Ryan Mello
Office:	Nils Hasselmo Hall 5-290
Phone:	(612) 626-3322
Fax:	(612) 624-0632
Mail:	BMBB Department U of Minnesota 6-155 Jackson Hall 321 Church St. Minneapolis, MN 55455
Email:	rm@ddt.biochem.umn.edu

Research Interests
My thesis work involves investigating the molecular mechanism of muscle contraction.  Specifically, myosin’s structural transitions responsible for force generation.  The primary technique I use to probe myosin structural dynamics is electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) spectroscopy.  Consequently, I have developed an interest in the application of EPR spectroscopy for studying biological systems, and the design and development of new and improved EPR technologies in biophysics.

Peer Reviewed Publications
N. G. Johnson, R. N. Mello, M. E. Lundy, J. Kapplinger, E. Parke, K. D. Carnes, I. Ben-Itzhak, and E. Wells, Single Ionization of Hydrogen Molecules by Fast Protons as a Function of the Molecular Alignment, Phys. Rev. A 72, 052711 (2005).

Published Abstracts

- Ryan N. Mello, Amanda Laden, Robert Harris, Leanne J. Anderson, David D. Thomas. 2010. Myosin crosslinking and EPR capture the start of force generation in muscle fibers, Biophysical Journal (Annual Meeting Abstract).
- Ryan N. Mello, Leanne J. Anderson, Andrew Thompson, Jason W. Sidabras, James S. Hyde, David D. Thomas. 2009. Structural Dynamics of Myosin’s Light Chain Domain in a Pre-Power Stroke Conformation, Biophysical Journal (Annual Meeting Abstract).
- Andrew R. Thompson, Ryan N. Mello, Christina Yi, David D. Thomas. 2009. Measuring Myosin Light Chain Domain Orientation in the Pre-Power Stroke AlF₄ States with a Bifunctional Spin Label in Skinned Muscle Fibers, Biophysical Journal (Annual Meeting Abstract).
- A.R. Thompson, R.N. Mello, N. Naber, R.Cooke, and D.D. Thomas. 2008. Using a Bifunctional Spin Label to Measure the Orientation and Dynamics of Myosin in Muscle Fibers, Biophysical Journal (Annual Meeting Abstract).

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH