Nanoparticle structure, nanoparticle chemistry, novel nanoparticle synthesis strategies, applications of nanoparticles to biological imaging.

Structural chemistry of inorganic compounds, including Group IIA complexes, iron/copper bioinorganic model compounds, and metalloporphyrins; protein crystallography.

Laser optical techniques for analysis of cell surface phenomena; microcalorimetry

Molecular biophysics; reaction kinetics on membrane surfaces; single-molecule imaging; time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy.

Bioinorganic, Bioorganic, Physical Organic Chemistries, with focuses on characterization of menaquinone metabolism and ihibition of electron transport in tuberculosis bacteria, vanadium containing anti-diabetic and anti-malarial compounds, microemulsion drug-membrane interaction studies, copper (II) amyloid-beta and peptide complexation studies, and spectroscopic techniques including 1D and 2D NMR, EPR, fluorescence and IR.

Bioanalytical chemistry; environmental chemistry; chemical separations; microscale chemical instrumentation; capillary electrophoresis; biosensor development; paper-based analytical devices; microfluidics

Molecular recognition, self-assembly, development of novel biological recognition motifs, construction of synthetic receptors for small molecules of biological interest, design of catalytic peptides.

Structure & dynamics in condensed phase systems; two-dimensional infrared spectroscopy.

Dynamics of molecules and chemistry in the condensed phase, especially molecular assemblies, molecules in confined environments. Fundamental properties and processes governing cryopreservation.

Dr. Prasad's research is at the interface of the physical sciences and engineering with biology, using mathematical and computational methods as well as experiments. He teaches Transport Phenomena for Chemical Engineers (CBE 503) as well as a course in modeling methods in Systems and Synthetic Biology (BIOM 422).

Computational design, simulation, and experimental validation of new enzymes, and crystalline biomolecular assemblies. We convert porous protein crystals into “3D molecular pegboards” for the controlled assembly of nanoparticles, enzymes, fluorescent proteins, oligonucleotides, and other functional molecules.