Nicholas Pearce

Nicholas Pearce is an Assistant Professor at Linköping University, affiliated with the Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology (IFM) and the Bioinformatics (BIOIN) division. He leads the Data-Driven Determination of Macromolecular Structures (D3MS) group, also known as PearceLab @ LiU, and is affiliated with SciLifeLab and the Wallenberg Centre for Molecular Medicine (WCMM) through the Data-Driven Life Sciences (DDLS) program.

His research focuses on advancing structural biology by developing computational and experimental methods that capture the dynamic nature of proteins. Key interests include protein flexibility, disorder, and functional dynamics, with applications in drug discovery and macromolecular modeling. The group employs techniques such as X-ray crystallography, cryo-EM, machine learning, and statistical modeling to improve the resolution and interpretability of macromolecular structures.

The recent publications highlight a strong focus on software and method development for structural biology, particularly in multi-dataset analysis and crystallographic data processing. The work contributes to open-source tools like the CCP4 suite and introduces novel approaches such as PanDDA and PanDEMIC.adp for detecting ligand binding and modeling disorder.

While no formal scientific awards are listed in the provided text, his involvement in major collaborative projects and national research initiatives underscores his growing impact in the field. He actively mentors students and welcomes Master’s candidates to join his research group.

Nicholas began his independent research career at Linköping University on October 1, 2022, with funding supporting the launch of his lab. His group emphasizes data-driven decision-making in structural analysis and collaborates extensively within Sweden and internationally. Current projects include multi-dataset analysis for fragment screening and decomposition of protein disorder using elastic net models.

The D3MS group is active in outreach and scientific communication, maintaining a blog and public presence, including a Twitter feed. They have participated in international research visits, such as a recent trip to the University of Hamburg, and national conferences like Sweprot in Tällberg.