Thomas Knotts Email & Phone Number

I became a faculty member in the Department of Chemical Engineering at Brigham Young University in 2006 after receiving my PhD from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. I teach a variety of courses including Thermodynamics, Heat and Mass Transfer, Computer Tools, Unit Operations Lab, and Molecular Modeling. I enjoy teaching and discovering ways to improve student learning through problem-based and inductive learning strategies. With my research group, I seek to understand the physics of proteins and DNA at the molecular level with particular emphasis on the behavior of these molecules as they are found in biotechnology applications. Advancements made of the past several years in biology, medicine, and biotechnology has demonstrated the need to control, measure, manipulate, and utilize biomolecules at the single-molecule level. This paradigm shift away from experiment in the “thermodynamic limit” to experiment on small numbers or even single molecules offers both unprecedented opportunities and engineering challenges. One difficulty when dealing with small numbers of molecules is that the use of traditional theories and correlations is called into question. I seek to overcome these limitations by developing new, predictive models which describe the behavior of biological molecules at the molecular level. My research activities are focused on two classes of biomolecules: proteins and DNA. Particular emphasis is placed upon the interaction of these molecules in “non-native” environments often found in biotechnology. For example, research from my group has found that the behavior of proteins on surfaces does not follow theoretical predictions, but must be examined on an individual basis. Other research projects involve the multi-scale modeling of DNA hybridization and shear-induced aggregation of proteins. My research efforts have resulted in the NSF CAREER Award and the Young Faculty Award from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA).

Listed skills include Research, Teaching, Chemistry, University Teaching, and 16 others.