Education
B.S. Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico (1974)
M.S. University of California-Riverside (1976)
Ph.D. University of California-San Diego, Physics (1982)
Courses
- CHEM 361 (S) LEC Quantum Chemistry and Chemical Dynamics
- CHEM 366 (F) LEC Thermodynamics and Statistical Mechanics
- CHEM 368 TUT Computational Physical Chemistry (not offered 2026/27)
Publications
A large number of biochemical systems show regulatory feedback mechanistic steps either at the cellular level, like in the HIV-Rev protein, or at the physiological level, like in the hypothalamous-pituitary-adrenal hormonal system. Our group has been studying the molecular basis of different chemical, biochemical, and physiological mechanisms and has proposed several dynamic models to explain observed temporal and chaotic oscillations in the concentrations of relevant metabolites. We have concentrated most of our efforts on understanding chemical self-replication, in which several chemical systems have been experimentally designed. For example, oligonucleotides have been considered by von Kiedrowski’s, Orgel’s, and Nicolau’s groups, and peptides have been studied by Gadhiri’s and Chmielewski’s groups. Also, Joyce’s group designed a self-replicating and cross-catalytic ribozyme, which may be better suited for Darwinian evolution than the oligonucleotide or peptide systems. In the case of cross-catalytic mechanisms, we have considered the dynamics of competitive systems and mutualistic hypercycles. More recently, Ashkenazy studied the self-replication dynamics of a 31-amino acid peptide. The peptide exhibits second-order self-replication, in which its dimer is catalytic. Using experimental observations, we have described oscillatory dynamics in a continuous-stir-tank reactor (CSTR). Finally, we continue to study and model the transport of incompletely spliced mRNAs across the nuclear membrane, which is regulated by the HIV-Rev protein, and have studied the behavior of an insect-predator-ant system as an example of complex regulation. We want to develop mathematical models to improve our understanding of species competition and coexistence.