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overview
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Work in my laboratory lies at the crossroads of synthetic biology and nanotechnology. Our research projects primarily involve renewable energy production and human health. We use the principles of protein design to create new bioinorganic components, not yet observed in nature, to further extend the possibilities of synthetic biology. These often contain synthetic, non-natural bioinorganic cofactors tailored for their intended purpose. The goal is to fashion protein domains which are clean, modular and ready for assembly into higher order nanostructures with emergent properties. There are a number of related projects underway:
1. Designed proteins for solar energy conversion
The development of artificial photosynthesis – i.e. the production of liquid fuels with only sunlight, water, and CO2 – is the Manhattan Project of our age. We are creating self-assembling artificial reaction centers capable of being modularly attached to a variety of catalysts - protein, synthetic chemical catalysts and nanomaterials, in order to catalyze high-energy fuels with light. Projects include:
-Creating an artificial reaction center
-Creation and optimization of an artificial oxygen evolving protein
-Engineering a photosynthetic E.coli
-Light-driven biofuel generation – solar driven metabolic pathways on hybrid metamaterials
-Single molecule electronics
-Self-assembling antireflective biocoatings
2. Designed protein therapeutics.
Protein design has advanced to the point where several groups are working on therapeutics. My group has been working on several flavors of therapeutics, in particular battlefield blood substitutes and chemotherapeutics. Projects include:
-Designed proteins as optimized oxygen carriers for artificial blood
-An artificial nitric oxide dioxygenase as a chemotherapuetic
-Safranine-based nitroaromatic prodrug-activating enzymes
-Supercharged phase-changing proteins for the detection of cancer
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