He was born in Stuttgart, Germany, son of Helmut Grübele and E. A. Victoria Grübele with two younger siblings Andrea and Philip. He attended the Lycée Français in Vienna, Austria, the Colegio ECOS in Marbella, Spain, and Drew School in San Francisco, US as Valedictorian. He completed his B.S in chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley in 1984, with the University Certificate of Distinction and Department Citation for Highest Honors. He was advised by Ken Sauer (biophysics), Wilhelm Maier (organic synthesis), and Richard J. Saykally (laser spectroscopy). He did his graduate work at the University of California, Berkeley in the laboratory of Richard J. Saykally, where he was a University Fellow (1984–1986), IBM Predoctoral Fellow, (1986–1987), and a Dow Chemical Graduate Fellow (1987–1988). Subsequently he held a postdoctoral position with Ahmed Zewail at California Institute of Technology, after which he joined the faculty of the University of Illinois in 1992.[citation needed]
Current positions
Gruebele, now professor emeritus, was Head of chemistry (2017–2020) and James R. Eiszner Endowed Chair in Chemistry (2008–2024), professor of physics, professor of biophysics and quantitative biology, professor in the Center for Advanced Study, and professor in the Carle-Illinois College of Medicine. He also was a faculty member of the Beckman Institute at the University of Illinois, and was an adjunct professor of physics at Michigan State University to support biological physics faculty mentoring.[citation needed]
Research
His research covers a wide range of areas in chemical physics and biological physics, including the kinetics of biological systems, quantum dynamics of energy flow within molecules, and optically assisted scanning tunneling microscopy. A common theme of his research is the implementation of state-of-the-art laser and microscopy techniques to interrogate and manipulate complex systems, coupled with quantum or classical simulations.
He has published over 300 articles, books and patents on topics ranging from quantum computing, to RNA and protein folding in the test tube and inside cells, to fish swimming behavioral studies,[2] and ultra-distance cycling.
Recent work
Dynamics of fast-folding proteins to make the connection between experiment and physics-based computer simulations of protein folding.[4]
A sub-microsecond pressure jump technique to study fast protein refolding and help guide computer simulations (molecular dynamics) for how proteins fold.[7]
With Martina Havenith, Kinetic Terahertz Absorption Spectroscopy elucidating the role of long-range interactions of water with biomolecules.[8]
Two-state dynamics recorded on glass surfaces using time-resolved Scanning Tunneling Microscopy, to measure the size and heterogeneous dynamics of cooperatively rearranging regions on a glass.[9]
SMA-STM (Single Molecule Absorption detected by Scanning Tunneling Microscopy), a technique that can image excited state orbitals of nanostructures with sub-nanometer position resolution [10] and sub-picosecond time resolution.[11]
With Stephen Boppart, non-linear interferometric vibrational imaging which produces easy-to-read, color-coded images of tissue, outlining clear tumor boundaries with more than 99% confidence.[12]
Computational and theoretical work in the area of quantum energy flow,[13] quantum computation,[14] and quantum information,[15] as well as fundamental transport theory and computation.[16]
Gruebele collaborated with Hanoi University of Science to port the University of Illinois Department of Chemistry undergraduate curriculum for Chemistry to Vietnam.[23] He has been on the list of "Teachers Ranked Excellent by their Students" at Illinois multiple times (most recently 2024),[24] and received the School of Chemical Sciences Teaching Excellence Award.[25] He is a contributor to LibreTexts, which makes open-access textbooks available to students.
^"CAS Fellows Archive". Center for Advanced Study, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Archived from the original on 30 June 2018. Retrieved 2 August 2018.
