bridging molecules to matter, and physics to life, our research reveals how living systems build order and function from the bottom up.
Topics:
- Single-molecule biophysics
- RNA and protein folding
- Molecular motors and cytoskeleton
- Membrane mechanics and molecular sorting
- Pattern formation and collective behavior
- Active matter and microswimmers
- Engineering nanosensors and biomimetic systems
State-of-the-art Techniques:
- Super-resolution microscopy
- High-speed confocal microscopy
- Optical tweezers
- Analytical ultracentrifugation
- Model organisms - worms, slime mold, drosophila, mammalian cells, E. coli, exotic microorganisms
Theoretical Physics
Ordinary matter constitutes less than a fifth of the total matter of the universe; the rest is in the form of dark matter. Identifying dark matter's nature and properties is among the most pressing pursuits in the particle physics community, creating a bridge between astrophysics and particle physics.
- Quantum Gravity
- Holographic Duality
- Quantum Information and Gravity
- Quantum Black Holes
- Field Theory
- String Theory
- Theoretical Cosmology
Astrophysics
The Universe spans all scales, from the subatomic particles believed to comprise Dark Matter, which dominates the mass in the Universe, to large scale structures which span the observable universe.
Please visit the NYUAD PhD in Astrophysics & Space Systems program page for more information.
Research Highlights
Exciting research is happening at NYU Abu Dhabi.
Why are Space Scientists so Interested in Black Holes?
“By looking at black holes, we can learn something about the evolution of galaxies," say physicists Ingyin Zaw and David Russell.
NYU Abu Dhabi's Universe of Virtual Galaxies
The simulated birth and evolution of a virtual galaxy — billions of years of space activity was envisioned by Andrea Macciò, Associate Professor and Program Head of Physics.
Mind Over Dark Matter
Professor Andrea Macciò has been searching his entire life for something that science knows is there but has never seen.
Effects of Cellular Crowding on the Cell’s Transport System
This is the first time that cargo carried by motor proteins have been studied both in their native cell and in a setting that imitates the crowded cellular environment.