Dr. Dan Thomas Major ( he, דן מאיור; born 22 March 1973) is a Professor of

Chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

at Bar Ilan University specializing in

Computational Chemistry Computational chemistry is a branch of chemistry that uses computer simulation to assist in solving chemical problems. It uses methods of theoretical chemistry, incorporated into computer programs, to calculate the structures and properties of m ...

Biography

Dan Major obtained his Ph.D. from the Chemistry Department at Bar-Ilan University (BIU) in 2003, followed by three years as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Minnesota working with Prof. Jiali Gao. In 2007 he moved to the Chemistry Department at Bar-Ilan University, where he is now a full professor.

Scientific interests and publications

Major's research focuses on computational approaches to

chemistry Chemistry is the science, scientific study of the properties and behavior of matter. It is a natural science that covers the Chemical element, elements that make up matter to the chemical compound, compounds made of atoms, molecules and ions ...

, biochemistry, and

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

. These include the development of simulation methods, a study of enzyme reactions and protein dynamics, understanding natural product synthesis, development of protein-ligand docking programs,

in silico In biology and other experimental sciences, an ''in silico'' experiment is one performed on computer or via computer simulation. The phrase is pseudo-Latin for 'in silicon' (correct la, in silicio), referring to silicon in computer chips. It ...

design of Li-ion batteries, and

fuel cell A fuel cell is an electrochemical cell that converts the chemical energy of a fuel (often hydrogen) and an oxidizing agent (often oxygen) into electricity through a pair of redox reactions. Fuel cells are different from most batteries in requ ...

modeling. He develops classical and quantum simulation methods, and in particular tools for studying enzyme catalysis. This includes the development of path-integral methods for the simulations of zero-point energy and tunneling effects in condensed phase environments, methods for free energy simulations, and novel docking approaches. The simulation tools are typically used in conjunction with hybrid Quantum Mechanics/Molecular Mechanics (QM/MM) methods and have been applied to a wide range of enzymes. Enzymatic systems studied in his research group include

proton A proton is a stable subatomic particle, symbol , H+, or 1H+ with a positive electric charge of +1 ''e'' elementary charge. Its mass is slightly less than that of a neutron and 1,836 times the mass of an electron (the proton–electron mass ...

and hydride transfer reactions and terpene synthases. Additionally, Prof. Major has carried out numerous studies on physical and electrochemical properties of magnesium and

lithium-ion batteries A lithium-ion or Li-ion battery is a type of rechargeable battery which uses the reversible reduction of lithium ions to store energy. It is the predominant battery type used in portable consumer electronics and electric vehicles. It also se ...

and

s using modern

quantum chemistry Quantum chemistry, also called molecular quantum mechanics, is a branch of physical chemistry focused on the application of quantum mechanics to chemical systems, particularly towards the quantum-mechanical calculation of electronic contributions ...

tools. Among his awards is Excellence in teaching (2016-2017);

Krill Prize Krill are small crustaceans of the order Euphausiacea, and are found in all the world's oceans. The name "krill" comes from the Norwegian word ', meaning "small fry of fish", which is also often attributed to species of fish. Krill are consid ...

of the

Wolf Foundation The Wolf Foundation is a private not-for-profit organization in Israel established in 1975 by Ricardo Wolf, a German-born Jewish Cuban inventor and former Cuban ambassador to Israel. Ricardo Wolf Ricardo Wolf, the founder of the Wolf Foundat ...

(2009);

Alon Fellowship Alon or ALON may refer to: * Alon (name), an Israeli given name and surname * Alon, Mateh Binyamin, an Israeli settlement in the West Bank * Alon Inc, an American airplane builder, known for the Alon A-4 * Alon USA, an American energy company * A ...

(2008-2010);

Fulbright Scholarship The Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright–Hays Program, is one of several United States Cultural Exchange Programs with the goal of improving intercultural relations, cultural diplomacy, and intercultural competence between the people of ...

(2003-2004); Excellent young scientist from the Israeli Chemical Society (2001).

Personal life

Dan Thomas Major is married to Laura Major, a Ph.D. in

English Literature English literature is literature written in the English language from United Kingdom, its crown dependencies, the Republic of Ireland, the United States, and the countries of the former British Empire. ''The Encyclopaedia Britannica'' defines E ...

from Bar-Ilan University, who serves as the Head of the English Department at Achva Academic College.Laura Major, English Department Achva Academic College
/ref> They live in

Yad Binyamin Yad Binyamin ( he, יַד בִּנְיָמִין, lit. ''Binyamin Memorial'') is a community settlement in central Israel. The seat of Nahal Sorek Regional Council, it is located adjacent to the junction of three major highways: Highway 3, ...

and have five children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Major, Dan T. 1973 births Living people Academic staff of Bar-Ilan University Israeli chemists Jewish chemists