Mathematical models developed by Reidun Twarock utilize higher-dimensional lattices to map the complex structural organization of viruses. By applying geometric principles beyond standard spherical polyhedra, these frameworks provide insights into the arrangement of proteins on viral capsids and the internal packaging of genetic material, offering new analytical methods for virology and nanomaterial studies.
Academic Background and Training
Twarock completed her education through studies in mathematical physics at the University of Bath and the University of Cologne. She subsequently earned her Doctor of Philosophy at the Clausthal University of Technology, where her doctoral research involved investigating quantum mechanical models confined to spherical surfaces. Her professional trajectory includes academic appointments at several institutions, serving at the Clausthal University of Technology between 1997 and 2000. She joined the University of York in 2000 and held subsequent roles at City, University of London from 2001 to 2005 before returning to the University of York, where she served between 2005 and 2009, in 2009, and continues her work as a mathematician and biologist.
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Her research shifted toward virology after she identified limitations in existing models for papovaviridae, including HPV. While conventional icosahedral virus models rely on protein clusters of five and six, papovaviridae possess 72 clusters of five, a configuration that does not align with known spherical polyhedra. To address this, she developed a method incorporating outward translations into the generation of protein patterns. These models, which can be visualized as projections of a six-dimensional demicubic honeycomb tiling, accurately predict the structural characteristics of various viruses, such as Nodaviridae, and explain how viral proteins assemble into stable interacting layers.
Scientific Contributions and Recognition
The application of her work extends to understanding the assembly processes of RNA viruses, where proteins interact with specific genomic locations. By applying the cut and project method used in Penrose tilings to three-dimensional virus structures, she has provided a framework for mapping both the external geometry and the internal genomic environment. This interdisciplinary approach has garnered recognition within the mathematical and biological communities, including the receipt of the 2018 IMA Gold Medal. In 2025, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society for her ongoing contributions to the field.
Fast facts
- Born: 2000
- Citizenship: Germany
- Education: University of Bath, Clausthal University of Technology
- Key Award: IMA Gold Medal (2018)
- Fellowship: Fellow of the Royal Society (2025)
- Professional fields: Mathematics, Biology
- Languages: German, English
Questions readers ask
What is the focus of Twarock’s viral models?
She uses higher-dimensional geometry and lattice structures to predict the arrangement of proteins on viral capsids and the packaging of genetic material.
How did she advance the study of papovaviridae?
She identified that their 72-cluster structure could not be explained by standard spherical polyhedra and developed new models based on 3D pattern translations.
Achievements
- Fellow of the Royal Society — 2025
- Held posts at University of York, University of York and University of York
- Fields: mathematician
