Evan Evans, Ph.D.

Professor, Biomedical Engineering
Professor, Physics and Pathology, University of British Columbia

Cellular and Subcellular Mechanics Laboratory

Ph.D., Engineering Science, University of California at San Diego
B.S, M.S., Engineering Physics, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

Phone: (617) 353-9341
Fax: (617) 353-6766
Email: evanse@bu.edu
Office: ERB 701

Research Interests

Nano-microscale biomechanics; ultrasensitive force probes and extreme resolution optical techniques; material properties of cellular structure; role of structural forces in cell biochemistry.

Current Research

The general objectives of research in my laboratory are to expose the underlying physical mechanisms used by nature in design of complex biological organisms and the related physics of soft organic interfaces in liquids (polymers, membranes, etc.). The goal is to derive insights for biology, condensed matter physics, and advanced technology from the study of “nature’s engineering”. Mechanical experiments at the nano and micro scales are combined with theory to examine material properties of synthetic and natural membranes, properties of biological cell structure and role of force in cell biochemical function, molecular bonding and adhesion. Material concepts extracted from these studies are applied to the design of specialized nanostructures – e.g. robust membrane capsules for chemical exchange in harsh environments and nanoconduit networks for microdevices.

Selected Recent Publications

Kinoshita, K., Leung, A., Simon, S.I.  and Evans, E. “Long-lived high strength states of ICAM-1 bonds to b₂ integrin: II. lifetimes of LFA-1 bonds under force in leukocyte signaling” Biophys. J. 98. (2010)

Evans, E., Kinoshita, K., Simon, S.I.  and Leung, A. “Long-lived high strength states of ICAM-1 bonds to b₂ integrin: I. lifetimes of bonds to recombinant a_L b₂ under force” Biophys. J. 98. (2010)

Evans, E., K. Halvorsen, K. Kinoshita, and W.P. Wong. “A new approach to analysis of single molecule force experiments” Chapter 20. In Handbook of Single-Molecule Biophysics. P. Hinterdorfer and A.M. van Oijen editors. Springer Science+Business Media LLC, pp 571-589. (2009)

Rawicz, W., Smith, B.A., McIntosh, T.J., Simon, S.A. and Evans, E. “Elasticity, Strength, and Water Permeability of Bilayers that Contain Raft Microdomain-Forming Lipids” Biophys. J. 94: 4725-4736. (2008)

Heinrich, V., Wong, W.P., Halvorsen, K. and Evans, E. “Imaging Biomolecular Interactions by Fast Three-Dimensional Tracking of Laser-Confined Carrier Particles” Langmuir. 24: 1194-1203. (2008)

Evans, E. and Calderwood, D.  “Forces and Bond Dynamics in Cell Adhesion” Science. 316: 1148-1153. (2007)

Wong, W.P. and Evans, E. “Biological Physics: Rare returns on lost effort” Nature. 437: 198-199. (2005)

Evans, E., Leung, A., Heinrich, V. and Zhu, C.  “Mechanical switching and coupling between two dissociation pathways in a P-selectin adhesion bond” Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101: 11281-11286. (2004)

Evans, E., Heinrich, V., Ludwig, F., Rawicz, W. “Dynamic tension spectroscopy and strength of biomembranes” Biophys. J. 85: 2342-2350. (2003)

Evans, E., P. Williams “Dynamic force spectroscopy: I. single bonds” EDP Sciences – Springer-Verlag In Physics of Bio-Molecules and Cells. Ecoles des HOUCHES d’Ete LXXV: 145–185. (2002)

Evans, E. “Probing the Relation between Force – Lifetime – and Chemistry in Single Molecular Bonds” Annu. Rev. Biophys. Biomol. Struct. 30: 105-128. (2001)

Rawicz, W., Olbrich, K., McIntosh, T., Needham, D., Evans, E. “Effect of Chain Length and Unsaturation on Lipid Bilayer Elasticity” Biophys. J. 79: 328-339. (2000)

Merkel, R., Nassoy, P., Leung, A., Ritchie, K., Evans. E. “Energy Landscapes of Receptor-Ligand Bonds Explored with Dynamic Force Spectroscopy” Nature. 397: 50-53. (1999)