Koen Visscher

Koen Visscher is an Associate Professor of Physics at the University of Arizona, specializing in the application of optical tweezers to investigate mechanical forces in biological systems. His research focuses on how tension and force influence gene expression, including the regulation of transcription and ribosomal translocation. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Amsterdam (1993) and pioneered the optical force clamp technique for studying motor proteins.

• Education: Ph.D., 1993, University of Amsterdam

His research interests include the mechanical regulation of DNA and RNA processes, such as tension effects on T7 RNA polymerases and mRNA structures involved in translational recoding. He has developed advanced optical trapping methods to study molecular-scale biophysical phenomena.

Notable contributions include work on kinesin motor proteins and the mechanics of viral RNA structures. His publications span biophysics, molecular biology, and microscopy, reflecting interdisciplinary expertise in force-based biological mechanisms.

No scientific awards are listed. Advising details are unavailable, though his lab focuses on cutting-edge biophysical techniques. His work integrates single-molecule analysis with genetic and cellular systems.