Dr. Alex Klotz, August 2025 Snapshot

Published August 25, 2025

Dr. Alex Klotz is an associate professor in the Physics and Astronomy Department. Dr. Klotz and his research students study DNA as a way to learn more about how molecules behave. Focusing on an exotic type of DNA called kinetoplast, the Klotz Lab investigates the DNA to see how materials made of single molecular sheets or molecules that are knotted together would behave.

Student researchers explore how biological materials can be used to solve physics-based problems and how tools physicists use can be applied to research biological systems.

Camille in the lab
Camille Beard aligns her laser.
Andrew in the lab
Andrew Householder prepares a sample of liquid crystal.
Dr. Klotz holding magnet and ferrofluid
Dr. Alex Klotz with a ferrofluid on top of a magnet.
Dr. Klotz and student researchers viewing a knot
Dr. Klotz and master's students Camille Beard and Andrew Householder consider a knot.
Dr. Klotz explaining a topic at a whiteboard
Dr. Klotz explains to student researchers about the topology of trypanosome DNA.

Projects in the Klotz laboratory involve studying kinetoplasts under a microscope to see how they fluctuate, and building optical tweezers based on a powerful laser that can trap objects and move them around (think the tractor beam from Star Trek). Eventually, the lab hopes to use optical tweezers to pull molecules apart and measure the forces involved.

Learn more about Dr. Alex Klotz and his work.

Alex Klotz and student researchers
Klotz Lab; left to right: Andrew Householder, Camille Beard, Dr. Alex Klotz.