Research
Research Interest 1
Dr. Volk’s research interests focus on the application of time-resolved spectroscopy to the investigation of a broad range of chemical and biological processes. These include the dissociation and coherent motion of small molecules, inter- and intramolecular electron transfer in model systems and proteins, and ligand dynamics and energy relaxation in heme proteins.
In Liverpool, Dr. Volk started to investigate fast processes of protein folding, using a nanosecond temperature-jump setup with high signal-to-noise IR detection. With this highly sensitive setup, he made major world-recognised contributions to the current knowledge of fast protein folding dynamics, especially of alpha-helix folding dynamics.
More recently, he became involved in research on gold nanoparticles, esp. the structure and dissociation dynamics of peptide capping layers on such nanoparticles and the application of gold nanoparticles in photodynamic therapy.
Research groups
Research grants
Far-UV CD-measurements for the observation of fast processes of protein folding
ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)
January 2010 - January 2012
Nanosecond folding dynamics of alpha-helical peptides.
THE NUFFIELD FOUNDATION (UK)
June 2003 - September 2003
Correlation between side chain helix propensity and fast folding dynamics of a-helical peptides
ROYAL SOCIETY (CHARITABLE)
February 2006
Isotope-edited time-resolved IR spectroscopy for the observation of fast peptide dynamics at residue level.
ENGINEERING & PHYSICAL SCIENCES RESEARCH COUNCIL
September 2001 - August 2004
Research collaborations
Dr Heike Arnolds
Prof. M. Brust
Prof. C. Alexander
University of Nottingham
Dr. Nguyen Than
Dr. R. Skinner
Unilever
Prof. C.A. Hunter and Prof. J.P. Waltho
University of Sheffield
Dr David Martin
Dr Andrew Hodgson
Prof SM Decatur
Mount Holyoke College
collaboration on fast folding dynamics of isotopically labelled peptides
Dr E Gooding
Swarthmore College