معرفی
Ralf Richter is an Associate Professor at the University of Leeds, jointly affiliated with the School of Biomedical Sciences and the School of Physics and Astronomy. His interdisciplinary research bridges physics, chemistry, and biology to investigate soft biological interfaces, particularly glycan-rich extracellular matrices and nuclear pore complexes. He leads the Richter Lab, which is embedded within the Astbury Centre for Structural Molecular Biology and the Bragg Centre for Materials Research, reflecting the cross-cutting nature of his work.
- PhD in Physical Chemistry, University Bordeaux I, France (2004)
- MSc in Physics, Chalmers/Göteborg University, Sweden (1998)
His research focuses on understanding how biological functions emerge from the assembly and dynamic reorganization of biomolecules. He employs a bottom-up synthetic biology approach, constructing well-defined model systems using surface science and engineering techniques. Key areas include superselective targeting, glycocalyx biophysics, nucleo-cytoplasmic transport, and perineuronal nets. He develops and applies advanced tools such as quartz crystal microbalance (QCM-D), atomic force microscopy (AFM), spectroscopic ellipsometry, and fluorescence recovery after photobleaching (FRAP) for quantitative analysis.
The recent publications highlight a strong trend in multivalent molecular recognition, biomolecular surface interactions, and soft matter physics applied to biological systems. His work spans from fundamental physical mechanisms—such as entropic drivers of superselectivity and elastohydrodynamic lift at soft interfaces—to biomedical applications in immune recognition, cancer, and neurological disorders.
Ralf Richter has mentored numerous PhD students and postdoctoral researchers, fostering a multidisciplinary team. His lab collaborates closely with biochemists and biologists to integrate bottom-up approaches with cellular and organismal studies.
He has held significant roles including Research Group Leader at CIC biomaGUNE (Spain, 2007–2018) and Chair of Excellence/Visiting Scientist at University Grenoble Alpes (2012–2023), indicating international recognition and sustained research leadership.
- Richter Lab: https://www.richterlab.leeds.ac.uk
- ORCID: https://orcid.org
- Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com
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