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Earl W. Prohofsky

Professor of Physics

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Office: Physics 266
Telephone: (765) 494-3043
Fax: (765) 494-0706

B.S., Physics, University of Minnesota, 1957
Ph.D., Physics, Cornell University, 1963

Research Interests

Theoretical studies of dynamics of biological macromolecules including the critical melting of the double helix and drug attachment and dissociation. A particular emphasis is on the use of energy in the running of biological enzymatic processes.

Graduate Students

Brajesh Rai, Timo Budarz

Awards and Honors

Fellow, the American Physical Society and Secretary-Treasurer, Division of Biological Physics Editorial Board of AIP Books in Biological Physics

Professional Experience

  • Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1973-present
  • Associate Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1967-73
  • Assistant Professor of Physics, Purdue University, 1966-67
  • Research Scientist, Sperry Rand, Research Center, Sudburry, MA, 1962-66
  • Research Associate Cornell, 1962
  • Research Assistant, Cornell, 1960-62
  • Teaching Assistant, Cornell, 1957-60

Selected Publications

  1. E.W. Prohofsky, "A Dynamic Effect of Structural Water: Anomolous Melting and Premelting Transition in AT DNA" AIP Conf. Proc. 342, Cam-94, Ed. A. Zepeda, Am. Inst. Phys., 209-215, (1995)
  2. Y.Z. Chen and E.W. Prohofsky, "Melting Profile and Temperature Dependent Binding Constant of an Anticancer Drug Daunomycin-DNA Complex" Eur. Biophys. J. 24, 203-212, (1996).
  3. Y.Z. Chen and E.W. Prohofsky, "Sequence and Temperature Effect on Hydrogen Bond Disruption in DNA Determined by a Statistical Analysis" Eur. Biophys. J. 25, 9-18, (1996).
  4. Y.Z. Chen, E.W. Prohofsky, et al. "Vibrational Normal Modes and Dynamical Stability of DNA Triplex Poly(dA) 2Poly(dT): S-Type Structure Is More Stable and in Better Agreement with Observations in Solution" Biophys. J. 72, 1327-1334, (1997).
  5. Y.Z. Chen, E.W. Prohofsky, et al. "Binding Stability of a Cross-Linked Drug: Calculation of an Anticancer Drug Cisplatin-DNA Complex" Phys. Rev. E 55, 5843-5848, (1997).