Dr. Robert Ros is Associate Dean and Professor of Physics in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Arizona State University. After having completed his undergraduate and graduate studies in physics at the University of Freiburg and Heidelberg, Germany, with the Diplom (comparable to master) and a diploma thesis in the field of biosensor technology at the Applied Physical Chemistry Group of Professor M. Grunze, he joined the Laboratory for Micro- and Nanotechnology at the Paul Scherrer Institute and the group of Professor H.-J. Güntherodt, University of Basel, for his doctorate. In collaboration with the Biochemistry Group of Professor A. Plückthun at Zurich University, he focused on force spectroscopy experiments on single molecule antibody-antigen complexes and implicating forces with kinetic and thermodynamic parameters. After a postdoc in the lab of Professor H. Siegenthaler, Department of Chemistry, University of Bern and the Paul Scherrer Institut in the field of electrochemical STM, Ros moved to the Physics Department at Bielefeld University, where he started as postdoctoral fellow in the experimental biophysics and applied nanosciences group of Professor D. Anselmetti. In 2001, he was appointed as scientific lecturer (‘Wissenschaftlicher Assistent’, C1) and project leader, and received his Habilitation and venia legendi in experimental physics from the Physics Faculty, University of Bielefeld in 2004. After the habilitation he held the position of a university lecturer ('Hochschuldozent', C2) at the Physics Faculty, Bielefeld University, Germany. In 2008, Ros joined Arizona State University, where he holds his current appointments. At ASU, he has served in a number of roles, including as Director of the Center for Biological Physics, Associate Chair in the Physics Department, and Director of the Biophysics Undergraduate Program.
Professor Ros is an experimental biophysicist in the field of nanobiophysics with special emphasis on structural biology, physics of molecular recognition, conformational dynamics of single (bio-)molecules, cell adhesion and mechanics using scanning probe methods, force spectroscopy technologies, fluorescence microscopy, and nanophotonics.
Education
Habilitation, Physics Faculty, and venia legendi in Experimental Physics, University of Bielefeld 2004
Ph.D. Experimental Physics, University of Basel, Switzerland 2000
P.-H. Wu, D.R.-B. Aroush, A. Asnacios, W.-C. Chen, M.E. Dokukin, B.L. Doss, P. Durand, A. Ekpenyong, J. Guck, N.V. Guz, P.A. Janmey, N.M. Moore, A. Ott, Y.-C. Poh, R. Ros, M. Sander, I. Sokolov, J.R. Staunton, N. Wang, D. Wirtz; Comparative study of cell mechanics methods, Nature Methods 15, 491-498 (2018).
I. Gregor, M. Spiecker, R. Petrovsky, J. Großhans, R. Ros, and J. Enderlein; Rapid Non‐linear Image Scanning Microscopy, Nature Methods 14, 1087–1089 (2017).
J. Staunton, B. Doss, S. Lindsay, R. Ros; Correlating confocal microscopy and atomic force indentation reveals metastatic cancer cells stiffen during invasion into collagen I matrices, Scientific Reports6:19686 (2016).
W. Christenson, I. Yermolenko, B. Plochberger, F. Camacho-Alanis, A. Ros, T.P. Ugarova, and R. Ros. Combined single cell AFM manipulation and TIRFM for probing the molecular stability of multilayer fibrinogen matrices. Ultramicroscopy (2014).
O. Schulz, Z. Zhao, A. Ward, M. Koenig, F. Koberling,Y. Liu, J. Enderlein, H. Yan, and R. Ros. Tip induced fluorescence quenching for nanometer optical and topographical resolution. Optical Nanoscopy (2013).
A. Fuhrmann, S. Getfert, Q. Fu, P. Reimann, S. Lindsay, and R. Ros. Long lifetime of hydrogen-bonded DNA basepairs by force spectroscopy. Biophysical Journal (2012).
A. Fuhrmann, J. R. Staunton, V. Nandakumar, N. Banyai, P. Davies, and R. Ros. AFM stiffness nanotomography of normal, metaplastic and dysplastic human esophageal cells. Physical Biology (2011).
I. Yermolenko, A. Fuhrmann, S. Magonov, V. Lishko, S. Oshkadyerov, R. Ros, and T. Ugarova. Origin of the Nonadhesive Properties of Fibrinogen Matrices Probed by Force Spectroscopy. Langmuir (2010).
S. Huang, J. He, S. Chang, P. Zhang, F. Liang, S. Li, M. Tuchband, A. Fuhrmann, R. Ros, and S. Lindsay. Identifying single bases in a DNA oligomer with electron tunnelling. Nature Nanotechnology (2010).
A. Fuhrmann, J.C. Schoening, D. Anselmetti, D. Staiger, and R. Ros. Quantitative analysis of single molecule RNA-protein interaction. Biophysical Journal (2009).
A. Fuhrmann, S. Getfert, D. Anselmetti, P. Reimann, and R. Ros;. Refined procedure of evaluating experimental single-molecule force spectroscopy data. Phys. Rev. E77, 031912 (2008).
F.W. Bartels, M. McIntosh, Ch. Metzendorf, P. Plattner, N. Sewald, D. Anselmetti, R. Ros, and A Becker; Effector-stimulated single molecule protein-DNA interactions of a quorum sensing system in Sinorhizobium meliloti: Biophysical Journal92, 4391-4400 (2007).
R. Eckel, V. Walhorn, Ch. Pelargus, J. Martini, J. Enderlein, Th. Nann, D. Anselmetti, and R. Ros; Fluorescence emission control of single CdSe nanocrystals using gold-modified AFM tips: Small 3, 44-49 (2007).
B. Baumgarth, F. W. Bartels, D. Anselmetti, A. Becker, and R. Ros; Detailed studies of the binding mechanism of the Sinorhizobium meliloti transcriptional activator ExpG to DNA: Microbiology 151, 259-268 (2005)
F. Schwesinger, R. Ros, T. Strunz, D. Anselmetti, H.-J. Güntherodt, A. Honegger, L. Jermutus, L. Tiefenauer and A. Plückthun; Unbinding forces of single antibody-antigen complexes correlate with their thermal dissociation rates: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 97, 9972-9977 (2000).
R. Ros, F. Schwesinger, D. Anselmetti, M. Kubon, R. Schäfer, A. Plückthun, L. Tiefenauer; Antigen binding forces of individually addressed single-chain Fv antibody molecules: Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA95, 7402-7405 (1998).
R. Ros Seigel, P. Harder, R. Dahint, M. Grunze, F. Josse, M. Mrksich and G. M. Whitesides; On-Line Detection of Nonspecific Protein Adsorption at Artificial Surfaces: Anal. Chem.69, 3321-3328 (1997)..
Research Activity
Nikkhah,Mehdi*, Ros,Robert. Three Dimensional Microengineered Diseased Tissue Model to Study Invasive Phenotype of Cancer Cells. NSF-ENG-CBET(6/1/2015 - 5/31/2018).
Davies,Paul*, Anderson,Karen S, Davies,Pauline A, Lindsay,Stuart, Lindsay,Stuart, Meldrum,Deirdre Ruth, Ros,Robert, Davies,Paul*, Davies,Paul*, Anderson,Karen S, Davies,Pauline A, Lindsay,Stuart, Lindsay,Stuart, Meldrum,Deirdre Ruth, Ros,Robert, Davies,Paul*, Davies,Pauline A, Lindsay,Stuart, Lindsay,Stuart, Meldrum,Deirdre Ruth, Newman,Timothy J, Ros,Robert, Zhang,Peiming. YR 5: Beyond Center - A Center for the Convergence of Physical Science and Cancer Biology. HHS-NIH-NCI(9/1/2013 - 8/31/2015).
Ros,Robert*, Ugarova,Tatiana P*. Molecular basis for nonadhesive properties of fibrinogen matrices. HHS-NIH-NHLBI(4/6/2011 - 2/29/2016).
Davies,Paul*, Davies,Pauline A, Lindsay,Stuart, Lindsay,Stuart, Meldrum,Deirdre Ruth, Newman,Timothy J, Ros,Robert, Zhang,Peiming. A Center for the Convergence of Physical Science and Cancer Biology. HHS-NIH-NCI(9/30/2009 - 8/31/2011).
Ros,Robert*, Matyushov,Dmitry V, Newman,Timothy J, Sankey,Otto F. GAANN Program at ASU - Physics and Biological Physics moving forward into the 21st Century. ED(8/15/2009 - 8/14/2013).
Member, German Physical Society Member, Biophysical Society (USA) Member, American Physical Society Member, American Chemical Society Member, German Association of University Professors and Lecturers
Graduate Faculties / Mentoring History
Completed PhD Theses at ASU: A. Fuhrmann; Force Spectroscopy, from Single Molecules to whole Cells: Refined Procedures of Data Analysis (4.21.2010) O. Schulz; Tip Induced Quenching Imaging: Topographic and Optical Resolutions in the Nanometer Range (4.5.2012) J. Staunton; Mechanics of Cancer Cells in 3D Microenvironments (11.12.2014) B. Doss; Quantifying Mechanical Heterogeneity in 3D Biological Systems with the Atomic Force Microscope (4.17.2015) W. Christenson; Single Cell Force Spectroscopy for Quantification of Cellular Adhesion on Surfaces (11.07.2016) Completed Master Thesis M. Dannemayer; Biophysical Characterization of Cancer Cells by Combined Atomic Force Microscopy - Confocal Fluorescence Microscopy (Fall 2011-Summer 2012, exchange student from Bielefeld University, Germany) A. Ward; Tip Induced Nanophotonic Effects on Single Fluorophores (Spring 2013)
Service
Center for Biological Physics, Director (since 2012)
CLAS Research Advisory Committee, Member (2014-2016)
Undergraduate Committee, Member (2012 - 2015)
Undergraduate Biophysics (BS) program, Director (2012 - 2015)
MRS Symposium "Frontiers in Scanning Probe Microscopy", MRS Fall Meeting 2015., Organizer
6th AFMBioMed Conference, San Diego, Session Organizer and Chair (2014)
NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology (NEMB2013), Organizer and Session Chair of Track 6 "Biological Nanomechanics: Materials Factors in Physiology, Disease and Treatment" (2014)
