TTU Physics: Faculty
K. Kelvin Cheng
Professor of PhysicsOffice Phone: (806) 742-2992
Email: Kelvin.Cheng@ttu.edu
Office: 109 Science Building
Ph.D. Physics, University of Waterloo, Canada (1983)
M.Phil. Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong (1980)
B.S. Physics, Chinese University of Hong Kong (1978)
Web links
Research Interests
My research interests involve the physics of various biological systems spanning the molecular, cellular and tissue (device/sensor) levels. At the molecular and cellular level, we are interested in the molecular organization and dynamics of the multi-component lipid bilayer, an important component of the cell membranes, and how they regulate the membrane or surface-acting protein activities. Ca-ATPase, Ca-channel, cholesterol oxidase and Alzheimer disease related beta-amyloid proteins have been investigated. At the tissue or device/sensor level, we are interested in the MRI-based gel dosimetry for the calibration of conformal radiation therapy, quantitative MRI, development of sensors for forensic applications and tumor biochips. The work on biochips has applications in in-vitro cancer cell detection and drug delivery in tumor microvasculature.
Selected Publications:
L. Liu, S. K. Gill, Y. Gao, L. J. Hope-Weeks and K. H. Cheng. 2007. Exploration of the use of novel SiO2 nanocomposites doped with fluorescent Eu3+/sensitizer complex for latent fingerprint detection. Forensic Sci. Int. (in press).
M. R. Ali, K. H. Cheng, and J. Huang. 2007. Assess the nature of cholesterol-lipid interactions through the chemical potential of cholesterol in phosphatidylcholine bilayers. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA.104: 5372-5377.
K. H. Cheng, B. Cannon, J. Metze, A. Lewis, J. Huang, M..W. Vaughn, Q. Zhu, P. Somerharju, and J. Virtanen. 2006. Lipid headgroup superlattice modulates the activity of surface-acting cholesterol oxidase in ternary phospholipid/cholesterol bilayers. Biochemistry 45: 10855-64.
B. Cannon, N. Weaver, Q. Pu, V. Thiagarajan, S. Liu, J. Huang, M. W. Vaughn, and K. H. Cheng. 2005. Cholesterol modulated antibody binding in supported lipid membranes as determined by total internal reflectance microscopy on a microfabricated high-throughput glass chip. Langmuir, 21: 9666-74.