B.Sc., M.Sc., PhD
Instructor, Physics
Faculty of Arts and Sciences
School of STEM
Physics
604.986.1911 ext. 2444
Fir Building, room FR485
brunotomberli@capilanou.ca
Education
PhD, Physics, University of Guelph, 1998.
M.Sc., Physics, University of Guelph, 1993.
B.Sc., Physics & Math, University of Winnipeg, 1991.
""A great discovery solves a great problem, but there is a grain of discovery in the solution of any problem." - George Polya"
Bio
Bruno Tomberli (PhD, University of Guelph, 1998) is a computational biophysicist who develops fast-converging techniques for simulating complex systems and physics instructor with a special interest in the role of student research in learning.
He is an early adopter of new technology in learning, making his first educational website (a support site for a lab he ran during graduate school) nearly 30 years ago. After earning his PhD in physics at University of Guelph comparing simulated and theoretical results for modelling supercritical fluids, he worked as an experimental X-ray diffractionist and visited first-rank synchrotron facilities in France, Germany, Canada and the U.S.
During this time, he participated in the discovery of a new form of ice, Intermediate Density Amorphous ice, that continues to be debated to this day. While at Guelph, he served as Chair of an ethics committee implementing the first Vendors Code of Conduct in Canada that covered University expenditures beyond apparel.
Moving to Brandon University (BU) in 2006, Tomberli returned to simulation work and continued teaching across all year levels including graduate courses as an adjunct at University of Guelph. He developed and taught courses in thermodynamics, biophysics, quantum mechanics and other areas while supervising 12 students in research projects from 2005-2015.
Obtaining NSERC funding for a parallel computing cluster, he grew the existing facilities at BU and began to apply them to problems of biological interest such as the development of new antimicrobial agents. He served on NSERC Committee 187 for distributing post-doctoral fellowships to promising young scholars from 2011-14.
In 2013, Tomberli joined the faculty at Capilano University. Making use of the local expertise, he shifted his research to the implementation of simulations on quantum computers with the help of D-Wave.
Teaching primarily in support of the engineering transfer programs at Capilano University, Tomberli served from 2015-17 years as the Engineering Convenor. He has contributed to the development of new degrees in the School of STEM and has served on the Executive of the B.C. Association of Physics Teachers since 2017.
I have worked as an educator since 1987. I was an early adopter of web-based resources for learning. My first educational website (a support site for a lab I was TA-ing) was made nearly 30 years ago.
I enjoy developing and teaching new courses on material that interests me such as simulations, thermodynamics, biophysics, fluid mechanics and quantum mechanics. I particularly enjoy the pursuit of knowledge with students in research projects.
As a result of learning from my peers at CapU, I have evolved my teaching style towards a much more hands-on practice. This is more fun for both students and myself. I think I am learning as much as my students.
I have been comparing simulated, measured and theoretical results since my thesis on supercritical fluids in 1998. I post-doc'd as an X-ray diffractionist, and visited first-rank synchrotron facilities in France, Germany, Canada and the U.S.
During this time, I participated in the discovery of a new form of ice, Intermediate Density Amorphous ice, that continues to be debated to this day.
I have developed new methods for simulating novel antimicrobial agents with NSERC funding from 2004-14. I have shifted my research to the implementation of these simulations on quantum computers with the help of D-Wave, a local company, and I am looking forward to involving students in these explorations as our new science degrees come online.
Rahemtulla, A., Tomberli, B., Kycia, S., Visualization of tetrahedral disordering in amorphous germanium through local atomic motifs, J. Appl. Cryst., 51, https://doi.org/10.1107/S1600576718012967, (2018).
Rahemtulla, A., Tomberli, B., Kycia, S., Visualization of Self-sorted Local Atomic Motifs in disordered solids, MRS Advances, 3, 2353-2358, https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2018.434, (2018).
Nategholeslam M., Gray, C. G. and Tomberli, B., Stiff Spring Approximation Revisited: Inertial Effects in Nonequilibrium Trajectories, J. Phys. Chem. B., 121, 391-403 (2017).
Tomberli, B., Rahemtullah, A., Kim, E., Roorda, S. and Kycia, S., Germanene-like defects in amorphous germanium revealed by three-dimensional visualization of high-resolution pair-distribution functions, Physical Review B, 92 (6), 064204 (2015).
Holland, B. W., Berry, M. D., Gray, C. G. and Tomberli, B, A permeability study of O2 and the trace amine p-tyramine through model phosphatidylcholine bilayers, PloS one, 10 (6), e0122468 (2015).
Vafaei, S., Tomberli, B. and Gray, C.G., McMillan-Mayer Theory of Solutions Revisited: Simplifications and Extensions, J. Phys. 141, 154501 (2014); doi: 10.1063/1.4897980
Nategholeslam, C. G. Gray and Bruno Tomberli, Implementation of the Forward-Reverse Method for Calculating the Potential of Mean Force Using a Dynamic Restraining Protocol, J. of Phys. Chem. A, 118, 14203-14214, (2014).
Nichols, M. Kuljanin, M. Nategholeslam, T. Hong, S. Vafaei, B. Tomberli, C. G. Gray, L. DeBruin, and M. Jelokhani-Niaraki, Dynamic Turn Conformation of a Short Tryptophan-Rich Cationic Antimicrobial Peptide and its Interaction with Phospholipid Membranes, J. Phys. Chem. B, 117, 14697–14708 (2013). (doi: 10.1021/jp4096985)
D. Berry, M. R. Shitut, A. Almousa, J. Alcorn and B. Tomberli, Membrane Permeability of Trace Amines: Evidence for a Regulated, Activity-dependent, Non-exocytotic, Synaptic Release, Synapse, 67 (10), 656-667, (2013), (doi: 10.1002/syn.21670)
Holland, C. G. Gray and B. Tomberli, Calculating Diffusion and Permeability Coefficients with the Oscillating Forward-Reverse Method, Phys. Rev. E., 86, 036707, (2012) (doi: 10.1103/PhysRevE.86.036707)
Holland, S. Vafaei and B. Tomberli, Computer Data Analysis of the Oscillating Forward-Reverse Method, J. Comp. Phys., 231, 4355–4364 (2012) (doi:10.1016/j.jcp.2012.02.018)
Kučerka, B. Holland, C. G. Gray, B. Tomberli and J. Katsaras, The detailed scattering density profile model of POPG bilayers as determined by molecular dynamics simulations and small angle neutron and x-ray scattering experiments, J. Phys. Chem. B, 116, 232-39 (2011).
D. Berry*, J. Nickel, M. R. Shitut and B. Tomberli*, Molecular Dynamics based simulation of trace amine membrane permeability, J. Neural Transmission, 118, 1119-1128 (2011), DOI:10.1007/s00702-010-0569-2 (* Equal contributions by these authors)
Nategholeslam, B. W. Holland, C.G. Gray and B. Tomberli, Drift-Oscillatory Steering with the Forward-Reverse Method for Calculating the Potential of Mean Force, Phys Rev. E., 83, 021114, (2011)
D.A. Saldaña, F. Temelli, S.E. Guigard, B. Tomberli, C. G. Gray, Apparent solubility of lycopene and beta-carotene in supercritical CO2, CO2 + ethanol and CO2 + canola oil using dynamic extraction of tomatoes, J. Food Engineering, 99, 1-8, (2010).
D. Berry, J. Nickel and B. Tomberli, Trace amines and their receptors comprise a novel aminergic signalling system, Chapter 13 of Biogenic Amines: Pharmacological, Neurochemical and Molecular Aspects in the CNS, pp.279-302, Eds. T. Farooqui and A.A Farooqui, NOVA Science Publishers, (2010)
S. Tolokh, V. Vivcharuk, B. Tomberli, and C.G. Gray, Binding free energy and counterion release for adsorption of antimicrobial peptide lactoferricin B on POPG lipid bilayer, Phys. Rev. E, 80, 031911 (2009)
Vivcharuk, B. Tomberli, I.S. Tolokh and C.G. Gray, Prediction of binding free energy for adsorption of antimicrobial peptide Lactoferricin B on POPC membrane, Phys. Rev. E, 77, 031913, (2008).
D.A. Saldaña, B. Tomberli, S.E. Guigard, S. Goldman, C.G. Gray and F. Temelli, Determination of vapor pressure and solubility correlation of phenolic compounds in SC CO2, J. Supercrit. Fl., 40, 7-19, (2007).
Tomberli, S. Goldman, C. G. Gray, M. Saldaña and F. Temelli, Using solute structure to predict solubility of organic molecules in supercritical carbon dioxide, J. Supercrit. Flu., 37, 333-41, (2006).
T. Hart, Q. Mei, C.J. Benmore, J.C. Neuefeind, J. Turner, M. Dolgos, B. Tomberli and P.A. Egelstaff, Isotope quantum effects in water around the freezing point, J. Chem. Phys., 124, 134505 (2006).
T. Hart, C. J. Benmore, J. Neuefeind, S. Kohara, B. Tomberli and P. A. Egelstaff, Temperature dependence of isotopic quantum effects in water, Physical Review Letters, 94, 047801, (2005), - selected for the February 15, 2005 issue of Virtual Journal of Biological Physics Research.J.
Urquidi, C. J. Benmore, J. Neuefeind and B. Tomberli, Tulk C.A., Guthrie, M., Egelstaff, P.A. and Klug, D.D., Isotopic quantum effects on the structure of low density amorphous ice, Phys., Cond. Mat., 15, 3657-3664, (2003).
Urquidi, C. J. Benmore, J. Neuefeind and B. Tomberli, ISOMER-X: A program for the analysis of high energy X-ray diffraction experiments, J. Applied Cryst., 36, 368-368 (2003).
A. Tulk, C. J. Benmore, D. D. Klug, J. Urquidi, J. Neuefeind, B. Tomberli, 2003, Another Look at Water and Ice, Science, 299, 44-45 (2003).
Tulk, A., Benmore, C. J., Urquidi, J., Klug D. D., Neuefeind J., Tomberli B. and Egelstaff P. A., Structural studies of several distinct meta-stable forms of amorphous ice, Science, 297, 1320-1323 (2002). (Second most cited paper in field of Chemistry from University of Guelph)
Tomberli, B., Benmore, C. J., and Neuefeind, J. and Egelstaff, P.A., Isotopic quantum effects in the structure of liquid ethanol, Canadian Journal of Physics, 80, 1059-1068 (2002).
Neuefeind, J, Benmore, C. J., Tomberli, B. and Egelstaff, P. A., Experimental determination of the electron density of liquid H2O and D2O, Phys. Cond. Matt., 14, L429-33 (2002).
Tomberli, B., Egelstaff, P. A., Benmore, C. J., and Neuefeind, J., Isotopic quantum effects in the structure of liquid methanol: I Experiments with high energy diffraction, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 13, 11405-20 (2002).
Tomberli, B., Egelstaff, P. A., Benmore, C. J., and Neuefeind, J., Isotopic quantum effects in the structure of liquid methanol II: Experimental data in Fourier space, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 13, 11421-34 (2001).
Benmore, C. J., Tomberli, B., Neuefeind, J. and Egelstaff, P. A., Isotopic quantum correction to liquid methanol at –30 oC, Applied Physics A, 74, S1670-S1672 (2002).
Tomberli, B., Benmore, C. J., Egelstaff, P. A., Neuefeind, J and Honkmäki, V., Temperature dependence of structural quantum effects in liquid methanol, Lett. 55, 341 (2001).
Tomberli B., Goldman, S. and C.G. Gray, Predicting solubility in supercritical solvents using estimated virial coefficients and fluctuation theory, Fluid Phase Equ., 187-188, 111 (2001).
Benmore, C.J., Tomberli, B., Egelstaff, P.A. and Neuefeind, J. Quantum effects in the structure of liquid benzene at room temperature, Molecular Physics, 99, 787-94 (2001).
Benmore, C.J. and Tomberli, B.L., The Structure of Carbon Dioxide around Naphthalene Investigated using H/D Substitution in Neutron Diffraction, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 39, 4491-95 (2000).
Tomberli, B., Benmore, C. J., Egelstaff, P. A., Neuefeind, J and Honkmäki, V., Isotopic quantum effects in water structure measured with high energy photon diffraction, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 12, 2597-2612 (2000) – fourth most downloaded article on IoP website in 2000.
Gray, C.G., Goldman, S., Tomberli B., Li, W., Comment on: Correlation lengths and density fluctuations in supercritical states of carbon dioxide. Chemical Physics Letters, 271, 185, (1997).
Joslin, C.G., Gray, C.G., Goldman, S., Tomberli, B., Li, W., Solubilities in supercritical fluids from the virial equation of state. Molecular Physics, 89, 489, (1996).
Goldman, S., Gray, C.G., Li, W., Tomberli, B., Joslin, C.G., Predicting Solubilities in supercritical fluids, Journal of Physical Chemistry 100, 7246, (1996).