Jesse Hopkins

Jesse Hopkins is a Research Professor in the Department of Physics at the Lewis College of Science and Letters, Illinois Institute of Technology. His research focuses on structural biology, protein dynamics, and advanced biophysical techniques such as small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and cryo-electron microscopy (cryo-EM). Hopkins leads innovative projects analyzing protein-DNA interactions, enzyme mechanisms, and radiation damage in biomolecular systems.

Key research areas include:

• Structural characterization of disordered proteins and their roles in cancer biology
• Development of SAXS-based tools like BioXTAS RAW for data analysis
• Mechanisms of G-quadruplex formation and their implications in epigenetics
• Biochemical studies of SARS-CoV-2 polyproteins and viral processing

His work bridges experimental biophysics with computational modeling, contributing to understanding disease mechanisms and advancing structural methods for studying complex biological systems.