Dr. Adam Cohen

Biography

Adam Cohen's research focuses on developing and applying new physical tools to probe molecules and cells, with projects ranging from quantum mechanics to pure biology. His lab has developed a new class of fluorescent protein indicators of membrane potential, allowing visualization of electrical dynamics in neurons, heart cells, and bacteria. Cohen has discovered new properties of electromagnetic fields and optical chirality, determining the degree of chiral selectivity in the interaction of light with chiral molecules. He invented the Anti-Brownian Electrokinetic trap (ABEL trap), which is capable of trapping and manipulating individual fluorescent molecules in solution at room temperature. Part of his lab is studying chemical reactions with outcomes that are exquisitely sensitive to small magnetic fields, which is a consequence of quantum coherence in room-temperature liquids. The overarching goal of the Cohen Lab is to achieve precise control over both classical and quantum states of molecules under warm, wet, and squishy conditions.

Research Interests