Alan Ianeselli

Alan Ianeselli is a Research Fellow in the Department of Molecular Biophysics and Biochemistry at Yale University. His research focuses on understanding fundamental mechanisms of molecular evolution, protein folding dynamics, and prebiotic chemistry. He investigates non-equilibrium physical systems that could have driven the emergence of life, such as rock pore chemistry, geothermal gradients, and protocell dynamics. His work combines computational modeling with experimental techniques like molecular dynamics simulations, qPCR controls development, and microscale thermophoresis.

Recent studies explore how periodic water cycles in Hadean rock pores could stabilize and polymerize primordial nucleic acids, while heated gas bubble systems may have encapsulated prebiotic molecules. He also develops novel computational algorithms to simulate protein folding pathways and optimize MD sampling techniques. His interdisciplinary approach bridges biophysics, astrobiology, and analytical chemistry, contributing to synthetic biology and abiogenesis research.

Key technical contributions include a complete HPLC-UV analysis pipeline for wine chemistry and universal qPCR controls for eukaryotic DNA studies. His lab focuses on applying physical principles to understand life's origins and develop predictive computational models for complex biomolecular systems.